From Creation to Salvation

But he was wounded for our transgresions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisemment for our peace  was upon Him, And by his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has lain on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53: 5-6 NKJV

Although it is written in the Old Testament, this passage from Isaiah has a profound meaning into the New Testament message.  Just who was it that was bruised for the iniquities of all mankind?  Who our Lord God has placed the sin load of EVERYONE for him to bear.  This is Him who was born that night in Bethlehem.  This, is our Lord Jesus.  I used to think that Jesus' birth in the New Testament was in answer to mankinds sin, that God had finaly had enough with our behavior.  While this is true, the story begins earlier than that, much earlier.

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
1 Peter 1:20 NKJV

Some people might do a double take after reading this passage from 1 Peter 1.  Obviously, the apostle Peter was refering to our Lord Jesus.  My belief of Gods entire salvation plan was jolted when I read this passage.  No longer could I assume that God chose Jesus to come to redeem those of New Testament times.  No, for God "Foreordained" his son to be the sin offering for his creation even before the foundation of the world!  What?  So, God KNEW beforehand that his creation  would require a sin sacrafice?  Why didn't he just do this all right and create us so that we would be sinless and perfect?  Well, I believe that there is NOTHING done by our Lord that is by any means a mistake.  Therefore, even our propensity to sin, although known, was also a part of Gods loving plan.  It's been said that God did not want mindless robots who would accept him without question, but a creation who would CHOOSE him by their own free will.  There is truth in this, also, for if we choose to accept our Lord because we "want to" instead of we "have to" we will definately have a deeper connection with him.  I believe that a loving God did not want to force his will on us, this does not exemplify Gods love for us.
It is a comforting thing to realize that, despite knowing of our human condition beforehand, God loved us too much to let us dwell in our sin.  Of course, it is WE who must realize that sin no longer defines us, for jesus gave himself to reclaim what once belonged to God, his loved creation!

~Scott~