Skip to main content

God's Desire: Fulfilling His Purpose for the Christian

God has a plan and purpose for our lives. We, as believers, must understand that God orchestrates our lives. No circumstance ever comes upon us without God having prior knowledge. He is in control over the situations in our lives, even those that are adverse. We should also realize that God has desires even as we have desires.

To “desire” means to wish or long for. It also means to want strongly. What is it that God longs for and wants strongly?

For whom he did foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

More than anything else, God wants us to become like His only begotten Son. He desires for us to become sons and daughters. Believers consistently wonder what God would have for them to do. He wants us to become like Jesus. Therefore, he orchestrates the events in our lives that we may become like Him. In this post, we want to briefly examine the scriptures to understand that His ultimate desire is for us to become His children. God’s desire for you is to become a son or daughter first, and then for you to do His will. You must strive for sonship first, and ministry second.

There are numerous scriptures revealing to us that the plan of God from the beginning was to have sons and daughter. When Adam and Eve fell, God made provisions for us to become His children once again through the work that Jesus did on the cross. The New Testament affirms this fact repeatedly. God sends His Spirit to fulfill His desire for sons and daughters. Let us now look at some facts from the scriptures that confirm that the ultimate desire of God is for us to become His children.

The indwelling Spirit comes to make us sons. God places His Spirit in us to make us partakers of His divine nature. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost is the same as parents signing adoption papers for a child. The Spirit of Christ comes in us so that we can be like Him. His will is to make us sons and daughters.

He predestined us to adoption, as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of His will. (Ephesians 1:5)

The Spirit causes us to recognize God as our Father. Jesus told the Pharisees that their father was the devil. This was because they would not recognize His Lordship or the Father. After we are converted, the Holy Ghost comes into our hearts. He prompts us to cry out to God as a Father.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

Jesus is our example and big brother. God sent Jesus in the world to die for us and to be an example to us of how we should live. He came in the image of God. He said we should follow Him. How do we follow Him? We do this by emulating Him.

Though He was Lord of all, Jesus was also a son. The Bible says that Christ is the first-born among many brethren (Romans 8:29). Who are His brethren? His brothers and sisters are those who have believed upon Him and have experienced the new birth.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Hebrews 2:11-12)

Since we are Christ’s brethren, we are joint heirs with Him. Paul told the believers in his day that they were heirs in the Kingdom of God. An heir is usually the son or daughter. We are called joint-heirs. This means that when Christ comes into His Kingdom, we will come into it also. The Bible tells us also that we will reign with Him.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:6-7)

We will be sons in this life and in the life, which is to come. The ultimate plan of God is for us to be His children for all eternity. Even when this mortal life is over, we will still be sons and daughters in the Kingdom.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (I John 3:2)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Qualified Christian: Being Fruitful in Christian Life and Service

  It should be the desire of every Christian to be a useful and productive servant of the Lord; that is, a worthy Christian. On any job, qualified individuals are sought to fill positions. We know that anyone that is qualified makes necessary adjustments and work hard to obtain the necessary skills. The same is true of the Christian. We have to be willing to adjust and work towards being a qualified and productive servant. Jesus’ words to the disciples reveal to us that He would have it no other way. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matt 5:13 (KJV)      With these things in mind, the question arises, “How can I become a qualified Christian?” Many steps can one use to maintain their usefulness to the work of Christ. If the Christian employs these steps, he will become and remain a qualified servant of Christ. Let us briefly explore
Post a Comment
Read more

The Complete Christian: Seven Traits of a Mature Christ Follower

     Every Christian should ask this question: What makes me a Christian? And, if I am a Christian, what should define my “being” as a Christian? If Christians do not know their reason for being, they will not be all they can be in Christ Jesus. Christians have to understand that they can only define themselves based upon biblical standards. This is because culture and Christianity have varying viewpoints about what “being” a Christian is.      The Christian, then, has to learn to define their being in terms of their relationship with Christ (righteousness and character), rather than by the culture (which focuses mostly on external traits -strength, money, stature, beauty, family, etc).      Before going further, the Christian should understand: 1) A Christian’s being is not based upon external characteristics, but internal traits. 2) The Definition of a Christian is found in the image of God. 3) Culture (Secular or Church) cannot define a Christian. With this understanding, we want to
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Endurance in the Christian Life

In athletics, there are events that measure success by the speed, strength, and ability. However, there are events, which are a matter of endurance, rather than pure skill or ability. In many of the strongman competitions, certain events not only require skill, but endurance. Not only must the competitor be able to lift or carry the weight, but also they have to do it for a sustained amount of time. Thus, their ability to lift or carry becomes secondary to being able to endure the weight. The same applies to the Christian today. We learn the scriptures and spiritual truth, but many do not know how to endure hardships and challenges. We gain skill, knowledge, and understanding, but in the time of testing do not last. Every Christian has to learn The Art of Endurance as they grow in God's grace and knowledge. Without endurance, the Christian can possess spiritual insight and knowledge, but cannot last long enough to see the fruits of it flourish in life. There are six aspects to the
Post a Comment
Read more