This week, Michael writes that a child of God needs to
know God's purpose for their life. In Philippians 3:10-11 and 13-14,
Paul said, "that I may know Him, and
the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being made
conformable unto His death; in order that I may obtain the resurrection from
the dead ... forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
upward calling of God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:5 says, "for if we have been planted together in the
likeness of His death we shall be also raised in the likeness of His
resurrection." As believers in Christ, life in this world is so
full of suffering, trial, and heartbreak, that unless we look to Him, we forget
the purpose for which he called us.
The basic purpose of a children of God is in Romans
1:1. Paul is a "bond servant" of his Lord Jesus
Christ. A bond servant is dedicated to serve his Lord, bound not by duty
or obligation, but bound by a heart of love. In biblical times, slaves were
required to serve their master for a certain period of time to pay off a debt
of obligation. Many slaves couldn't wait to be freed from bondage under
their hard task masters. However, some slaves after being freed, returned
to their master pleading to their master to continue to serve him
voluntarily. The bondservant's master would mark him by smearing
lamp-black ink on the bondservant's ear. Then the master would pierce his
bondservant's ear to the doorpost leaving an indelible mark. This mark
told the world that the servant had dedicated his life to serve his master from
a heart of love. The master was obligated to meet his bondservant's
needs. The bondservant owned nothing and his sole desire was to serve his
master.
According to Oswald Chambers, our purpose is not to be
"holy men and women" but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The
abiding reality is redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ. As God's
servants, we need to understand that redemption is the only reality. Paul
did not separate himself, rather God separated him to God's own purpose. It's
not about our own purpose, but His purpose. We're separated for one
purpose ... to proclaim the gospel of redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We were justified in Christ because of what He accomplished on our behalf. It's
not about our own testimony ... rather it's about His testimony through
us. For we preach not ourselves but Jesus
Christ and him crucified. For it is the gospel of God unto salvation. He
called us with power to be His witnesses
in Jerusalem and in all Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
A man or woman of God is an example of Psalm
1. He shall be like a tree that
is planted by the streams of living water. His leaf shall not wither and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Christ is the vine and we are the
branches. He is the source of our life as we live according to His
purpose. We bear the fruit of His spirit when we abide with and within Him.
A purpose is the "end to be attained." According
to the Bible, "holy" or "sanctified" means "set apart
for the purpose intended by the designer." For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works
which he has foreordained that we should walk therein. Our purpose is
to align our will with His will to proclaim the good news of the gospel of
Christ. Sanctification is a means to an end. The end is to serve our Lord
Jesus Christ from a heart of love. The purpose of a bond slave is to do the
master's will. A bond servant says, "Here am I Lord, send me. Thy wish
is my command." We've been set apart to spread the good news of
the gospel of redemption. When the seventy returned after Jesus sent them
to heal the sick and preach the good news, they returned joyfully because of
the miracles they were able to perform. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall from heaven as lightning
because of the good news you proclaimed. However, rejoice not because you
cast out demons, but because your names are written in heaven."
Cory Tin Boom said, "No pit is so deep but that God is
not deeper still." Even when we experience the depth of the depravity
of this world, we still have our salvation ... we've still been redeemed by the
blood of the Lamb. There's always something that we can be excited about ...
that our names are written in the book of life. Paul while he was in
prison said, whether I'm prospering or in
bonds, my life's purpose is for the furtherance of the gospel. Therefore,
let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify
your father which is in heaven. The darker the night, the brighter the light
shines.
The purpose of a bond servant is to do the master's
will. As the Scripture says, delight
thyself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
When we, from a heart of love, choose to being on purpose, making God's
desire our desire, and His good pleasure our good pleasure, then it is God who
works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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