Thursday, June 4, 2009

Day 155 God's purpose in our lives

2 Sam 5:12 "And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel".

David was fully aware of his purpose, and it was out side of himself. His purpose was for others, God's people. So do we know what our purpose is? why our lives are ordered the way they are? Why has God rescued us from this present evil age?

Lets try a little experiment...Insert your name and role in this sentence..Mine looks like this...
And Siobhan knew that the LORD had established her as ....wife to Tony, mother and trainer of three children, manager of the household finances, friend to those struggling to know God, encourager to the saints,.... and had exalted her household...... for the sake of his people Israel".

Phew That was difficult to write... but I am sure you get my point...We may not be kings and queens but we have influence on those around us.

Reading Colossians, Galatians and Ephesians gives us a whole theme that sets up grace against the rules and popular secular wisdom in the cultures of the Greek world, and the rules and regulations of the law for the Jewish world.

Galatians 1:3-5 "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul goes on to talk about Law verses Grace.
That "grace" is how God rescues us from the present evil age.
We can set aside the grace 2:21 and We can fall from grace 5:4
We do this when we rely on keeping the world's system of wisdom/law/rules to keep us in the love of God.

Why did/does he rescue us?
Ephesians 2:4-9 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are to show the goodness of God in our lives by being and living the "new creation"
Galatians 5:6"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" and in 6:15 "what counts is a new creation"

By being merciful to others we are showing ourselves to be "created in his likeness". Whatever aspects or attributes of God we display we are administering HIS grace to others through us.

1 Cor 5:18ffSo from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Peter puts it nicely in 1 Pet 4:9-11"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen"

The new creation brings the message of reconciliation faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms... Today may the LORD establish the work of our hands, for the sake of his people.. Amen.

1 comment:

  1. This is an excellent explanation of scripture and a great encouragment.

    Thanks,

    Shirley Fay

    ReplyDelete