purpose

Purpose flows from Identity for the disciple of Jesus

POST OVERVIEW. Developing the idea that Purpose is downstream from Identity. That is, Identity is primary and Purpose is derived from a clear Identity. These concepts of Identity and Purpose and how they operate in discipleship are topics in my upcoming book on the subject of discipleship and of discipling others.

Because man is made in the image of God, he has an inherent need for both Identity and Purpose. These ideas have been the subjects of many works of philosophy and psychology as people have tried to unlock the key to a life of meaning, because without a clear Identity and an invigorating Purpose, we seem to be adrift without a rudder. Also, as followers of Jesus we want to know how these ideas work in the life of a believer.

First, we need to understand that Identity must precede Purpose. This is true, by the way, for all people, not just for the disciple of the Lord Jesus. A clear personal Identity is necessary for anyone to have a compelling Purpose, and since very few people have such an Identity, the vast majority of people in the world have no compelling Purpose for their existence.

In stark contrast to the world, when a person initially trusts in Christ for salvation, he immediately obtains the Identity of “Disciple of the Lord Jesus.” And from this spectacular Identity flows an entire life of Purpose. The primary Purpose of the “Disciple of the Lord Jesus” is to conform their life to the description of a disciple given in the pages of Scripture. In other words, the disciple is to grow and to change so that their inward and outward selves are in accord with the characteristics of the disciple of Jesus given in the Bible. Having been made righteous in God’s sight by his faith in Jesus, the disciple of the Lord Jesus is to grow in sanctification so that his practical righteousness is progressively conformed to his positional righteousness. The disciple of Jesus has been wrapped in a robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), and now his Purpose is to conform what is wrapped with the robe of the wrapping.

The raising of Lazarus in John 11 pictures this for us. Jesus’ friend had been dead four days, so he was extremely dead. But when Jesus called Lazarus by name, “the man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings” (John 11:44). After Jesus called him, Lazarus was as alive as he would ever be, but he was also bound with the grave wrappings and had his face wrapped with a cloth. He was alive, but he was also encumbered with wrappings and was effectively blind. So Jesus commanded the people, “Unbind him, and let him go” (11:44). Lazarus was fully alive, but for him to function as a living person, he needed someone to remove the wrappings so he could walk and see.

In a similar way, we were “dead in transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-3). But when the Holy Spirit called us through the gospel and we responded with repentance and faith, at that moment we were both as justified as we would ever be and as unholy as we would ever be. We were wrapped in God’s robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) and, at the same time, wrapped in all the grave clothes of our former life of sin, righteous by position but unrighteous by practice. In this state, our Purpose becomes apparent. We are to make every effort to remove the “grave clothes” of our former life and put on every one of the “clothes” of the disciple of Jesus that we see modeled or commanded in the Scriptures (Ephesians 4:22-24).

We see another example of this in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. The risen Lord Jesus Christ gives His church her mission for the remainder of this age when He says, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (and) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, (even) to the end of the age.” Although this passage has immense importance for the mission of the church, we also see here a clear prescription for how the disciple grows. “Go, make disciples,” in this context means, “Preach the gospel and gather those who believe in Jesus.” Now, those who profess faith in Jesus are to be identified as disciples by being baptized as a public profession of their faith. Therefore, water baptism gives the disciple his Identity as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. What flows from this Identity? Those who have identified as disciples of the Lord Jesus have the Purpose of observing (i.e., doing) all that Jesus commanded His disciples to do, and the church has the mission of teaching these disciples to obey. Once again, we see that Identity as a disciple of Jesus leads to the Purpose of growing in obedience and holiness.

SUMMARY. What we are saying is that, once a person has committed to the Identity of “a disciple of the Lord Jesus,” the discovery of Purpose is not complicated. In fact, the disciple of Jesus can immediately embark into their Purpose of becoming who they already are. The disciple’s Purpose does not need to be invented or created, but rather is discovered discipline by discipline and repentance by repentance as he becomes more conformed to the biblical description of a disciple of Jesus.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 8/7/2023                     #666

The Lord answers a prayer for usefulness

This morning was a little cool, with perhaps a hint of fall already in the air. My wife and I had traveled to Pennsylvania to visit our grandchildren and their parents, and I was out for an early trot-walk around the small town and the college campus to talk to the Lord and to review some of my Scripture memory.

My first thoughts had been of man’s urgent need for something of eternal importance in his life. While the things of this earth may give satisfaction and fascination for a time, sooner or later a person needs to have something of permanence on which they can stand. At some point in life, the question arises in your head, “Is this all there is?” Is this job, this indulgence, this activity, this hobby, this relationship, this family, this ambition, this bucket-list, this vacation, this travel, this goal, this dream, this fill in the blank – Is this a life that justifies my existence? Surely this is the question that God places inside each of us. And at that moment I simultaneously praised God for allowing me to know Jesus Christ and was saddened by all the myriads of people who do not know Jesus and who are thus perishing. Only the life that knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ has any connection with eternity and any permanence and significance.

The next thought that I had was amazement at the way my very unremarkable and unimpressive life has unfolded. The Lord has truly hidden me in the shadow of His hand (Isaiah 49:2), making sure that there was very little noteworthy about my accomplishments so that I could continue to function under the radar. Perhaps the most prominent example of this is my professional “career.” I began my career as an engineer with IBM, which at the time (1982) was Forbes’ most respected company in the world. Within five years I had squandered that auspicious start and was working for a failing software company. A few years past as I moved from one job to another. Finally, in 1996, just when it looked like I was in a position to stay long-term in a dead-end job, I resigned in order to go to post-Soviet Russia for three years as a “missionary.” (1 Samuel 17:48; Jeremiah 40:1-4) When I returned from Russia, the Lord eventually gave me a position as a Buyer at a company that printed lottery tickets (Jonah 1:1). After several rounds of surviving layoffs and employee cutbacks, I again resigned so that me and my new family could move to Charlotte to complete my seminary degree (2007). When graduation from RTS yielded no direction and no open positions (it was the disastrous year of 2008), the Lord opened up a door at Wikoff Color Corporation, where I stayed till the end of my career in January of 2020. My career reveals no success and no happiness. I disliked virtually every position that I held and was unsuccessful at them all. I never grossed more than $65K in any calendar year and frequently made a lot less. There were many times of unemployment and I twice resigned from my job to pursue a Kingdom opportunity, which meant that during my working “career,” I spent six full years engaged in or recovering from those two resignations. I began my work lifetime as a degreed engineer who had turned down offers at Exxon, Harris Corporation, and a third company to work at IBM, then the most admired company in the world. Thirty-eight years later, I finished my work lifetime as a “Purchasing Manager” at Wikoff Color, a dying ink company in Fort Mill, SC, and very possibly the worst run company in the world. The Lord had ordained that I went from best to worst in my working career!

Nevertheless, despite my personal failures in my working career, the Lord has also ordained that Lisa and I are basically financially independent at this stage in our life. We are “amply supplied” (Phil. 4:18). What this means is that I can devote my time to my discipleship activities and my writing projects. The Lord has given me so many opportunities to pour out my life for others and has given me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4). What an amazing God! The things impossible for people are possible for God (Luke 18:27).

All of these thoughts were flooding my brain as I walked past the college campus with the result that I was almost giddy with joy. As I praised the Lord for all that He had done, I offered up a prayer and asked that He would make me more useful. “Lord, glorify Yourself by making me more useful to You.” And so I walked on and crossed Main Street and headed for home.

As I strolled down the sidewalk, I was glancing to my left at the houses and at any people I might see in them. One house stood on a hill above the sidewalk and on the front porch of the house there sat a middle-aged lady. Because of the porch rail, I could only see from her shoulders upward, but that was enough for me to notice that her head was bent forward as if she was reading or possibly writing. I walked a few paces past the house, then stopped and looked back, for it occurred to me that she might be reading her Bible or journaling and, if she was doing that, then maybe I could encourage her. So I turned back and walked to where I was just below the porch and called to her.

“Excuse me, but are you reading or journaling or what?”

“I am actually doing both.” “What are you reading?” “Well, actually I am reading my Bible.” “Oh, that’s great! Where in the Bible are you reading?” “I am reading Ezekiel.” “Wow! I love Ezekiel! I am reading in Ezekiel now, too. Where are you in Ezekiel?” “I am reading in chapter 34 where the Lord tells how He will shepherd His people.”

“That is really good. I especially love Ezekiel 33. Do you remember verses 1-9 of chapter 33 where the prophet talks about the watchman? Do you know who the watchman is?”

“No, who is the watchman?”

“The watchman is you and me. We are the watchmen. Do you know why? We are the watchman because there is a sword coming upon the land and we need to warn the people that the sword is coming and they must escape. So, we must warn them of the coming sword of judgment. Well, enjoy your reading.” And with that I waved my hand and continued my walk.

Then it hit me. The Lord had answered my prayer for usefulness! Not five minutes before I had asked Him to make me more useful and He had answered my request by putting that woman on the porch and then testing me to see if I would take the opportunity to actually be useful. He was asking me if I was I alert to His answer to my prayer. Was I willing to be useful? Praise God, He not only tested me, but He also allowed me to pass the test. I had prayed to be more useful and, five minutes later, He had allowed me to be useful. I had encouraged my sister in Christ and had (possibly) spurred her on to love and good deeds. I had helped her see more from Ezekiel than she probably had seen before. I had been useful! Praise the Lord!

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 8/2/2023                     #665

1 Peter 2:9 (Part 4) – Purpose: proclaiming excellencies

INTRODUCTION. The first letter of Peter provides a sound foundation for the newly converted disciple of Jesus Christ to begin their journey with their Savior, and the heart of their conversion is captured powerfully in 1 Peter 2:9-10. Here Peter declares the disciple’s new identity, their new purpose, and their new people.

This post is about the new purpose the disciple has received as a result of their new identity. (Also see post #544 on June 16, 2022, about the disciple’s new identity.)

9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10

In the first chapter of 1 Peter, the apostle has already told us that we were redeemed from our futile way of life (1:18) by the precious blood of Christ (1:19) and that, by God’s great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope (1:3). As we have studied 2:9-10, we have learned about the four-fold identity that the disciples of Jesus received when they trusted Christ as Lord and Savior (see post #536 and #544). Now we are going to discover the purpose for this new identity. There is a purpose for God giving His people their new identity and there is a mission to which He has called us. We are called to proclaim.

CALLED TO PROCLAIM

The chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people for God’s own possession is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is now being gathered from all the nations of the earth to receive the unfathomable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8) for the primary purpose of proclaiming the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15).

The church is called to proclaim the excellencies of God. The one true and living God whom we proclaim is a God of excellencies. He has displayed His own glory in a creation of astonishing beauty and complexity, where His excellence is manifest in an abundance of life. His excellence has been made known in the wonder of the gospel, such that His perfect holiness is not violated by the forgiveness of sinners. His excellence has been visibly seen when the Lord Jesus Christ took on flesh and dwelt among us. The church is called to proclaim these excellencies.

Ever since Adam sinned, all people have come into the world as lovers of darkness and haters of the light (John 3:19-20). We are born as blind and dead lovers of darkness and we would forever remain in that wretched condition, but the one true and living God, in His grace and mercy, calls His enemies out of darkness and into His marvelous light. And so the church, the gathered assembly of redeemed wretches, is called to proclaim to the nations the transforming power of the gospel, for in the gospel God calls people from darkness into light.

But the church’s most important proclamation is to tell the world about Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we have a Savior and a Redeemer and a conquering King who is worthy of all our loudest praise. “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’” (Psalm 96:3, 10). In heaven now the voices of many angels say with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12). But what myriad angels are saying in heaven the church is now to be proclaiming on earth.

In Acts, the church was facing a growing hostility to their message about the resurrection. So, in light of the threats, the church prayed that the Lord would “grant that Your bondservants may speak Your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29). In that instance and in every instance until Jesus returns, the church is to proclaim the glories of Jesus with all boldness regardless of threats. “We are not of those who shrink back to destruction” (Hebrews 10:39). We have been chosen and called to proclaim Jesus’ name to those who are in darkness. For Jesus warns us that “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory” (Luke 9:26). Therefore, His church is to proclaim His excellencies.

APPLICATION

The true church is a chosen race and is a people who have been called to be holy so that we can proclaim His excellencies. Since that is the case; that is, since we have been chosen and called for the purpose of proclamation, each of us should evaluate how we are doing with our own proclamation. I offer several questions to help in our evaluation:

  • How do you intentionally seek opportunities for “proclamation” within your network of relationships? (season your speech with salt (Col. 4:6), let your light shine before men (Matt. 5:16), throw out baited hooks for fishing (Matt. 4:19))
  • What is your strategy for “proclaiming His excellencies” when an opportunity presents itself? In other words, have you considered how to move the conversation toward a gospel-related topic?
  • How can you increase the boldness of your “proclamation?” How can you prevent fear from producing disobedience?

SDG                 rmb                 6/29/2022                   #550

The quest for purpose (Luke 13:7)

Man is a purpose-seeking creature. Built into man’s very nature is the deep need for a purpose that gives meaning to his days. Yet even though there seem to be myriad paths available to a person, there is no obvious guide for deciding which path to choose and there is no universal, default destination for where the chosen path should lead. So, without a path and without a destination, the natural man struggles to find purpose. Sometimes we feel like Alice in Wonderland as she encounters the Cheshire cat at the fork in the road. Alice asks the cat, “Please tell me which road I should choose.” “Well,” replies the cat, “that all depends on where you are going.” “I don’t know where I am going.” “In that case, either road will get you there.”

JUSTIFY OUR EXISTENCE

Man needs a purpose because in some sense he wants to justify his existence. If someone were to ask him one day, “What are you doing here, anyway?” he would like to give some credible answer. And yet, what answer could he give? “I don’t really know what I am doing here. I just showed up one day and kept breathing.” We seek to justify our existence and are frightened to discover that our best offering is pretty shaky.

CAN I FIND A MISSION?

We would love a compelling mission for our lives that gives us a laser beam focus, but, if the truth were told, we would settle for any mission at all. The scene that opens the movie “Apocalypse Now” shows Martin Sheen sitting on a sweat-soaked bed in Vietnam as the ceiling fan slowly stirs the sultry air, and then the voice-over says, “Saigon. Waiting for a mission.” That pictures the state of every person as they begin to grow toward maturity and begin to contemplate their existence. “Here I am. Waiting for a mission.” Where can anyone turn to find an answer to the question of purpose? Jesus tells a parable about a man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard that produced no fruit. “Cut it down!” he says. “Why should it use up the ground? (Luke 13:7)” Whether we know the Lord or not, this question haunts us. “Why should he use up the ground?”

THREE KINDS OF PURPOSE

In my observation, there are three broad categories of purpose into which people fit.

  • No purpose
  • A man-made or man-invented purpose
  • A God-given purpose

NO PURPOSE

The natural state and the starting point of all people in their quest for purpose is “no purpose.” This is the result of the Fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. One of the consequences of man’s sin is that he is separated from God and so is groping around for purpose and direction like the blind. Isaiah says, “We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes (59:10).” There may be some casual searches for meaning at different points in life, but eventually the search is abandoned, and life becomes a long and aimless chore. Often this is a life defined by random choices because they lack a compelling ‘why,’ and random choices are usually bad choices. Tragically, I think this may describe the majority of people.

A MAN-MADE PURPOSE

It has already been observed that there are myriad paths in life available to a person, but there is no clear means for deciding which of those paths to take or why, and there is no default destination toward which a man or a woman should strive. Nevertheless, there are many who, because of their circumstances in life or because of their personality and character makeup, or both, find a path that, for whatever reason, appeals to them. The choice of path or purpose is often random (I remember we were on a trip to Florida on a summer break from college when I saw a rocket engine and decided to become a Mechanical Engineer!), but, having selected that course in life, men and women pour themselves into this “man-made purpose” with obsessive energy.

Some choose a career as being their obsession. Others choose their children or their family. Making money can be the purpose. Or sexual conquests. Or sports. Or really anything. Wrestling crocodiles. Chasing tornadoes. Politics. Being a “foodie.” The man-made purpose does not need to be important or impressive in the eyes of the world (although it often is). My obsession in my twenties and early thirties was rock climbing. (Like I said, it does not have to make sense or be impressive.) I poured myself into that activity and sacrificed almost everything else to pursue cragging. It seems foolish, but that is the nature of the man-made purpose. Once chosen the choice of the purpose is rarely questioned.

The author of Ecclesiastes, “the Preacher,” had chosen man-made pursuits. Enormously successful at all that he did, he was miserable. “So, I hated life! All is vanity and a striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 2:17).” Having given his life to wisdom and pleasure and accomplishment, he encountered that great equalizer. He encountered the problem of the six-foot hole. When considering his own death, he says, “The same event happens to all of them. How the wise dies just like the fool! As one dies, so dies the other (Ecclesiastes 2:14, 16; 3:19).” All those who pursue a man-made purpose will find vexation and emptiness in this life, and judgment in the next. “This, too, is vanity and a striving after wind.”

A GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE

The best of all purposes is a God-given purpose. This is possessed by all those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Having been called by God to faith in Jesus, the believer has received the blessing of a clear purpose that pleases God, that is intensely fulfilling, that lasts a lifetime, and that receives the commendation in heaven, “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21, 23).” The believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit who is a divine guide for directing him or her to the right path (Isaiah 30:21). The believer has the mission of being a witness for Christ (Acts 1:8) and of being His ambassador in the world (2 Cor. 5:20), a mission that is joy-producing and satisfying and challenging. In trusting Christ as Savior, the believer has received a purpose that justifies their existence and that is worth spending a lifetime to accomplish. This purpose is worth living for and it is worth dying for.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” – the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21 

SDG                 rmb                 1/15/2021

How will you spend your life? Matthew 16:24-27

It may come upon us in a sudden flash or it may slowly build over time, but there comes a moment for all of us when we realize this fact:

Life is brief, life is fragile, and life is fleeting, and there is an end to my life that is hurtling towards me.

This is as sobering a thought as we can encounter, but we ignore it and brush it away to our own peril. It is an essential part of the human condition, brought on by Adam’s sin in the Garden so long ago. Death – lurking, looming, certainly arriving, but on an unknown timetable, rushes towards us on a collision course, and that rendezvous demands from us an answer to the question, “So, what are you doing with your life?”

I believe we have all been created with a God-given something inside us that yearns for a purpose that is somehow significant. “This is my one and only life, and it is so immensely precious, and yet it seems to be leaking through my fingers like so much oil. Why am I here? What am I to do? Who can show me the way?”

I have long thought about these questions, but recently they posed themselves to me in a new light, perhaps because I have more time to think right now (I am at a crossroads, and in this transition there are large blocks of time for reflection). But for whatever reason, it occurred to me that MY LIFE WILL BE SPENT DOING SOMETHING. The key word there is “spent.” My life will be spent. And so will yours. My life had a beginning and it will certainly have an end, and over that I have no control. But how I spend the time in between, over that I have a great deal of control. Thus, the grand question becomes, “How will I spend my life?”

As He does in so many places in the gospels, in Matthew 16 Jesus Christ speaks to this question and gives us foundational answers on which we can build a life of purpose and usefulness. Immediately following His acknowledgement of Peter’s confession of Him as the Messiah and the Son of the living God, the Lord Jesus predicts His own upcoming death and resurrection in Jerusalem. Then He tells His would-be disciples what it means to follow Him:

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done.” Jesus in Matthew 16:24-27

Notice that Jesus warns about two wrong paths. First, He speaks of those who try to save their life. This might describe people who live their life in fear, afraid to take risks because it may turn out badly. They try to live very safely in an effort to live as long as they can. Jesus says that this effort is futile, because living a long and safe, fruitless life is exactly the same as living a short and reckless, fruitless life. Life is not measured by its length, but by what is done during the time that it lasts. In contrast to the safe group, Jesus says that whoever lives his life for Jesus’ sake “will find it,” which means that the person will find rich purpose and usefulness in this life and will receive the reward of eternal life in the life to come. The goal of this person is to find that place or situation where they are useful to Jesus and continue to live in that place with reckless abandon, trusting that the Lord will give them exactly the right number of days.

The second wrong path is that of trying to “gain the whole world” while losing your own soul. On this path, the goal is to accumulate as much stuff as you can, under the mistaken belief that this world is all there is, and my pleasure and happiness are the highest values. Jesus warns these people that all the “stuff” in the world will not give you a single penny to spend in the life to come. Those who focus on gaining the world in this life will certainly forfeit their own soul. A life spent gaining the world is a life wasted and, once life ends and the soul is forfeited, there is no longer any opportunity to get it back. But if you spend your life in service to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord will meet all your needs in this life (Matthew 6:33) and you will receive a crown of righteousness in the life to come (2 Timothy 4:8).

So, what is the goal for this question about how to spend our lives or what is the right purpose? Here is the goal that I would propose:

The GOAL is to be able to say with confidence, “I am doing with my life what I have been created and called to do so that I am fulfilling my God-given purpose.”

I am convinced that only Jesus Christ can give this GOAL and this feeling of purpose to us, because only Jesus, as God the Son, has the authority and power to guide and ordain our lives. It is only as a follower of Jesus that I can be fulfilling my God-given purpose. So, the necessary first step to finding fulfillment and fruitfulness in life is to become a follower of Jesus. Then, as I follow Jesus and read His word, the Bible, He slowly begins to rearrange and clean out the closets and the attics of my life, and discards the excess baggage and clears the brush off the new paths. I pray about and think about circumstances and opportunities and the Lord continues to refine my life’s activities until they are in alignment with what the Bible has called me to do. There is amazing peace when the pursuits and the activities of life bring with them a deep feeling of satisfaction, because we know that we are pleasing the Lord in these roles and activities and pursuits. Jesus Christ offers this to all who follow Him.

But, before we leave this passage, it would be wise for us to re-read the last verse. Jesus declares that, as the glorious Son of Man, He is “going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father” to judge the earth. As He prophesied His death and resurrection, so He also prophesies His future return when He will come in wrath and judgment. Here in 16:24-26, Jesus is urging men and women to come after Him and to follow Him so that they will experience Him as merciful Savior and not as terrifying Judge. While there is still time, we should all heed this warning.

SDG                 rmb                 6/11/2020