WHO ARE YOU?
By Rick Mathes
Romans 8:28-30 (NASB) 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Who are you? Why are you here? Where are you going?
God is all knowing, powerful and present, right? Then use your imagination and think, however unpleasant, of the most horrible sin you have ever committed. I know this hurts to go back to the past and dig up this corpse but I want you to relive that event for the purpose of this teaching. Got it? Can you see it, feel it, smell it, recoil from it? Ok now here comes some meat, no baby food in my lessons!
Jesus knew thought you would think this evil thing before you even thought it. Furthermore, He empowered you to do this terrible sin and was there watching you do it. He didn’t even stop you! You were in His will!
Hold on, don’t panic: You were in His will. (Got it?)
There is His perfect will when you have repented back to the day you were born. And then there is His permissive will where He lets Satan have a go at you. But if His is all knowing, powerful and present, then nothing happens without His knowledge, empowerment and presence.
Where am I going with this? We know that for those who love God all things work together for (His) good. And this is for those who are called according to His purpose. There is a purpose for your life and it is most wonderfully captured in Rick Warren’s lessons on the purpose driven life.
He teaches that there are 5 purposes for your life:
- You were planned for God’s good pleasure.
- You were formed for God’s family.
- You were created to be like Christ.
- You were shaped for serving God.
- You were made for a mission.
We only see the back of the tapestry that is all tangles and knots. But one moment the other side and we will look back at the genius of Christ and the beautiful, perfectly prepared life he fashioned us to have with Him.
You are the sum-total of all that has passed before you in the length of your life. You have been perfectly in His will! So stand tall and step out as the man of God He created you to be in His image.
I really believe that the Lord needs battle-ready saints for these last times, and the Lord knows what we have been through. We have suffered hate, suicidal thoughts, anger, rage, and a range of miseries that we shrink and recoil from remembering.
If you kill the Goliath in your life, the Philistines will scatter. Kill that big one that Satan has holding you back and the rest of the devils will run for the hills. This can only be done when you realize that you are wonderfully made to be the man of God He wanted you to be for His glory and honor.
You are a Christian! There is no higher office on this planet but to be in God’s gang, to be a Savior’s survivor as you have been by His grace only and do this now. The Lord is near!
PRESS ON!
Rick Mathes 