Lesson #1: GOD THE TRINITY
God the Trinity is the God of vision, the God of mission and the God of action. God's vision is His eternal purpose, God's mission is His plan from the beginning to the end, and God's action is His specific work. Everything God does is to accomplish His plan and everything God plans is to accomplish His eternal purpose.
Lesson #2: VISION, MISSION, AND ACTION
If we go on a journey, we have to determine our destination, the route we are going to take, and the vehicle we are going to use. Vision is like the destination, mission is like the route, and action is like the vehicle. God's vision is the salvation of mankind. God's mission is the incarnation and the crucifixion of His Son for the sins of mankind. God's action is the regeneration of mankind by His Holy Spirit.
Lesson #3: CALLED, JUSTIFIED, AND GLORIFIED
Paul the apostle wrote, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) Conforming us to the image of His Son is God's vision. Calling us, justifying us, and glorifying us are all related to God's mission and action. The mission was carried out by His Son because He was the One who made it possible for God to call us, then justify us, and finally glorify us. The action is done by His Holy Spirit because He is the One who actually works in our lives to call us, to justify us, and to glorify us.
Lesson #4: THE VISION OF LOVE
God's vision is according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself. That vision was the mystery of His will, hidden until He made it known. It was the vision born out of His great love for us, to save us from our sins, then adopt us and glorified us as His sons. Paul the apostle wrote, "having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," (Ephesians1:5), "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself," (Ephesians 1:9) and, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6)
Lesson #5: FROM VISION TO MISSION
How was God's vision accomplished? It was through God's mission. God's eternal purpose was accomplished through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It began when He came into the world as Man and ended when He died on the cross, bearing the sins of mankind. Just before He died, He said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) Therefore, Paul the apostle wrote, "according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Ephesians 3:11)
Lesson #6: BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO, AND THE PRESENT TIME
God had the vision for the salvation of mankind before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Then, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world with the mission to accomplish His vision about two thousand years ago. Since then, the Holy Spirit who was sent to the world by the Lord Jesus has been in action doing His work to convict mankind of their sins and to show God's love through the death of His Son on the cross. He will regenerate those who believe in the Lord Jesus, begetting them into a living hope.
Lesson #7: LOVE, FAITH, AND HOPE
God's vision was born in the heart of the Father, God's mission was accomplished through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's action is carried out by the work of the Holy Spirit. When we see God's vision revealed to us, we will know how much the Father loves us. John the apostle wrote, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1). When we hear or read the testimony of God's mission, we will believe in the Lord Jesus. John the apostle wrote, "but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," (John 20:31) When we experience God's action in our lives, we will have hope from the Holy Spirit. Paul the apostle wrote, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
