4th lesson : God's Purpose in loving the Human Being

 

GOD CHOOSES US IN LOVE.

God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah that He had chosen him before he was conceived by his mother. Check it out: "The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations", Jr.1:4-5. God takes care of us in his eternal love. As He speaks here with Jeremiah, God confirms that He was always there with him, and that He was the author of his life. He also states it that before Jeremiah's mother give birth to her son, God had already sanctified him. In the original text to sanctify means: “separated for a specific mission, a work chosen by God for the person to perform”. God was present in each moment, even before his mother knew that one day she would have a son named Jeremiah. God was already caring in His Love for everything. Love Agape takes care of us; it sanctifies, protects, nourishes, sustains, leads, and teaches us. However, when we are still young we often do not realize that God surrounds us on a daily bases; and that He is there with his guardian angels to see us through every step of the way. That is what it means that LOVE takes care of us, and protects us. 

Eph. 1:3-6 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves”.

In this passage we learn that God chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. God did not only choose us after we were grown up and He saw it would be good based on our resume for the work He has for us. God chose us when none of us were here yet. The world was not even created yet and He chose you and I, and every human being that receives Jesus as his Lord and Savior. To exteriorize THE LOVE that is within us is the evidence of the purpose to be lived. There is an intimate connection between the Human Being and his Creator which is indistinguishable and unalterable.

 

To Exteriorize means: VERB V n: If you externalize your ideas or feelings, you express them openly, in words or actions. (FORMAL)  

Here on earth it will be difficult to describe with human words what in fact God has placed in our essence, when He made us in His Own Image and His likeness. But, as we invite the Lord Jesus to come in our heart, and to make us His dwelling place, He will exteriorize His Love through us. God showed us His Love first through Jesus when He came to give His life for us and thus way justifying us before the Father. Now, in the Era of Grace He exteriorizes it through the Body of Christ the Church here on earth. We will talk about this in details in a chapter later on.

According to the  Dictionary Evidence is: s.f.

 • Character of which is evident, manifest: the evidence of proof

 • Evidence of fact, which is obtained by observation.

 • To be in evidence, highlighted and in good concept or situation.

1 N-UNCOUNT  oft N of/for n, N that, N to-inf  Evidence is anything that you see, experience, read, or are told that causes you to believe that something is true or has really happened.

2   N-UNCOUNT  oft N against n Evidence is the information which is used in a court of law to try to prove something. Evidence is obtained from documents, objects, or witnesses. (LEGAL)

3   VERB  be V-ed by n, V n -  If a particular feeling, ability, or attitude is evidenced by something or someone, it is seen or felt. (FORMAL)

 

So it is proper to say that the evidence of the Love of God in us is what people see in us, experience with us, read us, or are told that causes them to believe that it is true about the Love of God in us; and that it really happens that “God is Love” lives through us. I think the highlight of Gods' love for us is the fact that Jesus came to give us life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" John. 10:10 b. Externalizing the purpose to be lived by us is the evidence of the fact that God is Love and that we are children of Love, as we believe and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jn.1: 12.

The Purpose to be lived is to reflect this love that is our God, through our lives. When people observe us, they will see that there is a God in us. This is the Evidence of fact, which is obtained by observation. "The one that does not love does not know God, for God is Love" it says in: 1 Jn. 4:8. According to this passage the one that does not love does not know God, for God is Love. This verse reminds me of what Job said to God one day. Job said to God: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you", Job 42:5. It is one thing to hear about God, it is something quite different to see God and know Him closely. David described in details how he knew God. John says that if a person does not love he does not know God. It is up to every one of us to analyze if we know God and if we indeed love as God loves. To know God is to love Him. To know a person is to see him face to face. Job had the privilege to see God. We can only see God by faith when we love Him as He loves us. Just as we do not know in a close way a person with whom we do not live close together, the same way we cannot love them in deeper way; even though we are aware of the existence of the same.

A relationship grows founder and closer, the closer we meet and bond together more often. If we only hear about the person as Job says but not see him, then we actually do not know him. But to know the person, requires personal contact to know his personality, character and attitudes. Can we speak the same as Job did about our relationship with God? "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you" Jb. 42:5. How close is your relationship with God? How well do you know Him? Is it maybe that your experience is like Job; that you only heard of God, but never had a personal encounter with Him?

Perhaps as you read these paragraphs above you may be thinking, but I am everything else, except this what you are writing; a true child of God. Yeah, that is true, you are right and I agree with you, and I am in the same boat. I by myself am everything, except a true child of God on my own effort. I on my own am nothing; I cannot present anything to God. The human being by himself cannot boast of anything. I want to quote some Scriptures on this:

®    “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Co. 1:30-31

®    “So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours,” 1 Co. 3:21

®    “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” 1 Co. 4:7

 

Romans 7:14-24 describes the frustration of the Apostle, when he felt the same way. This we will study it in detail later in another chapter. The Bible tells us for it is God who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose. God works in us the desire to be a child of His, as well as how it is accomplished, to transform us into His children. The Apostle Paul learned it through his experience with God, that it is God who works it in us, the willing and the fulfilling according to His good purpose. But, God will only come into our lives by our invitation. God does not force a relationship on anyone. "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Phil. 1:6. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" Phil. 2:13.

"God is Love" began a good work in us, and He will perfect this good work until the day of Jesus Christ. "God is Love" also works in us the wanting to be like Him, as well as acting as He does. This means that God will do everything on His behalf to do what is necessary that we can have this wonderful life; but it will only happen, if we invite Him into our life. God works in us the willing, but you and I still need to open the door for Him to do so. God works in us to will and to act in love. It is "God is love" the Author of everything in everyone. But, to be like Christ, sometimes takes time, and God will work in us until the day of Jesus Christ, that is, until the day we arrive in heaven. Seeing it from this perspective then we can cheer up, it is possible to be like Jesus taught us, and walk in his ways. J

When Jesus died on the cross for all of us, he showed the evidence of His Love for us. A likeness that we have in the image of our God is the fact that allows our Creator to operate and perform within us according to his good will. God began a good work in us, the day that He created the Human Being through Jesus Christ and came to justify us before the Father. Neither do I nor you need to stress ourselves about the fact that on our own we cannot be good. It is impossible only by our effort, to always please everyone and achieve perfection.

Perfection is in God our Creator. It is He who operates these things in us. It is necessary to allow God’s work in our life, or else God cannot operate, because He has given us freedom of choice. In the next chapters we will emphasize several factors how this happens in our lives. In this chapter however we will focus on the subject: A Purpose to be lived in "God Is Love".

 

 

Antonina Penner

Missionary

Masters inTheology..

 

ISBN- 978-0-9881063-1-4

Copyright 2012/11/26 by: “Ministério Visão de Águias”.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.