Monday, September 21, 2015

How To Glorify God And Enjoy Him Forever




“The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in John 3:16— “For God so loved the world….” We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. […] A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified.” CHAMBERS

We were created for God … God does not exist for us.  This attempt at role reversal started in the Garden.  That’s when the created began thinking that they could be the center of the universe.  Adam and Eve shunned the sovereignty of God for their own version of truth, and man has been pursuing and refining that illusion ever since.  God has a general and a specific purpose for each of us.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism that Chambers referred to says this “Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.  So it begins with a focus on God and ends with our good.  Both for the present and for eternity.  Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulation (troubles).  Trouble has many forms .. but all trouble is a result of the Fall of Adam.  Things just don’t work right apart from God.  They were never meant to.  Sin is like putting diesel fuel in an automobile that uses gasoline.  The engine will not function with diesel.  The engineers designed the engine’s components to use gasoline not diesel fuel.  We do not have the capacity to live the way that God has intended apart from Him.  

There are generally four types of people in this world.  First there are those who reject God and His Son. Second there are those who accept God but reject His Son.   Third, there are those who accept God and His Son, but refuse to live under His spiritual authority. That is evidenced by the fact that those people are difficult to identify as being different from the first two types.  And fourth, there are those who accept God and His Son and  walk in obedience to the leading of the Spirit and the Word of Truth.  John 3:16 says God the Father sent God the Son to restore us to Himself .. so we could be the fourth kind of people and fulfill our purpose.  John 14:6 says Jesus is the way to the Father.  But we are not mere leaves in the wind being blown about by the Spirit of God.  If we are to glorify God with our lives, we must choose to follow Jesus and trust in the Lord.  We must choose God above ourselves in everything.  And then do what He says.  (Luke 6:46) “Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?”  Think about it.  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

No comments: