1.6 The Triune Godhead’s
Eternal Plan and Agreed Council
for Salvation of Men.
1.6.i
( 1.6.1 thru 1.6.1b )
We will consider next:
The Everlasting Plan
and Agreement Between
The Three Divine Persons
Concerning
The Salvation Of Men.
***
AND THE ETERNAL TRUTH THAT:
A BELIEVING SOUL
is the ETERNAL DESIGN
of the Divine Consultation,
between
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD,
in ETERNITY PAST.
***
This is a BIBLE BASED Discussion
of The DIVINE Operations
and Transactions
CONCERNING
The SALVATION of Men;
Among and Between
EACH of the Three Divine Persons
of The TRIUNE GODHEAD;
GOD The FATHER,
GOD The SON
and GOD The HOLY SPIRIT,
when “They” were Alone,
AS GOD, IN ETERNITY PAST,
before the World Began,
or any Creature of Mankind
or Animal was
EVER CREATED
into being,
by
THE ONE and ONLY
TRUE and LIVING
CREATOR GOD.
***
The Main discussions are
chiefly the ETERNALLY PLANNED
Council and Covenant
of AGREEMENT
in The GODHEAD,
respecting the Salvation of men.
***
When It is rarely mentioned
by ‘Bible Teachers’
The Three Divine Persons
of The TRIUNE GODHEAD
are generally blended together
by divines
when this Topic of GOD’S
Everlasting Plan Concerning
The Salvation Of Men
is discussed.
***
HOWEVER,
WE CAN BE BLESSED
and
MORE
“AWARE of The GODHEAD”,
to WORSHIP OUR GOD,
as WE SEE
THIS DIVINELY RECORDED
INFORMATION
GOD HAS TOLD US,
IN HIS OWN WORDS.
***
IN THE BIBLE
The Three Divine Persons
of The TRIUNE GODHEAD;
GOD The FATHER,
GOD The SON
and GOD The HOLY SPIRIT
have been Distinguished,
BY The TRIUNE GODHEAD,
where WE SEE One Divine Person,
GOD The FATHER,
as being Revealed
and Shown to us
as Preparatory
and Introductory
to the Other Two
Divine Persons
in The GODHEAD,
GOD The SON
and GOD The HOLY SPIRIT,
***
AND YET,
ALL of THIS
“COUNSELING TOGETHER”,
OF COURSE,
“takes place” at the same “time”,
from our perspective
because,
The PLAN
of AGREEMENT
Among and Between
ALL THREE DIVINE PERSONS
are of an Eternal Date,
AND WERE CONDUCTED,
by The GODHEAD
FROM ETERNITY PAST.
***
WE ARE SIMPLY BLESSED
to be
AWARE of The GODHEAD
and
The ETERNAL PLAN of SALVATION,
from GOD’S PERSPECTIVE.
***
SO, FROM GOD’S OWN
REVEALED WORDS to MANKIND,
LET US BEGIN
with the ETERNAL PLAN
and AGREED COUNCIL
of The TRIUNE GODHEAD,
WHICH WAS:
Held Among AND Between
EACH of the Three Divine Persons,
The Father, Son and Spirit,
concerning
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD’S
ETERNAL PLAN of man’s Salvation
Made before the World was Made.
***
And it will be proper to inquire:
***
1.6.1. First,
In what sense the words,
“Counsel”, “Plan”, “Agreement”,
“Consultation” and “Deliberation”,
can be Ascribed to God,
to the Divine Persons;
COLLECTIVELY
and
INDIVIDUALLY,
as
The TRIUNE GODHEAD.
***
1.6.1a.
The sense of these words,
“Counsel”, “Plan”, “Agreement”,
“Consultation” and “Deliberation”,
etc., Ascribed to God,
are not to be understood
as expressive IN ANY WAY
of a “Lack of Knowledge”,
or of ANY Degree
of Ignorance
in God,
or of GOD
“being at a loss”
in forming the Scheme
of Salvation.
***
The ETERNAL
TRIUNE GODHEAD
is a God of Knowledge,
of All Knowledge,
ALL SCIENCE =
OMNISCIENT.
***
GOD is Perfect in Knowledge,
Wanting Nothing.
***
The ONE and ONLY
OMNISCIENT GOD
is the Only Wise
and All-Wise God,
Whose Understanding
is Infinite,
and Reaches to all things.
***
Nothing can Escape
THE KNOWLEDGE of GOD.
***
“The Lack of Knowledge”
is often the case with men,
and therefore they deliberate
with themselves,
and consult with others;
but it is not so with God;
AND NOT “The REASON”
for GOD’S “COUNCILS”
and “PLANS”.
wherefore,
***
1.6.1b.
“Consultation” in GOD
is ALSO not in order
to gain more “knowledge”,
or to obtain more “satisfaction”,
and so more pleasure
in the review of things.
***
Since,
The OMNISCIENT GODHEAD’S
Understanding is Infinite,
there can be
no Accession to More “knowledge”
by HIM,
nor ANY Increase of Knowledge
in GOD’S UNDERSTANDING.
***
Men consult with themselves,
and reason on things
in their own minds,
or consult with others
to gain more knowledge
and, then,
if “more knowledge”
is not the result
of the reasoning of men,
“consulting together”,
at least, gives them satisfaction
and pleasure.
***
In the event there are those people
that they have an high opinion of
agree with them,
and approve of their schemes;
this makes their minds more easy,
and confirms and settles them,
“in their thinking”;
and thus
in the multitude of counselors
there is safety and delight.
in Proverbs 11:14, 27:9
is A FACT of GOD,
concerning men.
***
“Where no counsel is,
the people fall:
but in the multitude
of counselors
there is safety.”
Proverbs 11:14
***
“Ointment and perfume
rejoice the heart:
so does the sweetness
of a man’s friend
by hearty counsel.”
Proverbs 27:9
***
Nor,
1.6.1c. Does a Council
Held between the Three Divine Persons
suppose any Inequality between Them;
***
Usually with men, this is the case,
in serious matters of difficulty,
the persons ‘consulted’ are
supposed to have superior abilities
for their judgment to be taken.
***
But this Inequality between Them
is not to be supposed here,
when the Father Consults
with the Son and Spirit,
it is not because They have Knowledge
‘Superior’ to HIM,
or that He needs any information
from Them.
***
God the Father,
God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit
are One in Nature;
and are Equal in Knowledge
and Understanding.
***
GOD the Father is Omniscient,
the Son Knows All Things,
and the Spirit Searches
the Deep Things of God.
***
And yet the Three Divine Persons
may Consult Together.
***
Just as three human persons
of equal knowledge
and judgment among men
may consult together
about an affair of importance,
without supposing any superiority
and inferiority in them.
***
1.6.1d. Nor is Consultation in God
Continued, Carried On
and Protracted to any length,
as it often is with men,
who when they, as men,
have a matter of difficulty before them,
do not suddenly and at once
determine ‘a solution’,
but take time and consider it
in every point of view,
that they may fix on the wisest
and most rational method of acting.
The consultations among men on an affair
have sometimes been held
many days successively.
***
But this is not the case with God.
***
Counsel with GOD is as Quick as Thought,
as yes, Counsel with GOD
is none other than His Thought,
and therefore they go together,
as we see in Psalm 33:11;
“The Counsel of the LORD
Stands For Ever,
the Thoughts of His Heart
to all generations.”
***
But,
1.6.1d1. When Consultation
about the Salvation of man
is Ascribed to God,
it is Intended to Express
the Importance of
THE ETERNAL SALVATION of men.
***
‘Men’ DON’T ‘CONSULT’ about trifling things,
but even ‘Men’ CONSULT about
those things that are of the most importance.
***
AS FAR AS,
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD
Consulting about and Deliberating
upon THEIR Work of men’s Salvations
is of the Greatest Importance,
not only to men,
for their comfort
and happiness here and hereafter,
but to the Glory of God.
***
The Glory of GOD’S Perfections
is Greatly Demonstrated
in THEIR Work of men’s Salvations.
***
AND SINCE
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD’S
Work of men’s Salvations
HAS BEEN
so Wisely Contrived,
it is for that Purpose;
that men’s Salvations
is not Put into any hands,
but into the Hands
of the Son of God,
as GOD HAS SAID
in Psalm 21:5
& John 17:4.
***
Psalm 21:5;
“His ( Jesus’ )
Glory is Great
in Your Salvation:
( God the Father’s Promise )
Honor and Majesty
have You
( God the Father )
Laid upon Him
( Jesus ).”
***
John 17:1-5;
“These Words Spoke Jesus,
and Lifted Up His Eyes
to Heaven and Said,
Father,
the Hour is Come;
***
Glorify Your Son,
that Your Son also
May Glorify You:
***
As You
( God the Father )
have Given Him ( Jesus )
Power Over all flesh,
that He( Jesus )
should Give Eternal Life
to as many as You
( God the Father )
have Given Him ( to Jesus,
IN THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD ).
***
And this is Life Eternal,
that they might know You
the Only True God,
and Jesus Christ,
Whom You
( God the Father,
IN THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD )
have Sent ( Jesus ).
***
I ( Jesus ) have Glorified
You ( God the Father )
on the Earth:
I ( Jesus ) have
Finished the Work
( of men’s Salvations )
which You Gave
Me ( Jesus ) to Do
( IN THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD )
***
And now, O Father,
You Glorify Me
with Yourself
with the Glory
which I ( Jesus ) had
with You ( God the Father )
before the World was
( FROM ETERNITY PAST
IN THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD ).
***
1.6.1d2. This way of Speaking
is used to Set forth
the Wisdom of God Displayed in
GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN
of SALVATION for men,
IN THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
of THE TRIUNE GODHEAD ).
***
We generally know that
HERE on Earth
the most wisely formed ‘schemes’
made by human beings
THAT SUCCEED
are the result of considerable
consultation and deliberation;
THEREFORE IN
The ETERNAL PLAN
and SCHEME of Salvation
by Jesus Christ,
God has Abounded in All Wisdom
and Prudence.
***
The ETERNAL PLAN
and SCHEME of Salvation
by Jesus Christ,
is the Manifold Wisdom of God,
in which the Wisdom of God
is Displayed in the Greatest Fulness
and Variety;
insomuch that the Angels,
those wise and knowing creatures,
desire to look more
and more into it, as GOD TELLS US,
in Ephesians 1:7, 8, 3:10;
“In Whom ( Jesus )
we have Redemption
through His Blood,
the Forgiveness of sins,
According to the Riches
of His Grace;
***
Wherein
He has Abounded toward us
in All Wisdom and Prudence…
***
“…To the Intent that now
to the Principalities
and Powers in Heavenly Places
( the Angels )
might be known by the church
the Manifold Wisdom of God.”
***
1.6.1d3. This
“Redemption
through His Blood,
the Forgiveness of sins”,
being the Effect
of THE ETERNAL COUNCIL
between the Three Divine Persons,
in THE TRIUNE GODHEAD,
shows their Unanimity
in the Salvation of men.
***
The Three Divine Persons,
in THE TRIUNE GODHEAD,
are One in Nature,
so They Agree in One;
and as in Everything Else,
so ALSO in this,
the Salvation of men.
***
The Father Signified His Mind
that His Son should be Sent
to be the Savior of men,
when He may be Supposed
to put such a question
as in Isaiah 6:8:
“Whom will I Send,
and Who will Go
for Us
( THE TRIUNE GODHEAD ) ?”
***
GOD The ETERNAL Son, JESUS,
Knowing His Father’s Will,
and Assenting to His Father’s Will,
Declared His Agreement
with His Father’s Will,
“Here Am I, ( JESUS )
Send Me”.
***
And GOD the Holy Spirit
Aapproving of the Father’s Motion,
and the Son’s Consent,
Joined with the Divine Father
in the ETERNAL MISSION
of JESUS’ WORK of
“Redemption
through His Blood,
the Forgiveness of sins”,
for the Salvation of men,
AS GOD REVEALS to US, HERE,
in Isaiah 48:16;
“Now the Lord God
( God the Father )
and His Spirit
( God the Holy Spirit )
have Sent Me
( Jesus, God the Son ).”
***
NOW, what inexpressible pleasure
must such Unanimity, between
The Lord God,
God the Father
and His Spirit,
God the Holy Spirit
and Jesus, God the Son
give to a believing soul,
to declare ?
***
A BELIEVING SOUL
is the ETERNAL DESIGN
of the Divine Consultation,
between
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD,
in ETERNITY PAST.
***
ENDNOTES:
Aware of The Godhead 