In Pursuit of Purpose – Issue 1

          And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:28-31NKJV

AND WE KNOW… Do we? Do we really know the things listed in this passage? Paul must have had some confidence that his readers did, but this letter was not originally written to us, therefore, we must not assume that we do know and that is the reason I start with this question. Lets find out for sure…

PREDESTINED – to predetermine, decide beforehand… this does not mean that God has decided for you before you were born, it means that before you were born God determined the outcome of your life, or better yet, God has already witnessed the life that you have decided to live and it is settled.
Determined – 1. Ended; concluded; decided; limited; fixed; settled; resolved; directed. 2. a. Having a firm or fixed purpose, as a determined man; or manifesting a firm resolution, as a determined countenance.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t have choices, but it does mean that God already knows the choices we’ve made and at times gives us a preview. Specifically, in the case of the believer, it is settled that you would, at some point in your life, seek to know the Lord…
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please… Isaiah 46:10NIV
God knows the outcome of our lives and speaks from that end point letting us know the next step that we have already taken. Knowing our next step before we take it allows us to then ask the most important question of “why” we have taken that step in that direction…

CALLED – to call… Matthew 1:21&23 Called Him Jesus, Called Him Emmanuel… This is not the idea of calling someone to do something, but rather recognizing who they really are and calling it out or calling a thing according to what it really is; calling a person according to their purpose. The name Jesus means ‘Jehovah saves’ and Emmanuel means ‘God with us’; both names are not titles, but actually descriptions of purpose and identity. Especially in western cultures, names today have lost their original intent and the meanings of names are only novelty. In the past, and in many non-western countries, names are still descriptive and this is also why God changed the names of several people throughout scripture. Are we listening to God to hear who we really are, no matter what our birth name is?
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21NKJV. This verse is from a passage where God is telling His people that when they get rid of their idols (false images), then God will begin to speak to them, telling them the right way; calling out purpose…

JUSTIFIED – to render righteous or such he ought to be… this is the real process of transformation by the renewing of the mind, through the work of the Spirit. One of my favorite definitions of righteousness is the state (or condition) of him who is as he ought to be. Then the word render means to return, to pay back, to restore. So being justified means being restored or returned to the state or condition that we are supposed to be in, i.e. the true, natural state of existence where we are balanced and at peace on the inside, no matter the storms on the outside…
The ideas of justification often center on the individual following some set of religious rules in a works based effort. The truth of justification is simply recognizing the truth and then walking in it. This is simple, but not always easy. Many times we can see what we need to do, but struggle to do it and this speaks of weakness and relying on the strength of God. A tree does not struggle to be what it really is, but a tree is not a fallen, shadowy, distorted image of its original created nature. The problem with people is that we need to know that we have a purpose (predestined), begin to see or hear who we are really supposed to be (called) and then begin act accordingly (justified). Once you see who you really are, then it comes down to the power to choose to be who we really are…

GLORIFIED – 1) to think, suppose, be of opinion; 2) to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; 3) to honour, do honour to, hold in honour; 4) to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendor; a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent; b) to make renowned, render illustrious; 1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged
When we are really beginning to understand our destiny, are hearing our true nature being called out and are moving more and more towards being in the state or condition that we are supposed to be, then God begins to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; honor, etc. us. It is His desire and will to present to the world a correct image of His creation. As Jesus said, Father glorify your son that your son might bring glory to you (John 17:1). God wants to bring you into your correct state and then put you on display for all to see a true example of a purpose-filled, destiny-driven, spirit-filled, spirit-led, child of God, who loves a world of hate, overflows with joy in the faith-testing storms of life and is consumed with a peace that surpasses understanding in the valley of the shadow of death surrounded by wolves… 

SO WHERE ARE YOU AT? WHAT DO YOU KNOW? 

Predestined? Having yet realized that you are a child of God? Called? Just beginning to discover who you were created to be? Justified? In that processes of transformation or struggling to just be who you really are? Glorified? Being put on display by God to show others what purpose, destiny and a life of fulfillment looks like?

Many people proclaim that God is going to work out all things for them, but they forget that they also need to recognize the call according to purpose and then pursue it. If God is for you, then who can be against you? The answer is YOU… Ultimately, you are the only one that can oppose you stepping into purpose through relationship with God. Other people can add to the mix, but if God is for you, then who can really be against you? Move past the religious negative images (idols) of an angry God ready to punish you for every little mistake and realize the God who would sacrifice is own flesh for you, wants more than anything, just to have a deep, fulfilling relationship with you…

FIND OUT YOUR PURPOSE… YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT….