What is God's Design?

Does God have a plan?  Does God have a specific design for things in mind?  Does man have the ability to interfere with God's plan?  Does God change His mind about His plan?


These and many others are interesting questions to consider.  I want to take a moment and do that together in today's blog.  We will look at some Scriptural foundation for understanding the answers to these questions.  First off, I want to address the last question first:  Does God change His mind about His plan?  There are 3 Scriptures I want to give to establish that the answer to this question is "NO".


^{James 1:17} Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)


This verse declares that God does not change and that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above.  All that has been given to us by God is good and perfect and He does not change.  Therefore, we can also understand that if what we have is not as God gave it it is no longer good and perfect.  We will touch on this more later.


^{Hebrews 13:8} Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.


This verse declares that Jesus is consistent - He is the same.  


^{Revelation 13:8} And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (KJV)


This verse tells us that Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.  Sending Jesus to earth as a man to die for the sins of man was not a change in God's plan.  It was God's plan from the beginning.  God knew, understood and realized the sinfulness that man was capable of and made provision for that in advance.  I have heard many times it said that after the fall by Adam and Eve in the Garden that God had to readjust and do things a different way.  That simply is not true.  God had His plan in place from the beginning and it never changed.




We find that God does not change as Who He is and He does not change from what He intends or plans.  So, the question becomes what is God's plan and how do we know and understand that plan?  From a Scriptural standpoint we can understand God's plan and design by realizing what God said about an issue "from the beginning".  What is the first thing God said about something?  That establishes His plan.  Since He does not change, then the first thing He says about something or does in regard to something will establish His ideal or His plan.  After that, anything else that we read in the Bible or in history that differs is not God's plan, but is how the issue has become due to man's involvement.  


Just because God allows man's involvement and interference to change things from His original plan does not mean that He approves or that man's adjustment suddenly becomes God's plan.


A few examples:

1. The Church (Acts 2:42-47).  God described the church as a unified body who worshiped together daily, had all things in common, witnessed and experienced God's presence and power, and saw people being saved and added to the church on a daily basis.  This is God's design for the church.  Anything we read about that describes the church either in the Bible or since that does not line up with this description is not God's plan, but rather how the church looks as a result of man's involvement and interference.
2. Marriage (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:18-25).  God created male and female as a unit or team.  God saw that Adam had no suitable helper and therefore from Adam's own rib God created Eve.  Eve is the only creation that didn't come from the dust.  God specifically designed the woman for the man and gave them to one another.  His instruction to them was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with His glory.  That is God's design on marriage.  From that point we read various stories of polygamy, incest, rape, homosexuality, adultery, bestiality, and the like. None of these line up with God's plan, but represent man's involvement and interference.  
3. Baptism in Holy Spirit/Gifts of Holy Spirit/Supernatural (Book of Acts, 1 Corinthians 12-14).  God established the work of Holy Spirit from the beginning (Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.)  We read about various leaders and prophets in the Old Testament who operated in the gifts of God (Moses, Joshua, Samson, Elijah, Elisha, etc).  Then we find that the early church was endued with the ongoing and abiding power of Holy Spirit.  This correlates with #1 above.  God's design is the blending the the church and His Spirit.  Anything else is man's involvement and interference and desire to do church on their own way/terms.

Just a couple of hot button examples so to speak.  I could go on, but you get the point.  If you want to know God's design or standard, find His first recorded description or design.  Anything after that is man's involvement, interference, and attempt to change things to fit as they want.  The ultimate thing to remember is that we are created in the image of God . . . it is not the other way around.

Until next time . . .

Rodney