Why Are We Here? Let us ask GOD.
Rom 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [His] purpose.
Rom 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?
Rom 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
We are here that we may serve God and our fellow-men. The real purpose of this present life is to fulfil, in a practical, positive way, the “royal law “which says:
“Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39; James 2:8.
Many merely live unto themselves. They put self first, self last, and self in between. Invariably they are among the world’s unhappiest people. They live, they work, they save, they spend, they scheme, but “all is vanity “because of their failure to serve life’s great purpose.
“we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels.” 1 Corinthians 4:9.
God desires to use us as object lessons, and to prove not only to others here on earth, but also to other intelligences in His universe, that His grace “is sufficient “for us (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that His way-not Satan’s way-is the only way of real happiness.
From our mere human vantage point, we can envision that if He can satisfactorily prove this-(and for this He depends on us,) it will forever rule out the possibility of rebellion against His authority after He has swept the world clean from sin.
We shall serve this purpose if we determine, like Joshua, that...
“as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.
It has been pointed out that there are but two ways-
the narrow way and the broad,
and but two leaders-
God and Satan.
We cannot choose whether we shall serve these masters or not. Our freedom only permits us to choose which one we shall serve. Hence the words of Jesus "He that is not with Me is against Me.” Matthew 12:30. There is no neutrality. Whatever our calling in life, we must recognize that our primary duty is to “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” Matthew 6:33. Our secular pursuits will be helped, not hampered, if we do
this. Jesus said: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34.
If we follow Christ’s example, daily seeking God’s righteousness and the advancement of His cause on earth, our lives will then assume eternal significance. Many, like the rich fool, think life’s purpose is merely to obtain wealth and possessions. Such should remember that “a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possessed.” Luke
12:15. (See verses 16-21)
Or like the sluggard (Proverbs 24:30-34) they feel that the world owes them a living. They were born without asking to come here, and therefore they feel it is up to the world to see them safely through. They therefore seek all they can get, for as little as they can give. They prefer pleasure to work, which they look upon as an undesirable necessity. They too, miss life’s great purpose, and, of course, life’s real joys.
Still others are like. King Nebuchadnezzar who worked hard to build the golden city of Babylonbut to what purpose? (Daniel 4:30.) His mighty work had no enduring value and today it is a vast heap of half-buried rubble. All it did was to bolster up his pride. In this he forgot that life’s real purpose is not to gratify human pride, or to do great things merely to earn the praise of men, but to serve God and to help our fellow-men to discover the light that will show the way to happiness and eternity.
Jesus said: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it. For the Son of man shall come; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:25-27.
Let our works then, be such as will serve God’s purpose. We pass this way but once, so we should do all we can to assist those around us along life’s difficult road. It has been said that “God has so constituted our nature that we cannot be happy unless we are, or think we are, the means of good to others. We can scarcely conceive of greater wretchedness than must be felt by him who knows he is wholly useless in the world.”
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [His] purpose.
Rom 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?
Rom 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
We are here that we may serve God and our fellow-men. The real purpose of this present life is to fulfil, in a practical, positive way, the “royal law “which says:
“Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39; James 2:8.
Many merely live unto themselves. They put self first, self last, and self in between. Invariably they are among the world’s unhappiest people. They live, they work, they save, they spend, they scheme, but “all is vanity “because of their failure to serve life’s great purpose.
“we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels.” 1 Corinthians 4:9.
God desires to use us as object lessons, and to prove not only to others here on earth, but also to other intelligences in His universe, that His grace “is sufficient “for us (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that His way-not Satan’s way-is the only way of real happiness.
From our mere human vantage point, we can envision that if He can satisfactorily prove this-(and for this He depends on us,) it will forever rule out the possibility of rebellion against His authority after He has swept the world clean from sin.
We shall serve this purpose if we determine, like Joshua, that...
“as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.
It has been pointed out that there are but two ways-
the narrow way and the broad,
and but two leaders-
God and Satan.
We cannot choose whether we shall serve these masters or not. Our freedom only permits us to choose which one we shall serve. Hence the words of Jesus "He that is not with Me is against Me.” Matthew 12:30. There is no neutrality. Whatever our calling in life, we must recognize that our primary duty is to “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” Matthew 6:33. Our secular pursuits will be helped, not hampered, if we do
this. Jesus said: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34.
If we follow Christ’s example, daily seeking God’s righteousness and the advancement of His cause on earth, our lives will then assume eternal significance. Many, like the rich fool, think life’s purpose is merely to obtain wealth and possessions. Such should remember that “a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possessed.” Luke
12:15. (See verses 16-21)
Or like the sluggard (Proverbs 24:30-34) they feel that the world owes them a living. They were born without asking to come here, and therefore they feel it is up to the world to see them safely through. They therefore seek all they can get, for as little as they can give. They prefer pleasure to work, which they look upon as an undesirable necessity. They too, miss life’s great purpose, and, of course, life’s real joys.
Still others are like. King Nebuchadnezzar who worked hard to build the golden city of Babylonbut to what purpose? (Daniel 4:30.) His mighty work had no enduring value and today it is a vast heap of half-buried rubble. All it did was to bolster up his pride. In this he forgot that life’s real purpose is not to gratify human pride, or to do great things merely to earn the praise of men, but to serve God and to help our fellow-men to discover the light that will show the way to happiness and eternity.
Jesus said: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it. For the Son of man shall come; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:25-27.
Let our works then, be such as will serve God’s purpose. We pass this way but once, so we should do all we can to assist those around us along life’s difficult road. It has been said that “God has so constituted our nature that we cannot be happy unless we are, or think we are, the means of good to others. We can scarcely conceive of greater wretchedness than must be felt by him who knows he is wholly useless in the world.”
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Friday, June 17, 2005
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