God’s Time Frame
—How God views time
Here's an outline that I hope you'll like. The idea popped into my head while I was sitting in church. You could certainly say that this is a lesson with a broad sweep! You might like to study it over two periods, rather than all at once.
You often hear people talking about a "time frame" for something or other. They mean that there is a framework of time applied, and step-by-step goals set with do-by dates. Does God have a "time frame" for his work? Yes, he does, and that’s what this lesson is about.
1 A Time to Plan
- "...before the foundation of the world... predestined according to his purpose..." (Ephesians 1:3-4,11 cf Matthew 25:34).
- "[The lamb of God] was foreknown before the foundation of the world" (1Peter 1:20, cf John 17:24).
2 A Time to Begin
- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1)
- "The world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water" [a new beginning] (2Peter 3:5-7, cf 1Peter 3:20-21).
3 A Time to Prophesy
- "God spoke long ago to the fathers by the prophets..." (Hebrews 1:1).
- "The law has a shadow of good things to come" (Hebrews 10:1)
- "...the prophetic word... a lamp shining in a dark place..." (2Peter 1:19-21)
4 A Time to Sacrifice
- "When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son..." (Galatians 4:4)
- "...at the due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Ro 5:6).
- "...now once at the consummation of the ages he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26)
5 A Time to Save
- "'On the day of salvation I helped you'... Behold now is the day of salvation" (2Corinthians 6:2).
- "He fixes a certain day... 'Today if you will hear his voice...'" (Hebrews 4:7).
6 A Time to Judge
- "It is appointed for man once to die, and after this comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27-28)
- "...He has fixed a day in which he will judge the world..." (Acts 17:31).
7 A Time to Bless
- "...the gift of God is eternal life..." (Romans 6:23)
- "...an eternal weight of glory... eternal in the heavens." (2Corinthians 4:16-18 and 5:1)
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