Everything in God’s plan will come to pass,

Acts 20:27“for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know”.

Evangelical churches have preached the gospel message and have given attention to the return of Christ and our hope of heaven.

Sometimes, it is good to step back and look at the “big picture”–the foundational perspective upon which the whole of Scripture is based.

Four foundational passages in the New Testament provide pillars for the whole counsel of God.

(1) John 1:1-14In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

The “Word” (our Lord Jesus) was and is God;

The “Word” made everything that was made;

The “Word” was made flesh and dwelt among men.

(2) Romans 11:36For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

All things are :

from Him,

through Him,

and to Him.

Colossians 1:16-20 For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see…such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.… Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.(Colossians 1:18)  

So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullnesswas pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciledeverything to himself.He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

By Him all heavenly and earthly powers were made;

By Him all things are saved from destruction;

By Him all things will be reconciled.

(3) 2 Peter 3:1-13 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

He destroyed the first world because of evil;

He will destroy this presentuniverse by fire;

He will create a new heavens and new earth.

We can lose the reality of the forest because we are looking too closely at each tree.

Sometimes it is helpful to back away from the technical aspects of theology or denominational policy and review the “whole counsel”–the overall sovereign purpose of our Creator, Lord, and King.

Isaiah 46:9-10Remember the things I have done in the past.

For I alone am God!…I am God, and there is none like me.…Only I can tell you the future before it even happens.…Everything I plan will come to pass, for

I do whatever I wish.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”