“It is a thing that we should continually remember, that God, from His side, is never working towards anything; from His side, He is always working backwards. He is working back to what was, both in His mind in times eternal, and which He had actually in His creative activity. There it was. He has never given it up. All the departure is away; God is always coming back. God is never saying to man: You must come onto Me; He is saying: You must come back to Me. It is only in us, where we are concerned, that we are moving towards a consummation; but God is always working backwards.”
~ T. Austin-Sparks
God’s “backwards” is eternity past where He conceived His eternal purpose. Our “forwards” are His backwards. Because He is outside of time, space, and matter, because He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end are both happening in Him. Thus the end will look similar to the beginning. There is no other purpose for which to live than God’s eternal purpose. It is God’s grand goal and mission, the provocation of creation itself. Thus it should be ours as well.
Personal Words Regarding 2011
I have been reading T. Austin-Sparks for years. Recently I have began to re-read several of his books, it is amazing what The Lord revealed not just to, but in A.S. Thank you for calling attention to his books. It is through his books and through what the Lord has given you, Frank that has opened my eyes to what the eternal purpose of God really is. Yes, it is truly found completely in Christ and God’s pleasure of revealing Him in us, as Paul writes in Galatians. Thank you dear brother in Christ.
What a refreshing thought. No longer should we feel like we are running to keep up with God as I have sometimes felt but getting back to where we should be. Makes an art quilt I once made make more sense
I honestly never thought of this – but it is sincerely on target. Thank you for sharing this today, Frank. It was a little dose of what I really needed to read today.
this is good. i like that. thank u frank. love u brother. betty
That’s really odd, I did not see your commentary when I 1st responded, but I see it now. Thanks for the book recommendation. Off to search for an e-version.
Love the concept although I think it is off just a bit. Why?
God exists in the “Eternal Now.” He is the “I Am” The Kingdom of God exists everywhere and at all times. God himself does not go backwards or forwards in time.
I did my college thesis on the biblical concept of time, and here is my basic premise:
God exists in the eternal now and because He is eternal is not constrained or contained within time. However, on our side of eternity we experience time as material and finite beings. We are contained within time because of our material nature.
The creation of material matter initiated time for material beings. Christ became man (a material being) and therefore in a sense God stepped into time and because the man, Christ Jesus still exists in material form, exists in time.
Matter is connected to time because it is the only thing that proves that one thing happened before another. Without matter time loses it’s relevance. Things are as they were “before the foundation of the world.”
Now, the bible does talk of time beginning and time ending, but I simply do not know how time will end while material matter continues to exist.
Would love to know what others think.
Miguel
Miguel: I don’t think the quote is off at all. Did you see my commentary at the bottom? You simply restated what I wrote, which expounded on what Sparks said 🙂
Have you read his book THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE MYSTERY? It’s an amazing work. He elaborates on the “eternals” in an amazing way. Sparks was without peer on that subject: http://www.ptmin.org/library