Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

The plan is expansive

Jesus told his disciples that there are several things that they must be aware of. Part of the plan of God is to bring restoration to the relationship that was severed when Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened and they thought they knew how to direct their lives better that God. The opening of the eyes suggests that they were able to choose who they listened to, and unfortunately for us they chose wrong. And so the plan for complete restoration was set out in Genesis 3:15: ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head and you will strike his heel.’ So according to the plan, he the devil would strike the heel of the redeemer Jesus, by having him crucified on the cross; whose headship Jesus would remove from pole position on the earth by ushering the kingdom of God.

Therefore, when John reminds us that the world would hate us who are citizens of this new kingdom (John 15:18), he is repeating the plan. They hated Jesus without a cause (Psalm 69:4) so they will hate you once you decide to stick to the plan. Sin blinds us to the virtues of the plan but the blood of Jesus removed the scale from our eyes so that we can walk by faith! Meditate on John 15: 23-27.