God's Eternal Purpose

 

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.  

(Ephesians 1:10)

Often times we come to God and we submit our lives to Jesus and we purpose in our heart that we are going to live good lives according to the bible.  That is all well and good and we should do this.  But I don’t think that everyone understands that living a good live is what’s it all about.  There’s a bigger picture that God desires us to see.  Jesus' discipleship of his followers was not just to live a 'good' life, it was to prepare them to carry on in His stead; to bring a lost people salvation by spreading the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

God's agenda is so much bigger than our lives.  From the master key of the Bible - 

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.    (Luke 24:45-47) 

 - we can understand how God views the World. He does not look at the world in terms of political boundaries, governments, cultures or our individual desires to live the 'good life'. He sees sinful people who need to be reconciled with Him through Jesus Christ. He sees a whole world that needs to be evangelized.

God views the world with a divine purpose in mind. It is a purpose and plan for the world that He established before the beginning of time:  

Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.   (Ephesians 3:11)

God's eternal purpose is to gather His people to Himself through Jesus Christ. Through His written Word, He has revealed to us this purpose which for many years was a mystery.

In the Bible there is a natural example illustrating how God views the world. Jesus said to His disciples:  

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (John 4:35)

Jesus was not speaking of the natural harvest in the fields stretched out before them at the moment He spoke these words. He was speaking of a spiritual harvest.   Jesus used the example of the natural harvest to give His followers a spiritual vision of the world.

On another occasion, Jesus clearly stated:  

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38)

Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Europe, the islands of the sea. . . these are all seen by God as a great harvest field. As God views the harvest field of the world, He also sees a great need: 

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; (Matthew 9:37)

God sees a great spiritual harvest ready to be gathered. But there are few laborers at work.

Will you become a laborer for God?  It’s not a simple task; we must be fit to work in the harvest field; we must be attuned to God.  The bible says:

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.   Galatians 5:25

Walking in the Holy Spirit means that we have fully enveloped ourselves in the fruit of the spirit and are no longer walking according to the works of the flesh.  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

Wherever we go, the fruit should be evident in us.  It is the fruit of the spirit that causes our light to shine in a dark world.  We can do all things with the Holy Spirit working within us. 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13

The Holy Spirit is so crucial to our Christian walk that Jesus told the disciples that before they were to begin the commission He gave them, they were to wait until they were filled with power from on high.  That power is the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. 

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.  Luke 24:49

The Holy Spirit serves an important purpose in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit:

>     Convicts:  

It is God's Spirit that convicts of sin to draw men and women to Jesus. We could not become a believer without this ministry of the Spirit:  

And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.   John 16:8-11

>    Regenerates:  

The Holy Spirit changes our life when we become a believer:

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:5

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  John 3:3-7

>     Sanctifies:  

The Holy Spirit takes this life which has been changed by salvation and enables righteous living:  

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:   2 Thessalonians 2:13

>     Baptizes:   

Experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit:  

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Acts 2:4

 

>     Dwells Within:  

The purpose of this indwelling is to strengthen the new nature received through salvation:  

What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?    1 Corinthians 6:19

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  1 Corinthians 3:16

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

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  Galatians 5:16-18

Accept the gift of God's Holy Spirit which was promised to us and let it dwell within - 

baptizing you with power, 

sanctifying your life with God's nature, 

birthing you into the kingdom of God and 

helping you live a life that is pleasing to God

 - which is the life God purposed for us not the life that we mapped out our self which is predicated more than likely on the standards of the world.

 

Sermonette