Love God and His eternal purpose for freedom in Christ Jesus
Are you free in Christ, free indeed! Are you in a phase of your life where you can now enjoy the love of the Father, and return expressions of that love to Him?
To fully understand that concept there has to be an understanding of what love is. Love has been described as a strong, complex, feeling or emotion causing a person to appreciate, delight in and desire the presence of another and to please them and promote their welfare.
Think about that in the sense that God loves you. He has a strong and complex feeling or emotion towards you. He appreciates you, He delights in your presence, He desires your presence and He has done everything possible to provide you with an environment here on this earth that is pleasing to you and promotes your welfare. He has communicated all of that, and much, much more, to you in the Bible, which is best understood in the original autographs.
How about your love for God? Do you have a strong, complex feeling or emotion towards your Creator and your Father? Do you appreciate Him, delight in His Presence and desire His Presence?
I can’t answer for you, only for myself. I read and study what the Bible says. Sure, it’s written by humans, but they have written what God desired for us to know.
Is that sufficient? Yes, because that’s what God in His wisdom chose to do. I talk to Him all day long, just as if He were right there with me—which He is. Does He answer me? Yes, but in His own way and in His own timing.
I call it a “spiritual lag.” What does that mean? That means that there is “lag time” in my body, soul and spirit as I process what He is spiritually communicating with me. He speaks in a spiritual language and I have to run it through my mind, emotions and will to translate it into familiar word bits that I can comprehend.
Am I happy with that? Yes, again because that’s the way God has chosen to communicate with me and you—the Bible and spiritual language which I have to contemplate to extract its meaning. I’m not always 100% right, but I get impressions and feelings and thoughts which I know are from Him to me.
How do I know that? Because he uses my mind, emotions and will to speak to me, i.e., the way I think, feel and choose. He made those processes, you know, so He uses them as He wills.
So I read the Bible, I speak to Him, He speaks to me. And I spend time in prayer to pray and ask a variety of things. I very much appreciate my heavenly Father, I delight in His Presence (He lives in the believer, you know—Father, Son and Holy Spirit). People talk about how sometimes their prayers to God don’t get above the ceiling, much less to heaven for Him to hear, but that’s foolish. God is right there, making His abode in you and me, living in you and me.
I also express my love by my desire to please Him. How do I do that? By trying very, very hard to do those things He has asked us to do. If I make an honest attempt to learn of Jesus, to follow Him, support Him and imitate Him, then I’m being a disciple of Jesus and that’s something the Father wants all of us to do.
How do I promote His welfare? By recognizing that I and others who name the name of Christ are all members of the body of Christ and that the true believing overcomers are the remnant who will become the bride of Christ someday.
Knowing that the death of Jesus fully satisfied God’s justice, I know from studying the Bible that I don’t have to “pay” tithes, or have some human “covering” or set a rigid schedule of meeting with other brothers and sisters in Christ in somebody’s building where they have a set of rules to follow. When I do meet with other family members of Christ, it’s to provoke one another to love and to good works, and to exhort one another, especially as time goes on. That’s why Paul the apostle told us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, isn’t it?
Hebrews 10:24-25:
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul prefaces what he says by saying (in the original language) that if and when you all come together as an assembly, then each one has a spiritual gift to contribute. There is no idea anywhere that there is a “commandment” to meet together with stunning regularity, although the very early church did so for awhile.
1 Corinthians 14:26:
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
So I attempt to please God and promote His welfare by obeying Him and loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbor as myself.
I’ve also studied the Bible for myself and have discovered there is no hierarchical authoritarian structure of the ekklesia of God.
The very popular and misused “Obey them which have the rule over you,” is a deliberate mistranslation by the King James translators in order to preserve the then established religious hierarchy put in place by authoritarian control freaks. The whole idea of Hebrews 13 is to “allow yourselves to be persuaded by the lifestyle of those who stand before you,” which is what it really says and means in the original language.
In other words, listen to those people who have been in the faith longer than you have and if their 24 hour a day, seven day a week lifestyle reflects Jesus, then be positively persuaded by that. The author of Hebrews is speaking of elders/shepherds/pastors/overseers/bishops, all of which are one and the same and recognized as such by the majority of those who assemble themselves together.
That is to say that those who perform those functions are not self-appointed. They are recognized as elders and shepherds of the flock, et al, because of their maturity in Christ, not because they say they are elders and shepherds and pastors and overseers and bishops. That is nothing more than pure ego attempting to aggressively assert itself as an authoritarian leader where the Bible clearly says the opposite. Obviously, if their lifestyle is not the salt and light spoken of by Jesus, then use your common sense and don’t follow them!
When we do assemble as a family of God, as living stones of the true Israel, each member of the body of Christ must be that part of the body they are called to be. Recognizing Jesus Christ as our head and shepherd. Exercising gifts and anointings for the benefit of the body.
Nowhere in scripture are we told to collectively heap all of our individual stones upon one person and make them responsible for being that part of the body that we alone can be. Or to make one person responsible for exercising the individual gifts and anointings that God has given to us.
The New Testament is very clear that a plurality of elders (presbuteros) have the oversight (episkopeo, literally to look upon), as overseers, or bishops (episkopos). They shepherd (poimen), or pastor, the local assemblies. Since Jesus is the only shepherd, then it should be obvious that this plurality of elders are actually under-shepherds.
There is no one in the body of Christ—no one—who can stand up under the pressure to perform that we, body of Christ, bring to bear upon those who we want to assume our responsibilities.
We have refused to take upon ourselves the responsibilities that come with being the true Israel. Instead, we have thrust them upon those who are more aggressive and assertive, while we remain passive and timidly anonymous, hiding behind our flawed religious understanding that has been popularized by human traditions.
Which brings us to the question each of us must ask ourselves? “What’s my purpose?”
For the answer to that, you have to know what it is you want to accomplish. Then you have to make it a priority in your life. And you have to know what resources you have to get it done. You have to be around people who will encourage you, not those gloom and doomers who say you’ll never do it. You have to jump over the obstacles when they pop up in front of you.
There are built in pitfalls in this process, however.
You have to take authority over a world mindset that says to indulge “self,” you take authority over your painful, emotionally charged flesh with love, and you take authority over the devil who is probably behind all this negativity.
What is your purpose, saint? If I ask 100 people what their purpose is I’ll get 250 different answers.
But you should have an advantage knowing God’s eternal purpose to bring all things together in Christ, in one, so that His manifest wisdom is displayed through the ekklesia of Jesus—that’s you—to the principalities and powers in the heavenlies.
Ephesians 1:9-12:
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 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:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Ephesians 3:9-11:
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Verse 11 in the New International Version reads:
Ephesians 3:11:
11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The NIV makes the meaning of verse 11 clearer.
The point is that what Paul is saying is that God’s eternal purpose has been accomplished in Christ Jesus. Therefore the ekklesia of God, i.e., God’s called out ones, will make known the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Question: Will you be included in what God has already accomplished by being in Christ Jesus or will you merely be a spectator?
Where is this “one” place? The kingdom of God.
What’s your purpose in being in the kingdom of God? To be a king, priest and prophet for your God.
How are you going to do that? You’ll be a king by demonstrating your servanthood, a priest by reconciling sinful mankind to our holy God, and reconciling a holy God to sinful mankind. You’ll be a prophet by speaking forth the mind and counsel of God.
When is all this gonna happen? It’ll probably start in the millennium and if you have a problem with that, then the eternal state, after the new heavens and new earth. God will still have natural people on this new earth. You don’t get to lie around on a cloud and play a harp all day. God has things for you to do as His king, priest and prophet.
Your eternal purpose is to be with God for all of eternity in His kingdom, functioning as a king, priest and prophet.
What’s your temporal purpose here on this earth? To be with God for all of eternity in His kingdom, functioning as a king, priest and prophet.
That makes it real simple, doesn’t it?
As a disciple of Jesus, you don’t have to determine your purpose. That’s been done for you.
Now you need that spiritual tunnel vision to keep you focused on your purpose.
Then you have to check out your resources and your restrictions if your intentions are sincere.
And you have to deal with all those people who say you’ll never make it. And sometimes one of those people is yourself.
Do you know about the world, the flesh and the devil who will come against you? To obstruct and delay your pursuit and accomplishment of your purpose?
I’m gonna discuss some of these things with you.
Let’s start with God’s eternal purpose. The more we understand it, the easier it is for us to stay on our spiritual course, here now, while in this fleshly body.
In Ephesians, in the phrase “eternal purpose” the word “purpose” in the Greek means “a setting forth of a thing, placing of it in view.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s Dictionaries).
We are to set forth our salt and our light in full view of the whole world. Our 24-hour a day, seven day a week lifestyle. We are to be continually before God’s presence, as his collective temple.
Since your purpose is to be with God for all of eternity, in His kingdom, as His king, priest and prophet why not start now? You can be with God now in your temporal life by spending time in His word and fellowshipping with His Holy Spirit. You can start functioning now, as servant of all, reconciling man to God, and God to man, and by speaking forth God’s mind and counsel.
That’s your purpose, saints. Clearly defined. Are you focused on it?
A lot of you will answer “yes” to that question. If I ask you how you’ll tell me about all the religious activities you’re involved in. “I’m at my church early for prayer on Sunday morning. I’m in the choir. I teach children’s church. I’m an usher. I help maintain the building. The church sends me out as an evangelist. I meet with the Saturday night prayer group.”
But ... you didn’t answer the question of how you are focused on being with God now in your temporal life by spending time in His word and fellowshipping with His Holy Spirit. And how you are functioning now, as servant of all, reconciling man to God, and God to man, and by speaking forth God’s mind and counsel.
You told me how you’re attempting to do church according to the traditions of men. Not how you are being the called out assembly of Jesus according to the Bible.
What you are lacking is spiritual tunnel vision to keep you focused on your purpose.
A lot of stuff you’re doing you consider to be resources for you. But in fact, they are restrictions to attaining to your purpose. You’re so busy doing stuff you’ve lost sight of your real purpose. The Bible is your greatest resource. After that comes your private prayer time in fellowship with God’s Holy Spirit, Who will teach you all things about that word that you didn’t see or didn’t understand.
Once you get your purpose established in your heart, and focus on achieving that purpose, and use the Godly resources you have, you’ll begin to see a lot of things in your life that are really restrictions to what you want to accomplish.
And you’ll start to recognize those people who indicate to you that you won’t make it. The worse person you have to deal with is yourself. You get discouraged by all the times you disappoint yourself. Then you get depressed. Then you want to quit.
That’s why you need to firmly establish your purpose in your own mind. And keep those spiritual blinders on to stay focused. And stay in the word and in your prayer closet.
Get rid of all those negative thoughts you have, and get rid of all those negative people in your life who discourage you. Surround yourself with solution people. Some people are always talking about their problems. Some people are always talking about solutions—that’s who you want as your friends.
When you’ve done all that, you’ll start to recognize roadblocks in your way to being what God has appointed you to be. While you are in the world, you aren’t of the world. You are to be salt and light to the world, placed in view of the whole world to symbolize God’s presence and His provision for His people.
The flesh is constantly warring against the Holy Spirit of God in us. But our flesh is temporal and God is eternal. Do you want a season of sin or eternity with God? Who is in charge of the temple that you are, your flesh or your God?
You know the devil would like to set a trap for you. But your individual warfare against him is spelled out for you. Draw near to God, and resist the devil and he will flee. Simple, huh?
Don’t let the world, the flesh or the devil obstruct or delay your pursuit and accomplishment of your purpose.
That’s my thinking as to how I attempt to express my strong feelings or emotions towards God as I continue to appreciate, delight in and desire His Presence and attempt to please Him and promote His welfare. This is a hard thing to do sometimes because there are other things that enter into my thinking, feeling and choosing processes—things that would pull me away from loving and obeying God.
Before those things have a chance to grab my attention and divert it away from God, I have to consciously use those same thinking, feeling and choosing processes to deliberately think upon the eternal consequences of doing so. Since my eternal home will be with God forever, I try very hard to project myself into that eternal future and consider the things that I will and will not encounter there. And then model that mode of citizenship, now, at this present moment time in my life. I don’t always succeed to the degree that I would like to, but it helps me.
I guess you could call it my feeble attempt to take Paul’s advice:
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
So I have freedom in Christ and enjoy the love of the Father, the abundant life in Jesus Christ and liberty in the Holy Spirit! I am coming to more and more freedom in Christ and am free indeed!
By contrast, I can see that you, firmly entrenched and bogged down in the institutional church system, are in a prison of tradition. In reality, it’s a prison of your own making. One in which you are familiar and feel safe. Like the drowning man out at sea, going down under the water for the third time, crying out for help. Then suddenly, a log floats by. It’s soggy, and encrusted with barnacles, and half submerged because it has absorbed so much sea water. Eagerly, you grasp it and wrap your arms around it and are saved from drowning. The log is very cold and makes you cold. It’s extremely uncomfortable because the barnacles are cutting into your skin. But you continue to hang on to it because it’s saving you from downing.
Isn’t that the same position you are in? Hanging onto something that is not only cold and very uncomfortable, but also based upon self-centeredness, death and bondage? There is no real love, life and liberty there, is there? Only self-centeredness (bordering on hate, really) instead of love, only death instead of the abundant life in Jesus Christ and only bondage instead of freedom in the Holy Spirit of God.
But ... you say ... it’s saving me from drowning!
Is it really? How will you explain that to Jesus on that day when you stand before Him?
The strange thing is that you really know that you’re in a prison of your own making. But ... you have found some comfort there, haven’t you? You have what you think is fellowship, but what it really is is selective socializing. You don’t have an environment where you can truly share with others and support those in temporary need, do you? You give money to your “church” to pay mortgages or rent payments, the overhead costs of electrical, water and sewer, maintenance and insurance for the building, and pay all the “ministers” salaries and their other expenses.
If you are one of those “ministers” then you also find more than comfort, prestige and ego satisfaction actually, in the fact that you are the “leader” and “teacher” of all these people and some of them are your ardent admirers. You’ve interjected yourself as their mediator between God and man and you love it, don’t you? In reality, you really enjoy the power, the prestige and the ego satisfaction you get from your self-appointed position, don’t you?
Do I have to mention the neglect of the fatherless, the widows, the strangers/travelers in the land and those who are truly called as “spiritual Levites” by God?
It’s a curious thing that you have some comfort and more discomfort.
How can I, a free person in Christ, help you, a prisoner to the traditions of men, become all that God wants you to be? All the while, of course, with you staying in that comfortable, uncomfortable prison of your own making!
I’m sorry to say, but any degree of “freedom” that you can attain to is severely limited by the prison environment in which you have placed yourself.
If you want true freedom in Christ, then you must simply walk out of your prison.
If you are on the higher end of the humanly devised hierarchical authoritarian structure, you will, of course, lose all the power, prestige and ego satisfaction you have enjoyed and will also have to get a real job. And then teach the body of Christ with whom you have to do how to be really, really free in Christ.
If you have placed yourself on the lower end of that hierarchical authoritarian structure then you will have a tremendous amount of psychological and emotional conditioning to overcome. Like it or not, you are typical of the battered bride syndrome. You are also a classical Stockholm Syndrome victim.
I’m sorry to say, but any degree of “freedom” that you can attain to is severely limited by the prison environment in which you have placed yourself.
If you want true freedom in Christ, then you must simply walk out of your prison.
The only thing truly necessary is your relationship to Jesus Christ and being His disciple, a learner, follower, supporter and imitator of Him. And loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself ...
Are you willing to do so and then become all that God wants you to be in Christ?
