All Men were made for christ !
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The human race and all the inhabitants of the world were made for Christ dan 4:
35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
They were created to manifest his ability to form different kinds and order of beings. In creating the inferior beings [ animals] he displayed his ability to create material beings, and their various usefulness to mankind..In the creation of man He showed His ability to make beings who were both material and spiritual, that is the union of the material body with the spiritual and immortal soul..
The humans were created for Christ that he may display His infinite perfections in the redemption of their souls, in this grand display and work is made known the most wonderful display of His perfections which men or angels will ever behold..
Now in creating mankind, they were created for different displays of the Divine Purposes, some of us were created as vessels of mercy, and some of us were created as vessels of wrath per rom 9:
13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
All men are made within the eternal purpose of the purpose of election rom 9 11
And within that purpose, we [ from everlasting] are either hated by God or Loved by God vs 13..
Jacob is Representative of all the beloved of God within the purpose of election and Esau is Representative of all the hated of God within the purpose of election..
Each person or group of persons have been made, that is bought into being, to display God's purpose of mercy for sinners or Gods wrath for sinners..
The vessels of wrath vs 22 are also what scripture terms the wicked as in prov 16:
4The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
This is not speaking about people who do wicked things, but people whom all their lives, no matter what, whether very religious or non religious, will only be the wicked before God, that is vessels of wrath, created for that purpose..
The elect, are the righteous, even when they are born by nature, wicked in their mind and works..col 1:21
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Now, who are the And You that Paul is addressing here, when he declares, ye were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works !
Let me tell you now, He was not speaking to the those who are called the wicked in prov 16 4 but He is speaking to the beloved of God..
Lets look at a scripture in col that will confirm this. col 3:12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
This being beloved, was a true fact, while they were alienated and enemies in their minds by wicked works, for they were the beloved of God before they were born into that condition, even from everlasting were they the beloved of God, and never " The wicked " of prov 16 4..
But the beloved of God are born in the sinful condition we are by nature, for the purpose of mercy, thats why Paul says some are vessels of mercy rom 9:23, this mercy is displayed to them, because of what they are by nature..but, even though that is True by nature, yet are they also the righteous.. The gospel declares righteous all those believing in Jesus Christ, but before God declares one righteous, He must first view you as righteous, and just how is that done ?
2 cor 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Everyone Christ was made sin for, [ died for their sins] has been made righteous by God, because their sins, their wicked works, were never laid to their charge 2 cor 5:
19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Their sins were not imputed unto them, the word imputed here is the greek word:
logizomai :
to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over
a) to take into account, to make an account of
1) metaph. to pass to one's account, to impute
Their sins were not laid to their account as the word means here in 2 tim 4:
16At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge
So the force of what Paul is saying in 2 cor 5 19, is that their is a world [ both jews and gentiles] who God does not lay to their charge, all their trespasses and sins that they shall commit. And since they never had their sins laid to their charge, they were not guilty of their crimes, and instead, their head, the Lord Jesus Christ was made to suffer and die for their crimes, because instead of God laying them to their account, He laid them to His account..Isa 53:
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
You see, God is too Just, to have laid their sins to their charge, and at the same time laid them to the charge of their shepherd !
And so the non imputation of their sins, was accompanied by the imputation of His righteousness [ their shepherd] to their account, hence they were made righteous by imputation rom 4:
6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
So here we see both imputations go hand in hand, those whom have imputed righteousness vs 6 are those who have not had their sins imputed unto them vs 8 and 2 cor 5 19..
And so, we have it, God or Christ made both the wicked and the righteous.. for His redemptive purpose..
The wicked, are the vessels of wrath, who do have their sins imputed to their charge, and the vessels of mercy, the righteous, do not have their sins laid to their charge, but instead to the charge of their shepherd, and the shepherd giveth His life for the sheep, and not the goats..
It's just something I noticed in scripture various times in various places. :yes 