June 25, 2015 WHY WE EXIST
1 Corinthians 8:6: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”
We have an inborn desire to know why we exist and man has come up with untold numbers of reasons for our existence. Many believe that they exist for themselves- to find whatever makes them “happy” or brings a sense of fulfillment. If one does not know God and His purposes for him, then all that remains is to live life according to self. The greatest defining factor in life is whether we live life with the view that we exist for Him, or we live life with a focus on self. The idea that we belong to another and we are not our own is not a popular view among many. 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The person that does not know God does not know the true reason for his existence; and it is also possible for believers to struggle with the idea that “we are not our own.” The truth is that every believer has to monitor his or her motivation of life and determine if he or she is doing what they do out of their belief that they exist for Him. If you visit a Christian book store in person or on-line, you will find many “self-help” books and cd’s with the subject of how to find happiness and fulfillment. “Self” is important, but an emphasis on self prevents us from knowing the fullness of Christ and in that light, self is the enemy. (Don’t misunderstand what I am saying: there are a lot of good resources available and I’m glad we have Christian book stores.) When we know that we exist for Him, our life is simplified-many distractions are eliminated when we “exist for Him” as we have only one purpose. Our decisions, our actions and our thoughts are to be filtered through the one purpose of existing for Him. One of the biggest lies of the enemy is that we should do whatever we need to do in order to make ourselves happy; the truth is that we will find happiness, peace, and joy, as a by-product of the awareness that we exist for Him-to do His will. Whether we like it or not, agree with it or not, God designed man in such a way that he is complete only when he knows that He was created by and for God. Any efforts to find lasting satisfaction and fulfillment in life outside of God’s purposes will prove to be in vain. The good news is that in our job, in our home, in our neighborhood, in our church, on the golf course, at the mall-where ever, we can “exist for Him.” There is great freedom that comes when we totally submit to Him and His will for us; and when we get to know Him for who He is, submitting to Him becomes natural. Let us remember that were created by Him and for Him, and only by living according to His design, will we discover all that our heart longs for.
Ephesians 4:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Colossians 1: 16: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Blessings,
Buddy
1 Corinthians 8:6: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”
We have an inborn desire to know why we exist and man has come up with untold numbers of reasons for our existence. Many believe that they exist for themselves- to find whatever makes them “happy” or brings a sense of fulfillment. If one does not know God and His purposes for him, then all that remains is to live life according to self. The greatest defining factor in life is whether we live life with the view that we exist for Him, or we live life with a focus on self. The idea that we belong to another and we are not our own is not a popular view among many. 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The person that does not know God does not know the true reason for his existence; and it is also possible for believers to struggle with the idea that “we are not our own.” The truth is that every believer has to monitor his or her motivation of life and determine if he or she is doing what they do out of their belief that they exist for Him. If you visit a Christian book store in person or on-line, you will find many “self-help” books and cd’s with the subject of how to find happiness and fulfillment. “Self” is important, but an emphasis on self prevents us from knowing the fullness of Christ and in that light, self is the enemy. (Don’t misunderstand what I am saying: there are a lot of good resources available and I’m glad we have Christian book stores.) When we know that we exist for Him, our life is simplified-many distractions are eliminated when we “exist for Him” as we have only one purpose. Our decisions, our actions and our thoughts are to be filtered through the one purpose of existing for Him. One of the biggest lies of the enemy is that we should do whatever we need to do in order to make ourselves happy; the truth is that we will find happiness, peace, and joy, as a by-product of the awareness that we exist for Him-to do His will. Whether we like it or not, agree with it or not, God designed man in such a way that he is complete only when he knows that He was created by and for God. Any efforts to find lasting satisfaction and fulfillment in life outside of God’s purposes will prove to be in vain. The good news is that in our job, in our home, in our neighborhood, in our church, on the golf course, at the mall-where ever, we can “exist for Him.” There is great freedom that comes when we totally submit to Him and His will for us; and when we get to know Him for who He is, submitting to Him becomes natural. Let us remember that were created by Him and for Him, and only by living according to His design, will we discover all that our heart longs for.
Ephesians 4:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Colossians 1: 16: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed