When did God implement His eternal purpose?
God implemented His eternal purpose before anything was ever created, in eternity past. The triune God agreed on creation and the plan of salvation, knowing mankind would sin, and determined that the Son would come, die, and be raised from the dead.
Les explains that Paul, writing to Timothy but addressing every believer, says God saved and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose. Les teaches that before anything was ever created, the triune God had a meeting in eternity past—not that they had to sit around the table and discuss it back and forth—and agreed on creation, on mankind, knowing that He would sin, and set up the plan of salvation. Out of that plan the Son would come down, die, and be raised from the dead. That is all part of this eternal purpose that God implemented before anything was ever created.