Good Morning. It’s time for another Morning Devotional thought from First Peter. This time we’ll think about chapter 1, verses 20 and 21.
“He [Christ] was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
To foreordain means to determine, appoint, or decree something in advance. It is a synonym for predestine or predetermine. It means that an event or outcome is unalterable having been decided before it happened.
This is what it means that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world. It has always been God’s intention that He would send Christ into the world to be a sacrifice for our sins and those events were unalterable and happened at a time and place of God’s design.
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
“…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13.8).
“Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling…according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11).
It should be encouraging to all of us to know that with God there is no Plan B. Nothing could prevent God’s plan to redeem us through Christ. Even the free decisions of men could not thwart the plan of God occurring at the appointed time and place:
“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death” (Acts 2:23).
The disciples prayed, “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done” (Acts 4:27-28).
The Bible says there is great success in meditating on the Scriptures (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2-3). Take some time this morning to think about, consider, and meditate on what it means that God purposed and carried out this amazing plan to redeem us from our sins.