Acts 22 … Consider His Preordained Purpose

Originally posted: 2/02/2020

Preordain: “to ordain or appoint beforehand.”
Ordain: “to order or command; to select for or appoint for an office.”
Purpose: “the reason something exists or is done; an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.”

“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. ¹⁵ For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard,’” (22:14-15 emphasis added).

I heard myself gasp when I read these words. Out of both utter amazement and eager longing. To think… to be one who is appointed to know His will, to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. I want that privileged appointment, to know, see and hear Him.

The Greek word translated “appoint” in this passage, actually communicates an advance purpose for the appointing.

From Louw Nida Greek-Engish Lexion of the New Testament: “30.89 προχειρίζομαι; προχειροτονέω: to choose for a particular purpose in advance—‘to choose in advance, to select beforehand, to designate in advance.”

This privilege Paul received went far beyond the knowing, the seeing and the hearing. Knowing, seeing and hearing were never meant to be hoarded and singularly enjoyed, but shared. The privilege of being His witness was conveyed in this appointment. Paul was selected beforehand for His desired result. “For you will be a witness for Him…” It was His Preordained Purpose.

Consider His Preordained Purpose

His Preordained Purpose is revealed in His Son, through His Holy Spirit and His Holy Scriptures.

“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. ¹⁵ For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard,’” (22:14-15).

• His Preordained Purpose: to know His Will
  • …In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth… (Ephesians 1:9).

• His Preordained Purpose: to see the Righteous One
  • Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?” (John 14:8-10).
  • He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him, (Colossians 1:15-16).

• His Preordained Purpose: to hear an utterance from His mouth
  • “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God,” (John 8:47).
  • “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” (John 10:27).

• His Preordained Purpose: to be a witness for Him to all people
  • “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).
  • “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. ⁴⁰ God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. ⁴² And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins,” (Acts 10:39-42).

How do we respond to His Preordained Purpose?

We too have been selected by God for His intended result; to be a witness for Him before all people. And I hear myself gasp again, for it is almost too much to fathom. But it is true; His Preordained Purpose for every one of His children is “to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth… and to be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.”

And He has provided all we need in His Son, through His Holy Spirit and Holy Scriptures.

• Let us pray to be filled with the knowledge and assurance of His will, conveyed in His Holy Word, that we would respond in pleasing obedience to Him.
  • For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9-10).
  • Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God, (Colossians 4:12).

• Let us persistently pursue Him in holy purity, believing He will grant us the privilege to see Him through eyes of faith, as we look forward to that day when faith becomes sight.
  • “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” (Matthew 5:8).
    For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known, (1 Corinthians 13:12).
  • Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” (1 Peter 1:13-16).

• Let us tune our hearts of faith to intentionally listen and hear the utterance of His mouth in absolute dependence upon His Holy Spirit.
  • “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you,” (John 14:26).
  • “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come,” (John 16:13).
  • All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV).

• Let us rely and rest in faith upon His Holy Spirit’s power to be His witnesses, to walk blamelessly in the light, and to bring glory to God in all things.
  • “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).
  • “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:16).
  • Do all things without grumbling or disputing; ¹⁵ so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,¹⁶ holding fast the word of life… (Philippians 2:15).

Oh that we would be ever mindful of the great privilege of His Preordained Purpose, granted to all who have been born again and called to be His witnesses. May we daily seek to share all we know and have seen and heard, that others may also come to the saving knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ, our Savior.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth, (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

 Let’s Grow Together!