Chosen before the foundation of the world

Chosen before the foundation of the world

QUESTION:

Did God have a redemption plan for us through the body of Christ from the creation of the world?

ANSWER:

I like your question, and I can go one better in my reply!! Yes, God had a redemption plan for us, as the Body of Christ, but it was not planned from the creation of the world, or since the world began, but rather, it was ordained BEFORE the world began. 

Naturally, God’s entire redemption plan was determined long before the world was made. God knows the end from the beginning as we read in Isaiah 46:10. However, it is interesting how we can distinguish the redemption of the Body of Christ from other dispensations based on the context of timing and on what was prophesied versus what was kept secret.

Let’s have a look at the Kingdom dispensation that was introduced by John the Baptist and taught to Israel by Jesus in his earthly ministry, as well as by the 12-apostles. We know that the Kingdom was proclaimed by the prophets all the way through the Old Testament. The Kingdom program is a prophesied event and period; thus, it was made known to men since the world began. 

Luk 1:68-71  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,  (69)  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;  (70)  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:  (71)  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

Act 3:19-21  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  (20)  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:  (21)  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

An interesting fact about the verse below is that Paul, who is actually speaking of the doctrine for the Body of Christ, and unlike prophecy that was spoken since the world began, tells us that our doctrine was kept secret since the world began. This is in complete contrast to prophecy and clearly indicates a difference in the timing and revelation between the Kingdom program for Israel and the Mystery program for the Body of Christ.

Rom 16:25-26  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began [ie: since prophecy began],  (26)  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

In addition to the above scriptures, the following are scriptures from Paul’s epistles that clearly indicate that our program does not associate with the Kingdom program for Israel. Our program is not linked to prophecy. In actual fact, as Romans indicated above, our program was kept secret by God until it was revealed to Paul. We did not learn of our program since the beginning of the world. In contrast, it was a hidden wisdom that God revealed BEFORE the world began unto our glory.

1Cor 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2Tim 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:1-2  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  (2)  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

God’s redemption plan was predetermined and plotted out from the very beginning, however, what God made known to humanity was not the whole plan in one go. God revealed relevant parts of the plan systematically and slowly. The part of the plan to restore the earth was revealed through the prophets and unto Israel. Israel will be used to bring earth back in subjection under Christ in the Millennial Kingdom. The rest of the plan was kept secret by God and revealed in the perfect time to our apostle, Paul, who provided us the remaining details of God’s plan to restore the heavens in subjection under Christ through the agency of the Body of Christ.