He's Working Out His Purpose

January 21

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3


We need to understand three words here. The first is "worlds," which is the Greek aion meaning "ages," "periods of time," or "dispensations." The author is not referring at all to the created world—the earth. He means periods of time.

The second word is "framed," which gives the impression of a person building something, but that is not the author's intent. The same word appears in Hebrews 10:5, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared." This translation points to a different connotation.

The third word is "word." Normally, a Bible student would probably immediately think of logos as being the Greek for "word," but such is not the case here. It is instead the Greek word rhema, which means "the revealed word."

A good paraphrase of verse 3, then, would be: "By faith we understand that the ages were prepared by the revealed word of God." This verse is telling us that there is an UNSEEN HAND somewhere that is guiding the course of the periods through which mankind has lived!

In other words, God is working out a purpose! People with faith look to the purpose He is working out and what He has revealed, and they see His hand guiding the destiny of nations as well as individuals.

This is an interesting, encouraging, faith-building concept because God is never far from the thoughts of a faithful person. Such a person, because he has had the mystery of God revealed to him - the purpose He is working out—begins to see God in everything that is happening because God is his companion. He has a relationship with Him. Because of his fellowship with God, he tries to see everything through God's eyes, as it were.

When God calls, one of the miracles He works in us by His Spirit gives us insight into His movements in the history of man. The Christian begins to see God in his environment, the earth—and discovers that it is all under God's control.

We can see where God says, "I raise up kings. I put down kings." Sometimes these are "the basest of men," but because we are beginning to think like God, we understand why He does such things. In Romans 13:1-2, we find out that all governments are ordained of God. He at least permits them to govern, and sometimes He directly installs them.

God is guiding and controlling events. Men think they are in control of what is happening…No, God is in control. He is working out a purpose...

The psalmist says that God is not in all of the ungodly man's thoughts, Psalm 10:4. Andre Matisse, a French philosopher and writer, once said, "The universe is indifferent. Who created it? Why are we here on this puny mud heap, spinning in an infinite space? I have not the slightest idea, and I am quite convinced that no one has the least idea."

This is the way man looks at things, but Christians had better not look at them like this because they will not operate by faith. If we are operating by faith, we can begin to see events and circumstances in their fuller scope, as well as how they fit and how important they are to the purpose God is working out.— John W. Ritenbaugh



We live in a time when everything we have known as true seems to be cast aside, when everything that we have relied upon seems to be undone, when everyone in whom we had placed our confident expectation seems to have disappointed us. Everywhere, on every hand, earthly entities seem undone. People of faith wonder if God will ever intervene to right all that’s wrong.

But God has not abandoned us to the devices of the enemy. No, He is merely allowing the schemes of the evil one to unfold to their ultimate conclusion. The Word, that cannot fail and cannot lie has told us in advance of the events. In II Timothy, Chapter 3, the Apostle Paul says:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

“They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

That day seems to be upon us, but we must hold fast to the profession of our faith, for HE IS FAITHFUL WHO HAS PROMISED,” Hebrews 10:23. Let us not be discouraged when evil seems to flourish and spread itself over all for a season (Psalm 37:35), for his time is measured and it will expire at the moment of God’s choosing.

As the handwriting on the wall foretold the evil king in Daniel 5:27, so wicked men today “…have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.” We who believe must not be weary in waiting our deliverance, for we know that if we will but persevere in faith, we shall reap, according to His promise in Galatians 6:9. Jesus is faithful. Every word in the Bible is true. As prophecies of His first coming came to pass, so will every prophecy of His second coming be fulfilled completely.

As Romans 8:25 tells us, “We hope for that which we cannot see, and we, with patience, wait for it,” and as we wait, we say as Paul did in II Timothy 1:12, “I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him.” We say it because we know He's working out His purpose.