"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11. We are here because He created us to be here. He created us to show His glory and honor and power. We are here for His pleasure. The good news is it is also for our pleasure. Have you ever bitten into a strawberry that was allowed to fully ripen before being picked? This is how He designed strawberries to taste. For the sake of profits, we pick fruit before its time and wonder why it doesn't taste the way it should. Our ultimate pleasure comes from living our lives in a way that demonstrates His glory. If we choose to live any other way, our pleasure and His glory are diminished, "Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." Jeremiah 2:11.
Our lives are intertwined with God's will. We are either living within His will, which He calls abiding, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5, or we are dying, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15:6. We were created to be part of eternity and abiding is the only way to get there from here.
Choosing to ignore God or living a life of disobedience, which God calls sin, will not lead to eternity. Instead, our defiance leads to a shrinking life that ends in death, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8 and "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. So, we learn that living in the flesh is a selfish way to live and opposed to God's purpose for our lives, and it ultimately leads to death.
How are we to live? We are to be light and salt. This kind of living leads others to God, which is part of God's plan. His plan is centered around His love, for He is love, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16. It is love that draws us to obedience. It is His love for us that draws us to Him, "We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 and "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44.
We are here to learn of God's love for us and then to love Him in return. When we do this, others are drawn to God and His plan moves closer to completion. We are here to do our part in His eternal plan. We are here to live abundantly for eternity, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil so that we might have that abundant life, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8.
The point of this life is not the big house and the fancy car. Those things are not bad in and of themselves, however, they cannot be the point of our lives. When we make God's plan the point of our lives, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33, He gives us what we need to live the abundant life. Paul says it best, when we abide in Jesus, He provides for us in this life and the next, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21.
This is the season to remember that Jesus came to free us from the bonds of sin. His sacrifice is the example of ultimate sacrifice for others. Bless everyone this season with the joy of your love for them. May you recognize how much God has blessed you this season. Spread the joy!
God has placed us in unique places throughout this world. This blog is about sharing His Word; please share it with those you believe would be blessed by hearing it. Bless you! If you want to receive the weekly blog, email us at bill@reasoningwithgod.com. If you want to read past blogs, go to https://www.reasoningwithgod.com/blog.
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