“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
Speaking of redemption, Peter goes on to discuss the Redeemer and the redeemed (vv. 20, 21).
He indeed was foreordained
Remember, God is not subject to time. There is no “before” and “after” with Him. God does not operate in succession. We use terms like “fore” or “before” because finite creatures can think in no other terms.
The verb “foreordained” means “to know in advance,” to know something before some temporal reference point. God knows about events before they happen. Before creation, He planned to send Jesus to earth to redeem humanity.
“Known to God from eternity are all His works,” (Acts 15:18 ).
God chose or selected the Lord Jesus to come to earth in advance of some other event. The event, in this case, was creation. Before Genesis 1:1 (creation), God foreordained Jesus as Redeemer. That was before time or space ever existed. That was before Adam ever sinned.
PRINCIPLE:
God planned our salvation before the fall of humanity.
APPLICATION:
God not only foresaw Calvary; He arranged it. Salvation was no afterthought. God did not say, “Oh my, sin entered this world I created. Now I’m going to have to find a plan to save the world.”
Redemption was no emergency measure. God was not in a bind to put a plan in place when things went wrong. Redemption from God’s standpoint is an eternally present fact. It did not take place in time. Calvary was no act of desperation on God’s part. It is an act of God’s eternal design.
