October 01, 2014

From Before Creation

1 Peter 1:13-21

You were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish … chosen before the creation of the world …
—1 Peter 1:18-20

— 

Our first child was born prematurely. After eight months of pregnancy, my wife went into labor. After 18 hours of labor, it was decided that birth would have to be by Cesarean section. Soon we welcomed a tiny, amazing baby boy into the world. Then our son was moved to a hospital that was better equipped to care for premature infants. He thrived and is a strong young man today.

Soon after our son’s birth, bills began to pour in. We had insurance, but it did not cover the full amount. I complained to my father about what we owed. He said something to me that I will never forget: “John, you have a baby boy, and the bills will go away.” I stopped complaining about the bills and celebrated our son. That wisdom from my father was priceless.

We have a Father in heaven with infinite wisdom. He knew we would be sick beyond recovery from sin, from giving in to “evil desires,” so at great cost he gave us a Savior, “Christ, a lamb without blemish,” chosen “before the creation of the world.” Jesus came to pay for our sin by giving his own life on a cross so that we can live now in faith, free of any worries about the outcome of our life. Because of Jesus, our “faith and hope are in God.”

Father, forgive us if we try to be independent from your wise counsel and care. We are blessed by your love for us from before the creation of the world. In Jesus, Amen.

About the author — John Kuperus

Since he was young, John Kuperus has had a passion that everyone would know Jesus. Spreading the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) is very important to him. To be better equipped for missions, John attended Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He applied these skills with marketplace evangelism in a business he started in Sussex, New Jersey. This calling continued to follow him, so John attended seminary and became a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, serving a church in Ontario for eight years. Currently he serves as a missionary for Youth with a Mission (YWAM). He witnesses Jesus changing lives as people walk out of the darkness into the light. John is married to Helen, and they have seven children.

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