Ka-bam! It happened again this morning . . . a few short words . . . found in a much bigger story and context . . . which transported me into a “wonder land.” Not “I wonder what’s happening” land . . . but, an “Oh the wonder of it all!” land. Nine words which send me back in time . . . with a fresh sense of awe as I recall the events of that time in my life . . . being reminded that even though it was happening to me, I only saw such a small part of all that was in play. For me, it was the feeble first steps of faith . . . the initial act of believing. The result was that I was brought from spiritual darkness into marvelous light . . . I was born again and made a new creation in Christ . . . my spiritual DNA was re-wired so that I became alive to things that I was so long dead to. But for God . . . there was a much bigger dynamic at play . . . it was about me keeping an appointment.

In Acts 13, Barnabas and Saul are sent out by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the word of God (13:1-5). And in Antioch, on the Sabbath day, they get an opportunity to preach in the synagogue (vv. 13-15). And preach it they do. Many leave that morning asking Paul to return next Sabbath for they wanted to hear more. And the following week “almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord”. But the Jews are filled with jealousy as they see the huge interest being shown in the renegade Pharisee and so they rise up in verbal opposition to him. And, in response, Paul says, “Since you thrust it (the gospel) aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (v.44-46). Now, check this out . . .

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48)

There they are . . . those last nine words . . . “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” From where they were sitting they were “receiving Jesus” . . . they were “asking Jesus into their hearts” . . . they were “coming to faith” . . . they were “accepting Christ as their Savior” . . . we have so many phrases to try and describe the point in someone’s life when they become a believer . . . but from God’s vantage point, they were keeping an appointment.

Oh, the wonder of it all! They exercised their free will to respond to the word they heard with belief. They elected to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21) . . . they chose life . . . abundant life . . . eternal life. But, reveals Scripture, again, to this they were appointed. God, in His sovereign purposes and workings, had ordered it . . . He had ordained that they should respond in faith . . . even as He chose them in His Son before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and blameless before Him . . . In love having predestined them for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:4-6).

Can I reconcile in my little mind the incongruity of my free will and His Sovereign determination? Not really. Am I convinced that Scripture teaches both to be true? Absolutely! Praise God, that the workings of God are not dependent upon my ability to fully comprehend them . . . or logically explain them . . . I’m thinking that’s part of what makes Him God . . . and me not. Instead I marvel anew, as I think back on that drive home that night so many years ago when I prayed my feeble little prayer . . . not even knowing that the “right words” would have been to ask Jesus to come into my life . . . but that night, in that car, with whatever words I came up with, I was keeping an appointment.

I didn’t know it . . . it really wasn’t mine to know . . . mine was simply to respond to what I was starting to understand with the mustard seed of faith that had been graced to me by the One who was calling Me through the One who had died for me? Mine was to believe . . . being saved by faith. His was to know that I also was keeping an appointment . . . scheduled from before the foundation of the world . . . to be revealed to me after I had entered the kingdom by faith . . . a “bonus” piece of knowledge concerning the eternal dimensions of the love of God . . . to be reminded of it again as I came across a small phrase in a story of a renegade Pharisee preaching the gospel . . . such that I might respond afresh in loving appreciation to such amazing grace. Hmmm . . . who knows . . . perhaps right now I’m keeping another appointment . . .