Before The Beginning, God Was

Q: What does the Bible say about the eternal nature of Christ?

The Bible teaches that Christ was with God before the beginning of creation and possesses an eternal nature (Proverbs 8:22-36). In Proverbs 8:22-36, the Scriptures reveal that the Lord Jesus Christ, referred to as Wisdom, existed with God even before the creation of the world. This text emphasizes His eternal nature, stating that He was possessed by God from the beginning of His way and was present during the creation. The Lord Jesus is not a created being but is the eternal Son of God, who was with the Father in unity from all eternity, a profound mystery central to the Reformed understanding of Christ's divinity and preeminence in all things.

Q: How do we know God chose His people before creation?

God's election of His people before creation is affirmed in scriptures such as Ephesians 1:4-5, indicating that He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of election teaches that God chose certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4-5 states, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." This underscores the Reformed belief in God's sovereign grace, illustrating that salvation is determined by God's will rather than human effort. Additionally, Proverbs 8:22-36 shows that Christ was with God and actively involved in this divine plan of election as part of the eternal covenant of grace, ensuring that His people were ordained unto glory long before they were ever born.

Q: Why is the concept of Christ as our High Priest important for Christians?

Christ as our High Priest is essential because He mediates between God and man, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 2:17). The role of Christ as our High Priest is crucial in Reformed theology because He serves as the Mediator between a holy God and sinful humanity. According to Hebrews 2:17, "He had to be made like His brothers in every way to become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people." Christ's priesthood is not temporary or flawed, like the Levitical priests, but is eternal and complete, providing a once-for-all atonement for our sins. His continual intercession for believers, alongside His sacrificial death, ensures that we are reconciled to God, highlighting the grace and mercy afforded to us through His work.

Q: What does Proverbs 8 teach about God's creation?

Proverbs 8 teaches that Christ was present with God during the creation of the world, emphasizing His role in shaping all things (Proverbs 8:27). Proverbs 8 presents a vivid depiction of the Lord Jesus Christ’s participation in creation. The chapter emphasizes His presence and active role as the agent of creation: "When He prepared the heavens, I was there" (Proverbs 8:27). This teaching supports the Reformed view that Jesus, as the Logos (Word), was not only present but essential in executing the creation by the will of the Father. The narrative portrays the intimate relationship between Christ and the Father, highlighting that all things were made through Him, a profound truth that reveals both the power and sovereignty of God in the creative process.

Q: Why is it significant that Christ's delights were with the sons of men?

It is significant because it reveals God's deep love and commitment to humanity, which culminated in Christ's sacrificial work for our redemption (Proverbs 8:31). Proverbs 8:31 states, "My delights were with the sons of men," which emphasizes the profound truth of God's love for humanity. This depiction shows that Christ, even from eternity, took joy in His relationship with His people. In Reformed thought, this underlines God's grace and purpose in creation; that He would be delighted in mankind despite their fallen state, leading to the ultimate expression of His love through the redemptive work of Christ. This truth not only highlights the sincerity of God's affection but also illustrates the purpose behind His plan of salvation, whereby Christ's delights in the redeemed culminate in a restored relationship with Him for eternity.

Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. Proverbs, chapter 8, I'd like
to begin in verse 22, and Lord, if you're willing, go to the
end of this chapter. I asked Brother Neal to read
that passage that he read because this passage of Scripture deals
specifically with what he just read. Believers are creatures of time. There is a time to be born. There
is a time to die. We relate our physical existence
to time. We run everything by time. We're regenerated in time. We're
taught in time. We assemble here according to
time. God keeps us in time. But concerning Him who is the
I Am, He who is the High and Lofty
One, He who the Scripture says inhabits
eternity, He is eternal. The eternal God. He has everlastingly known us,
we who are His people. He has everlastingly known us
in love and affection. He has everlastingly been our
surety. And we come to know that in time. We come to perceive it, to see
something of it in time. But the passage today deals with
Him who is the glorious Savior, Husband,
Prophet, Priest, King, This passage is concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ before He was actually made flesh, before He actually
took upon Himself, partook of flesh and blood. He has always
been. This is a great mystery. the
only begotten Son of God, the eternal generated Son, God Himself, who in that eternal covenant
of grace, in agreement, in the redemption of God's people, there
was always a Lamb. This is what He says. He speaks. This is the one which Brother
Neal read a few minutes ago, the one that said, Let us create
man in our image and the very image of God, the very one of
who we see and hear Some looked on Him. We see Him by faith.
But He is the image of the invisible God. He is the One that said, let
us make man. Remember, I want you to grab
hold of what that word, make, means now. Let us consider. Let us consider man in our image. Consider all men in their relationship to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Some considered vessels of honor. Some considered vessels of dishonor. Let us make man in our image. So created He them. But that
word make there means consider. Almighty God considered some
before the foundation of the world. Chose them in Christ. Put them in Christ. Some were
ordained vessels of wrath. What shall we say to these things?
I'll tell you what a believer says to them. Lord, as You say,
things are. They are. You are God. There is none beside you. But
here is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is speaking. And we are not
here to try to explain the depths of these words. I cannot set forth with explanation
with a finite mind that which is infinite. I mean, there's
just some things that you can't perceive. But we're here to be
thankful for the privilege that we've got this morning to consider
He who is the sovereign God, He who is God over all, this
is the God that we worship. And this is what He says about
Himself. Verse 22, he says, The Lord possessed
me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. Jehovah. Jehovah. Father, Son, and Spirit. God Almighty. Possessed me in the beginning of His way."
Obviously, meaning the beginning of what Brother Neal just read. In the beginning. In the beginning
of creation. As we've said before, there is
no beginning of eternity. The I Am is. There is no start of Him who
is eternal. So what is the beginning? He,
the Lord Jesus Christ, He before He was made flesh, before the
Word Himself, the Logos of God, before the Word of God who is
a person was made flesh, the Scripture says concerning Himself,
The Lord possessed me. I was in unity. That's what the
word possessed me. I was in unity with the Father
in the beginning, in the commencement of the creation of all that was created. I was
there. Before the morning stars sang
together and the sons of God shouted for joy. before God Almighty
created the heavens and the earth, before the Lord Jesus Christ,
God Himself, did according to the Father's
good pleasure, before He who created all things did so, He said, Jehovah possessed me. Every purpose of divine counsel,
when all things were decided, which is everlasting, loved you
with an everlasting love. When everything was actually done, Oh, how deep are these
things that we speak of this morning. Before the beginning,
I was in unity with Him, in eternal agreement to be the surety of
God's elect, betrothed everlastingly, always
the bridegroom. Always having a bride. Always looking upon her in favor. Never a time that He didn't answer for her. Verse 23, I was set up from everlasting,
from the beginning, wherever the earth was, I was anointed
That's what he said. I was anointed. He was set up,
first of all, as the king over his people. The king of kings. The Lord of lords. I was set
up, anointed. Psalm 26 says, Yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. In time, we've come to
know that he's the king. In time, it has been revealed
to us by the Spirit of God that He rules and reigns. He does as He will in the army
of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth. Nobody staves His
hand. Nobody questions Him. He is the
King. How long has He been the King?
He has always been the King. In time, He offered Himself for
His people. But He's always been the Great
High Priest. He's always been the Lamb. Let
me show you something. Turn to Hebrews 2.17. Hebrews
2.17. Speaking of the Great High Priest, Hebrews 2.17 says this, Wherefore,
in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
How long has he been the great high priest? Slain from the foundation
of the world. How long? I was set up from the
beginning. The priest, Aaron, Aaron was
a priest. He was a high priest. Aaron was
a high priest. Moses was a prophet, an apostle. You consider him who is the apostle
and high priest of our profession, Jesus Christ our Lord. Aaron would come in and as the
priest, he would take a lamb and he would sacrifice a lamb
upon the altar. Turn to Hebrews 13, 10. We just
read that He's the High Priest. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ
is a High Priest. We know that He is the sacrifice. He's the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Look at Hebrews 13, verse 10. Let me tell you what else He
is. We have an altar whereof they
have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. He's the altar
too. He's the altar. He's the priest.
He's the sacrifice. No man ever laid a hammer. No
man ever took a chisel and did anything in the construction
of this altar. Remember how the Lord would tell them in the Old
Testament, you build an altar. You take the rocks just the way
they come out of the ground. You build an altar. Don't you
put your hand Don't you try to shape anything. Don't you try
to make anything fit more perfectly as far as you're concerned. You
build this altar exactly the way the rocks come out of the
ground. We have an altar. The prophet, he's our priest, king, sat up. In the beginning was the Word. In the beginning was the prophet.
He was set up back in Proverbs 8. I was set up from everlasting,
from the beginning, wherever the earth was. When there were
no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust
of the world, everything that Brother Neil just read, first day, second day, third,
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh day God rested. The Lord says, when there was no depths, I was
set up. No fountains, no mountains, no
hills, no earth. before the actual acts of creation. When there was nothing that was
framed or planned in the eternal counsel of God for God to actually
create it and bring it into being, I was born forth. I was brought
forth. I was eternally generated by
the Father. This is my beloved Son. I'm well
pleased with Him." He's always been well pleased with Him. Always
been there. Look at Psalm 90, verse 1 and
2. Psalm 90, verse 1 and 2. Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling
place in all generations. before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, our God." Lord, you've always been. Oh, I tell you here, we would
do well to just stop and adore. Lord, when all of this was brought
into being, You are. When all of the things that You
created, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, He said, He ever possessed me. Verse 27, when He prepared the
heavens, I was there. When He set a compass upon the
face of the depth, when He established the clouds above and when He
strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He set that compass
before the earth, it was void. It had no form to it. It was just, Lord, when You Set the circle
of providence. And when you said, this is the
way it's going to be. Grass is going to come forth.
Cattle is going to be there. There's going to be a sun. There's
going to be a moon. This is how it's going to be. The seasons are going to be this
way. And it's going to be just this long. And the earth is going
to go through its cycles. And it's going to be night and
day Winter, summer, spring, fall. Lord, when you set the circle
of your providence, I was there. When you established the bounds
of the earth and the sea, and you said to the sea, this is
how far you can come, and you don't come any farther than this. Verse 29, when He gave to the
sea His decree that the water should not pass His commandment
when He appointed the foundations of the earth. You know the amazing thing. While we behold the presence
of our blessed Lord and our Bridegroom and our God, our King, our priest,
God's prophet. When we notice that He said to
this earth, this is where you will go. This is how you will
act. You rest assured, this winter is
going to be over if God tarries and the Lord doesn't come. return. This one is going to be over.
Now you just write that down. It's going to get hot again.
And do you know that this earth perfectly obeys God? I want you to consider the indescribable
mercy of God to His elect in Christ concerning the obedience
of this earth to obey God and how merciful He has been to us
who are so disobedient. Everything falls into place,
but man, how disrespectful we are. His voice not heard. Here we are in an unregenerated
state. He calls us out of darkness,
removes a heart of stone. I looked that up again the other
day. He said, I will remove a heart of stone. Behead it. Take away its It's total domination,
total. I'll give you a heart of flesh. It kind of, in my little mind,
I began to think of a young tyrant who is all for himself. He rules
in this kingdom. All for himself. No regard for
anyone else. All for me. What I want, what
I desire, when I want it, how I want it. This is what I want
and I don't care. Let him eat cake. Someone comes out and just strips
him from his total, total domination. But still allows him to be. in
the court. He doesn't have the total domination
that he once had, but he's still got that same attitude. He's
held in a check so he can't totally destroy. But God Almighty sets up another,
and this one that at one time was totally in control. He harasses
the new one, the one that's got some honor to him. In my mind,
I kind of try to think about this. Paul says to Will that's
present with me, but how to accomplish. I see in me that old man that
wars and strives against me. It's no more I that do it, but
sin that dwells in me. Old wretched man that I am. There's
a battle that's going on. A battle that rages every day. And I'm telling you, I'm working
on a message right now and it's concerning obedience. And oh,
I'm telling you, convicting, convicting to this sinner saved
by the grace of God. Sometimes we begin to think sometimes
that, well, you know what? I mean, we really don't have
a whole lot of leeway here because, you know, we're saved by the
grace of God and kept by the power of God. We just have this
old nature, really can't do anything. I'm going to tell you something.
If you think that there's not a demand for obedience, You can
go back and read the book of Jonah if you'd like to. You might
read that. I'm telling you, God is a jealous
God. And He deals with His people
in absolute righteousness. And I'm telling you, we would
do well to consider our obligation I mean, we are what we are by
the grace of God, believe me. God is long-suffering to us,
and He deals with us as children. I remember when my kids were
growing up. Buddy, I'm telling you, I would not spank you for
a mistake, but you disobey me, and I'm telling you, this is
the way it's going to be. We're going to the bedroom. God
deals with us as children. Well, he says in verse 29, when
he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass
his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth, then was I by him as one brought
up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always
before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth.
delights were with the sons of men." Before the sacred Godhead went
forth, before the Lord Jesus took union with humanity, the
glorious Bridegroom Himself, I was daily His delight. Here was the bridegroom himself. This was the one that the father
said, it's not good that the man should be alone. Gave him a bride. I thought on
that and thought, Lord, but that you would say that it was not
good that the man, the man Christ Jesus, should be alone. That he would have a bride given
to him because the Father said it's not good that you should
be alone. For me to even say, can that
be, is disrespectful. God said it is. It's not good
for a man to be without the woman. Adam had a rib taken out of him,
and God made a woman out of that rib. That's just a picture. That's just a type. She was bone
of His bone, flesh of His flesh. She came out of me. We came out of Him, eternally
chosen in Him, bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh. The glory
of God in electing grace, that the Father who delighted in the
Lord Jesus Christ, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing
in the habitable part of His earth, That was his area in which
he would manifest his delight in the habitable part of the
earth. The grand theater of the exhibition
of his goodness and mercy and grace and compassion, where that
would be exhibited in the habitable part of the earth. God was pleased
to give the man a bride. And the Lord Jesus says in the
latter part of that 31st verse, "...and my delights were with
the sons of men." Daily, moment by moment, in eternity where there's no
time. Here the Lord Jesus Christ set
forth that His enjoyment, His delights were with mankind. God so loved the order
of man. God so loved the world. wonder of wonder that He would
be delighted with men." Long to be with them. May liken to
them. That He would soulless His heart
when He says, by my delights, that He would soulless His heart
with men. And how lightly we think of that. He who right now is here, hears
this. Song of Solomon 4.9, Thou hast
ravished my heart, stolen my heart. I looked that word up
again this week. Thou hast ravished my heart.
Here was one of the explanations, definitions that I had missed
before. to make the heart beat faster. You made my heart flutter. My delights were with the sons
of men. Thou hast ravished my heart,
my sister, my spouse. Thou hast ravished my heart with
one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." Imagine the wonder of that truth. Knowing the depth of man's fall
and his redemption and salvation and the Lord Jesus Christ making
her to be what He says she is. And He might present her to Himself,
a spotless bride. no blemish, robed in His righteousness, ever His delight, and to spend
eternity with Her that He has eternally loved, that He eternally viewed, that
He eternally set His affection, stood for, came to this earth
for Her redemption. and suffered the death of the
cross, forsaken of God for her so that
she would not be forsaken. Now therefore, hearken unto me,
O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear
instruction and be wise and refuse it not. Oh, the need that we
have to be encouraged to hear Him. Isn't that something? I
mean, we read these words and you think, oh, I tell you what,
man, that's the best message I've ever heard in my life. You
mean to tell me that Almighty God has everlastingly loved me
and in the fall that He knew I'd fall and provided redemption
for me before I was ever created and provided the Lamb that was
slain from the foundation of the world because His delights
were with the sons of men that He everlastingly loved those
that had yet to be born in time. And He came into this world and
redeemed. And here this frail, dying creature
is actually going to spend eternity. And I will sit with Him on His
throne and forever be in His presence and will forever look
upon God Himself and will hear His voice and ever be His delight
and His pleasure. And I've got to be reminded to
hear Him. Yeah. Hearken unto me. O ye children,
for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction. Be
wise and refuse it not." Isn't it sad that we would refuse
it? Truly, O wretched man that I am. Blessed is the man that
heareth me watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post
of my doors. For whoso findeth me, findeth
life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord, But he that sinneth
against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." These last few verses deal with a heart of diligence
and truly longs to hear. Blessed is the man that heareth
me because he has been given ears to hear. That's a blessed
man. That's a blessed woman. If He's
made His voice to be heard by you or me today, what a blessing. Blessed are those that watch
at His gates daily. Turn to Song of Solomon. Song of Solomon. Just a few pages. forward in your Bible. Song of
Solomon 3, 1-4. This is blessed are those that
wait daily at His gates, at the post of His doors, that are anxious
to hear. You know, men and women that
have been made anxious to hear want to hear. That's a sign of
regeneration. They want to hear. By night on
my bed, Song of Solomon 3, 1, I sought him whom my soul loveth.
I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now and go about
the city and the streets and the broad ways. I will seek him
whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him
not. The watchmen that go about the city found me, to whom I
said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that
I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth. I held
him and would not let him go until I
had brought him into my mother's house, into the chamber of her
that conceived me. Those, he said, that seek me,
he said, you'll find me. Just to have a heart that would
want to hear. want to see, want to behold. Finding Him by faith, by the
revelation of God's Spirit, He said, I am life. You find Me,
you find life. I am the way, the truth, the
life. No man comes to the Father but
by Me. Oh, but listen as we close. He that sins against Me, he wrongs his own soul. You're
doing this against yourself. All they that hate Me will not
come to Me. You love death. Isn't that a
hard revelation But it's the truth. If you hear His voice,
come. Come. If you desire Him, come. If you desire Him, He's given
your heart to desire Him. If you hear His voice, how do you know you'll hear His
voice? I'll tell you how you'll walk away from anything that
you ever trusted in, that you thought justified you before
God. And you'll come to Christ who
is salvation. There's none other. Salvation
is of the Lord. You'll forsake everything else
for Him. May the Lord bless this word
to our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen.

Before The Beginning, God Was

What does the Bible say about the eternal nature of Christ?

How do we know God chose His people before creation?

Why is the concept of Christ as our High Priest important for Christians?

What does Proverbs 8 teach about God's creation?

Why is it significant that Christ's delights were with the sons of men?

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Before The Beginning, God Was

What does the Bible say about the eternal nature of Christ?

How do we know God chose His people before creation?

Why is the concept of Christ as our High Priest important for Christians?

What does Proverbs 8 teach about God's creation?

Why is it significant that Christ's delights were with the sons of men?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

Comments

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