What's the Purpose?

What's the Purpose?

by David Brenneman 

"For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.  Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." 2 Thessalonians 4:2-8 NASB 

My friend, what are you doing to follow these instructions?  These are not written just for the Thessalonian Church.  We who have Jesus as our Savior have a work in progress sign above our heads with an arrow pointing to our hearts. 

We are supposed to be His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. 

Sounds like a true purpose to me. 

Are you walking like it?  

Are you walking as a Disciple of Jesus or are your steps mirrored after the world?

Are you struggling and striving to create your own little Kingdom here on Earth or are you at work in His Kingdom?  The prayer says: Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.".

We are easily lead astray by the plethora of wrong desires of our hearts.  We laugh and joke about how quickly a dog's attention span is when it sees a squirrel...human beings are worse.

We not only go after the squirrel, we can write up a spreadsheet or document to list every justification for going after what we do.  Thousands of books have been written on how to pursue this or that.  Thousands more on how to feel this or that about what amounts to justified selfishness. 

Our sanctification is a top priority in what we read Paul writing about. That word is repeated.  It's not just sexual immorality. It's all forms of immorality. It's about who's on the Throne of our hearts.  Who's commands we are going to follow.  Who's direction are we going to go. 

The work of the Spirit of God in the life of a Believer is to make us more like Christ Jesus.  Period. That work is of utmost importance. It's above personal pleasure. It's above personal comfort.  It's going to be involving quite a bit of suffering and pain to gain the righteous life that God desires in us.  

An addict goes through extremely powerful and painful withdrawals when separated from what they were on.  We are addicted to the things of this world.  To human beings practically everything is a squirrel.  In less than a second we can mentally check out on people with nothing more than a stray thought. 

When you look back over your life, as I have again today, what progress do you see?

I was reading in my Facebook memories about some things I wrote concerning the last 20 some years.  Regardless of the path and pain, God's been entirely faithful to stay with me through everything. Through every single Spiritual operation. Through every single Spiritually painful set of withdrawals. Through every single moment.  There's never been a moment that I was ever abandoned nor forgotten by my Savior. 

Letting go of me and my desires has opened me up to what God's got in mind for me.  I It's a work in progress. Seems that weekly I am thinking of more and more things to let go of.  

When you consider your purpose in life...as a Believer there's only one. To reflect the light of Jesus Christ in this world.  To tell people about what Jesus has done for us and what He would like to do for others.  

Honestly, striving for success in everything is a fleeting waste of time.  Worldly success never lasts and you always find yourself trying to figure out how to up the ante.  

As someone once said you learn more through failing than you do in succeeding.

We will always appear to be failing at living life in this world because of what Believer's are to reject as per God's Word.  In Christ we become something when we pursue sanctification rather than personal desires. 

We should be wanting what God wants. 

We should be desiring what God desires. 

God's Will should be of utmost importance to the life of the Believer. 

What steps are you taking towards sanctification?  Are you making time with Jesus every day a priority?

Are you confessing your known and unknown sins?

Are you filling your time trying to fulfill your desires or are you seeking what God desires to see in you?

Are you trying to please the world at the expense of pleasing God?

Are you wanting at all to hear "Well done!" from Jesus?

You, my Friend, have a wonderful purpose.  You have a specific, special, reason to be born in this here, this now, in history.  It isn't about personal success or accomplishments. It's not about amassing possessions or great things to go and see.  

We are to grow in Christ and show a lost world the way to be saved.  To point them to Jesus and pray for their growth in Christ.  To want what God wants.