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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Purposefulness (Purpose in Life) (05/25/06)
Identifying the purpose for what the human race in general, and we as individual members of it, was created for has been the focus of philosophers, theologians, and believers in every generation.

Although Man, with the full cooperation and endorsement of the devil, has complicated it, the purpose for the creation of the human race and each individual member is simply to glorify God.

The glorification process begins if/when an individual exercises the free will that God has given him/her and believes in the Person (who HE is) and the Works (when HE did on the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:3/John 3:18).

The glorification continues if/when the born again believer develops and applies the “mind of Christ (1Cor. 2: 16 NIV)”, under the filling (control) of God the Holy Spirit (John 15:5) to the events of his/her daily life.

As the born again believer spiritually matures, he/she becomes aware of the specific spiritual gift and calling that God (1Cor. 12: 11), not the believer, has chosen for him/her and executes it in the opportunities that God also provides.

We were not gifted or called to do what someone else was called to do, or necessarily in the same way. However, we ALL have a “message” to be conveyed in both word and behavior in the personal periphery in which God has placed us.

The development and application of the “mind of Christ (1Cor. 2: 16 NIV)” is for OUR edification and growth, whereas our spiritual gift is for the edification and/or service of OTHER members of the body of Christ (Rom.12: 5).

God has established the means and the power for Man to accomplish His purposes in spite of the adversity and distractions that come from satanic forces (Eph. 6: 12).

We go off course when we misidentify spirituality and replace it with religion, or when we attempt to accomplish divine good with human power (John 15: 5).

Cleaning up the old man or the devil’s world through human effort/ability has never been the purpose of this life. Trying to establish “paradise” apart from God has been the agenda of Satan before Man was even created (Isa.14: 13).

The old man cannot be reformed and will be with us until the day we die (Romans 7) competing with the “new creation (2Cor. 5: 17 NIV)” for the control of our minds and inevitable behaviors.

The world environment, as described in Scripture (Matt.24: 22), just prior to the Second Advent is clearly not one in which evil has been overcome by good.

The futility of trying to clean up the old man or the devil’s world at large is made perfectly clear in Scripture, but so many Christians devote (or waste) much of the time God has given them in the pursuit of such things. Personal reformation and societal changes may be RESULT of genuine spiritual revival, but such changes are never the MEANS to acquire it.

Satan is a master in the art of deception and will often times use well intending, but misguided, Christians to accomplish his goals.

Family, friends, education, careers, health, wealth, pleasure, and the pursuit of similar and legitimate goals are the classic examples of some of the things that Satan will use to distract us.

When kept in their proper place, there is nothing wrong with any of the above blessings. However, if they are allowed to assume an inappropriate place on our list of priorities, any one of them can be used by Satan to distract us from learning and applying what the purpose of this life is all about (Luke 8: 14/Luke 14:26).

Discerning THE purpose for which we were created is only possible when we have a clear understanding of what the target (objective) is. Scoring bulls eyes on the wrong target will impress Man, but will profit us nothing in the spiritual realm.

Much to the displeasure of many, our Lord did not deviate from His purpose in order to address any of the political, racial, or social injustices of His day.

Furthermore, collaboration of “religion” and secular government has always led to tyranny and persecution.

The soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ does not entangle himself in “civilian affairs (2Tim.2: 4 NIV”, but keeps himself focused on his/her part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt.28: 19).

When we acknowledge THE purpose for what we were created for, we can begin the life that God has called us to.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
06/03/06
A very well-researched sermon and Bible study.

Your writing will be more readable if you find ways to avoid using the he/she construction, and other "slashed" phrases. For example, instead of

...As the born again believer spiritually matures, he/she becomes aware of the specific spiritual gift...

try this:

...As born again believers spiritually mature, they become aware of the specific spiritual gifts...

That avoids the pesky issue of gender-specific pronouns in English, and also avoids the awkward-to-read he/she.

Thanks for taking the time to write this devotional!
Shari Armstrong 
06/06/06
Some interesting points, but some of the wording feels awkward -especially all the and/or and he/she things. I know that the he/she thing is "policitally correct", but I think it's unecessisary. I was always taught, "When in doubt, use he". Some editing, and this could possibly be the start of a study.