Freedom and Grace

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" Eph 1:11

That little phrase 'the counsel of His own will' gives amazing insight into how God thinks and functions. God's energies are all focused by the various combined insights of what He desires to accomplish. His omnipotence is directed by His full knowledge with all the considerations of His omnipresence in space and time.

He is not capricious determining His actions because of emotional reasons. He does have strong emotional reactions to situations as evidenced in the Hebrew Scriptures again and again. He also isn't detached from circumstances. His will has a counsel. That means that grace is the perfect sum of all God has seen and how He has chosen to respond to relationships in the full context of holiness.

"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." John 1:16

The will and actions of the Son of God fully reflected the will and scope of knowledge of the infinite Father.

It gives a new meaning to the phrase "You can do anything you put your mind to." Much can be accomplished if the will is put in the correct order of how the soul should be 'arranged' but what may be accomplished won't have lasting benefit if the will of man functions in his own limited counsel.

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" Phil 2:4-5

Those verses start out with a message of service versus self centeredness but then are magnified into communion and fellowship with Christ. If we are asking God in active fellowship with our Savior and an open Bible, leaning heavily on God's direction and definition in an attitude of prayer practicing God's prescience then we as individuals can have wills that are aligned with God's will. That in itself is amazing. Liberty is born right there. True freedom and purpose are found when we live in God's revealed will... in attitude... His attitude.

We are often looking for something to do but what God has in mind is much different. He wants us to be a certain way. When we are a living expression of grace and truth what we do in freedom will be an expression of Him. Our steps will be ordered in a holiness that only He can provide. Free people can do God's will because they are motivated by Love and guided by Truth.