Purpose in Life part 2

By Bill Gothard


1. KNOWING THE TRUTH

We are born with a sin nature, yet we are able to recognize truth and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. “…I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts…” (Hebrews 8:10).

2. DISCOVERING MORE TRUTH

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19,20).

3. REJECTING BASIC TRUTH

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19,20).

4. SEARCHING FOR NEW IDEAS

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

5. DEVELOPING A PHILOSOPHY

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (1 Corinthians 3:18,19).

6. REVISING THE PHILOSOPHY

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:5,7).

AN ILLUSTRATION:

A certain young man sensed a growing conviction for his many sinful ways. One day a friend invited him to attend a Gospel meeting. For the first time he listened to the realities of hell and judgment which God has pronounced on evil. With fearfulness, he responded to the invitation to become a Christian.

A few days later, he began to consider the changes that would have to come in his life as a result of being a Christian. He decided that the minister had used fear tactics to get him to make a decision. He then rejected both the minister and the message.

With awakened conscience, he now began to investigate other religions and philosophies. He was sure he could find one that was not so strict about evil.

After much studying of philosophy and religion, he devised his own views of God and moral decisions. He became very skilled in discussing these with others and debating their merits.

The conflicts of his moral relationships convinced him that his philosophy was not as good as he had hoped it would be, so he looked around for new ideas to revise his philosophy. But whenever he heard someone speaking of the judgment of God on evil, he violently reacted to it.

CONFIRMING SALVATION…

* BY CONFESSION OF THE MOUTH

“If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9,10).

One day a young man on a farm experienced a flood of doubts about whether or not he really was a Christian. He walked outside behind the barn, knelt down, and prayed. His prayer contained the following: “Thank you, God, for loving me and sending your son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, to die for me, a sinner. Right now, I do receive Him and ask you to cleanse me by His blood and make me your child. Thank you for raising Him up from the dead as a living Savior, and thank you for hearing and answering this prayer.”

He finished his prayer, pounded a wooden stake in the ground and wrote the date on it. About two weeks later, the doubts came back again. This time he had a ready and very effective reply,
“All right, Satan. Come with me!”

He walked out behind the barn, pointed to the stake and said, “See Satan. Here’s the date and here’s the place I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. And God has promised that if I call upon the name of the Lord, I shall be saved” (Romans 10:3).

Since that time, the doubts never returned.

* BY CONFIRMATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

* BY CONFESSION THROUGH BAPTISM

When the early Christians were baptized, for many it meant being disowned, persecuted and rejected.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Baptism is beginning life on a new basis. It is like living on borrowed time. It is dying to our rights, possessions, plans, etc., and being raised up to a new level of living. Everything belongs to God and Christ lives His life through us--one day at a time.

6 EVIDENCES OF SALVATION

1. NEW AWARENESS OF RIGHT AND WRONG

There will be a greater awareness of words, thoughts and actions which do not please the Lord.
“…He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). “For I know that in me…dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18:25). “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness” (1 John 5:19).

2. HUNGER FOR GOD’S WORD

Certain sections will begin to stand out to you with new meaning and understanding. “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). “…Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). “But strong meat belongs to them that…have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

3. DESIRE FOR A CHANGED LIFE

There will be a genuine desire for a changed life and a new delight in the direct commandments of the Lord. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

4. INCREASE IN TESTING

There will be an immediate increase in personal testing, often from those closest to you who do not understand salvation or from other Christians who have lost their first love. “Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you” (Luke 6:22). “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

5. LOVE FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS

There will be sincere enjoyment in the fellowship of other Christians. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:7-13).

It is essential that every Christian become an active member of a local church. This church must be true to the Word of God and active in proclaiming the Gospel to others who have not yet heard it.

6. DESIRE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST

One of the first signs of a genuine born-again Christian is that he will want to share his experience with others. It is important to provide opportunities for him to tell others who will encourage him rather than discourage him. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” (Psalm 107:2). “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15).

THE CALLING OF SEPERATION

* One of the greatest causes of diminishing the potential of our life message is the failure to turn from all the thoughts, words and actions which we know grieve the Spirit of God.

* Either we separate ourselves from our sins, or our sins will separate us from fellowship with God.

“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (of not warning the wicked - Ezekiel 3:18); and your fingers with iniquity (moral impurity - Psalm 51:2); your lips have spoken lies (broken promises and vows - Ecclesiastes 5:4); your tongue hath muttered perverseness (wrong attitudes)” (Isaiah 59:2,3).

* Many don’t realize how far reaching the scope of Satan’s realm of power really is. There is a small section of spiritual light. That is God’s realm. However, there is double that section for Satan’s realm which includes spiritual darkness as well as what the world and some Christians call “gray areas.” “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (1 Corinthians 11:14).

* We are not only to separate ourselves from those things which cause us to stumble but also from the practices which cause our “weaker brothers” to be offended:

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let…no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walk thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:12-15).

THE CALLING OF DEDICATION

Dedication is the mature action of giving to God what really belongs to Him already. We are then free to set our affections on things above rather than on things of this earth.

* It is not enough to turn from that which is evil. We must also turn to that which is good.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).

“Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge…” (2 Peter 1:5). As we dedicate ourselves to God’s Word, we gain knowledge for greater dedication.

THE CALLING OF SERVICE

* Add to your knowledge temperance (enkrateia): self-control; holding passions and desires in check. Self-control is the basis of fruitful Christian service. With self-control we do not serve ourselves, but we are morally free to serve one another in love.

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

* Service involves laying up treasures in heaven and building spiritual maturity in the lives of those around us.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

* Men keep looking for better methods and God keeps looking for better men.

THE CALLING OF SUFFERING

“Add to your temperance endurance…” (2 Peter 1:6).

“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice…” (1 Peter 4:12). Suffering is essential in order to experience the final three callings.

* Suffering will usually come from people you would least expect.

Our Lord was rejected by the very people whom He taught and fed and healed. He was put to death by those who were more familiar with Scriptures than anyone else.

* Suffering is designed to open up new sections of Scripture to us.

We don’t fully appreciate Scripture until we experience it. When we do, new insights are revealed that we will need in our life message.

After being turned upon by friends, the following verses take on new meaning: “I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother…but in my adversity they rejoiced…” (Psalm 35:14,15). “For it was not an enemy that reproached me: then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him:
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company” (Psalm 55:12-14).

Meditation will reveal new insights not only in these verses but in the chapters which surround them.

* Suffering is God’s way of freeing us from that which hinders us from “setting our affections on things above” (Colossians 3:2).

When the three friends of Daniel were thrown into the fiery furnace, the only things that the fire burned were the ropes that tied them down. God’s purpose is the same for us. He wants to free us from the multitude of cares which we think are essential, but which in reality only hinder us from true achievement.

* Suffering is most painful when we are partly at fault.

When we suffer after doing everything right, we are able to sing for joy as Paul and Silas did in prison. But usually most of our “fiery furnaces” are the result of doing the right things in the wrong way. God intends to use the fire to purify our lives from wrong motives, attitudes, words, or actions. For this purpose it is essential to spend much time in Scripture.

THE CALLING OF HUMILITY

“Add to your endurance godliness…” (2 Peter 1:6).

When we humble ourselves through the suffering God allows, He gives us more grace both to respond to our offenders and to see new, rich insights in His Word. Humility is the basis of godliness.

* Godliness (eusebeia) involves worth-ship or reverence paid to worth, whether in God or man.

* A godly response to those who offend us would be to recognize that God has only used them to put us through a “fire” that will be for our ultimate benefit if we respond to it and to them in the right way.

* God is far more concerned with our response than He is with our experience.

His purpose is that we “be partakers of His divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Toward this goal “All things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28).

THE CALLING OF UNDERSTANDING

“Add to your brotherly kindness love…” (2 Peter 1:7).

The reward of going through suffering and responding to it in the right way is a new ability to understand the real needs of those around us.

* Brotherly kindness (philadelphia) involves love of the brethren, alertness to their needs, and gentleness in meeting them.

* Before we go through the “fire” we may tend to regard Christian work on the basis of its being merely an organization and people functioning as a part of it. But when the fire burns away the stubble of human achievement, we have a new ability to sense the real needs of the people around us.

* We can sense when they have been hurt, and they are able to sense that we would understand if they told us about it.

This is the reward of suffering. “If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).

THE CALLING OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY

“Add to your brotherly kindness love…” (2 Peter 1:7).

When others sense that we would understand if they told us about their problems, and if we gained insights from Scripture through our suffering, we have the basis of leading many to spiritual maturity.

* God does not want our work for Him to be in vain or to lack lasting results.

“I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16). “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).

* Lasting results will not occur unless we respond to all eight callings.

“But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9).

* God allows us to go through “fires” so that we can build in others what we learn through them.

“The God of all comfort (counsel) comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4).

* Before we go through the “fire” we can go and tell others about the Christian life, but after we respond properly to our “fire” they come to us for this information.

“If you suffer for righteousness sake…sanctify the Lord God in your heart: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you for a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:14-15).

* Those we lead to Christ will be far more faithful if we prepare them for suffering and if they see that we have gone through that same suffering.

Before Christ died His disciples forsook Him and fled in the face of suffering. Afterward they endured it with joy.

* Each time God takes us through these eight callings our understanding of them grows deeper, and our ability to lead others to spiritual maturity grows greater.

(End of this Series)