METAMORA PATTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

GOD'S SECRET PLAN FOR MAN
PAT GULLEY


1 Cor 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (KJV)

Nothing about mankind takes God by surprise. That is why the Lord had a secret plan in place before the world began. I believe that the Lord created all things just like the Bible says He did. I also believe that God knew he would need to have a back-up plan. (After all, He is GOD) This plan would secure the will of God being done on earth as well as in heaven. God's desire for a family who would love Him and trust Him is evident in the patience He exhibited with Adam and the human race. It is also apparent in the person and life of Jesus Christ.

When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image. They were spirit beings just as God is Spirit. They were formed by a loving Creator and were given the ability to be fruitful and to multiply.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (KJV)

Mankind was made to fellowship with God. This fellowship was very important to God but as it turned out, God had to put his back-up plan in place. But He had to keep it a secret. It was crucial that the Devil, who is the enemy of God and of all God's creation, not know of this plan.

This plan was kept hidden through the ages until Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. But even then the Devil did not know which baby was the child of God. He didn't know that bit of information until John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and God announced to the world. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Satan, that adversary of all that is Good, then began to tempt Jesus and try to trap Him as he had trapped Adam so many years earlier. When Adam sinned, that sin was passed on to all who were born of the seed of man. But Jesus was conceived by the Spirit of God and not by the will of man. (Part of the plan)

Now there was more to this plan that just to get Jesus born into the earth. He had to die. And in order to die, he had to be united with man. This took place on the Cross when Jesus took man's sin upon Himself. Then He had to be buried and to be raised from the dead. And since we as sinners were joined with Him in His death, we were also with Him when He was raised from the dead. (Rom 6:5-6)

One of the last things Jesus told His followers was about this secret plan that God had kept hidden from Satan for thousands of years.

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (KJV)

Jesus died so that the Family His Father longed for could be birthed. Jesus promised that whoever would love Him and receive Him would be loved and received by His Father. (John 16:17) When you receive Jesus as your Lord, you do it because you know God loves you and that He sent Jesus to redeem you and give you new life. That was the plan all along. Church, we were born of Love so that we could love God and one another. This is not a fairy tale. This is the Word of God. This is what I believe. Jesus is my LORD.