The Doctrine of Justification

This research paper was written as part of a class assignment in my study of the Bible Book of Romans at Calvary Chapel Bible College:

Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone is the unique concept that separates Christianity from all other religions. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness using fig leaves (by their own effort); God showed them that their works could not cover their sin. He made clothing of animal skins to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. In this act we see that God is the prime mover in the salvation process. In systematic theology the doctrines pertaining to salvation are referred to as soteriology.

Within the field of soteriology we can discover God’s overall plan of salvation for mankind. This study includes the concepts of election, conversion, justification, regeneration, union with Christ, adoption into God’s family, the sanctification process, the perseverance of the saints and the means of grace. In this paper we will primarily look at the doctrine of justification.

Justification comes from the root word “just” which means to be morally right, within the bounds of the law or proper in nature. “Justify” means to declare to be free of blame or to absolve. It carries with it the idea of there being a legally sufficient reason for this declaration. The dictionary definition of justification is: “the act of justifying … the condition or fact of being justified” and it also may mean “a fact or circumstance that justifies.”

From a Protestant Reformed Christian theological perspective, justification may be defined as: “that act of God whereby he declares righteous him who believes in Christ.” Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology states: “Justification is the declaring of a person to be just or righteous. It is a legal term signifying acquittal…” The Tyndale Bible Dictionary states that justification is: “The act of God in bringing sinners into a new covenant relationship with himself through the forgiveness of sins. It is a declarative act of God by which he establishes persons as righteous—that is, in right and true relationship to himself.”

Justification consists of two primary elements. First there is the forgiveness of sin and the removal of sin’s guilt and also the elimination of the eternal punishment for a believer’s sin. In addition God imputes to the justified believer the righteousness of Jesus Christ and restores him or her back into God’s favor.

Many theologians, bible teachers and pastors have tried to develop a workable illustration for the concept of justification. Perhaps the best illustration I have discovered is that of a judge pronouncing a verdict of: “Not guilty!” Justification is not something that a man or woman does, or even can do for him or herself. It is a legal statement made about an individual by God. God, the judge, declares that, in His eyes, we are not guilty of our sins. Our slate has been wiped clean just as if we had never committed a sin. But, in addition to the judge pronouncing the sinner as innocent, God also gives us something positive. He pays our fine and He also puts His unlimited resources (His righteousness and His grace) in our account.

In Romans 3:24 Paul tells us that those who believe in Jesus Christ are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” Later on, in the fourth chapter of Romans, he says that righteousness is “imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

The Greek word that is translated “justification” in Romans 4:25 and Romans 5:18 is “dikaiosis.” According to Strong’s Concordance the meaning of “dikaiosis” is “the act of God declaring men free from guilt and acceptable to him.” An alternative meaning is: “abjuring (as with an oath) to be righteous, justification.” The Greek word “dikaiosis” is derived from “dikaioo” which comes from the root Greek word “dike.”

Dike (or Dice) was a Greek goddess. She was one of the goddesses of the seasons of the year and also one of the keepers of the entrance to heaven. Specifically Dike was seen by the Greeks as representing “justice, fair judgments and the rights established by custom and law.” The noun “dikaiosis” (justification) occurs only twice in the New Testament, but the Greek word “dike” and its derivatives are used more than 200 times. In addition to the English word “justification,” the Greek word “dike” and its related forms are also translated as: justify, be freed, be righteous, justifier, righteous, just, right, righteousness, ordinance and judgment.

The concept of justification can be seen as a legal decree or as a declaration that someone is righteous or just. But justification can also be viewed as an act that shows someone to be right or just. As with all Bible interpretation it is extremely important to derive the meaning of a word with reference to its overall context.

There are widely divergent views within the religious world as to how one achieves justification. The most prominent general concept is that a person needs to somehow be “good” and that, if their good deeds outweigh the bad, then they should be accepted into heaven. But that is not the literal Biblical basis for justification. In Romans we are told that “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

In his book “The Gospel According to Grace,” Pastor Chuck Smith remarks: “No one can be justified by the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. We’re already guilty before we even start. The law wasn’t given to justify us, but to expose our innate sinfulness. It reveals the fact that the whole world is guilty before God…The Law condemns all of us, and it points all of us to the only hope of salvation that we have – the grace and mercy of God and the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ.”

Catholics and Protestants have debated the issue of salvation and justification by grace alone versus the idea of justification by faith plus works. This was one of the major issues that sparked the Protestant Reformation. Catholics rely on baptism, communion, attending mass, confession of their sins to a priest and reciting certain prayers as an addition to their faith. The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is:

“If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “…baptism is necessary for salvation…” So it is quite clear that, at the very least, Roman Catholics believe that works must be added to faith for a person to be justified before God.

The Reformed Protestant position on salvation is that a person is immediately justified or declared to be righteous in God’s eyes at the moment of belief in the Gospel message. Works are not part of the Evangelical Christian salvation and justification equation.

The debate on the faith and works issue arises primarily from the interpretation of two key portions of Scripture. Throughout his writings the Apostle Paul is very clear that salvation and justification are attained by faith alone and that they are not the result of works. James, on the other hand, seems to teach that works are required for justification.

To make his point about justification by faith alone Paul uses the example of Abraham. In Romans Chapter 4 he states: “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…”

But James also uses Abraham to illustrate his contention that justification is through works. In Chapter 2 of his epistle he states: “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”

There is no doubt that, at first glance, these statements contradict each other. Martin Luther was so perplexed by this apparent contradiction that he chose to pretty much ignore James in building his theology of salvation by faith alone. He called the Book of James an epistle of “straw” and also said: “…I do not regard it as the writing of an apostle…”

The issue here, however, is not a difference in theology but a difference in viewpoint. Paul is looking at justification from God’s perspective while James is looking at the situation from man’s point of view. Both Paul and James use the same Greek work for “justified” in these two passages of Scripture and rightly so because the Greek language allows that this word has two different possible meanings. The meaning in a particular passage must be derived from the overall context.

C. S. Lewis says that “the outer world is quite right to judge Christianity by its results. Christ told us to judge by results. A tree is known by its fruit; or, as we say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” As humans we cannot see forgiveness, we cannot see imputed righteousness, we cannot see justification. What we can see are the effects of the work of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s life. James does not contradict Paul. He contrasts intellectual knowledge with true saving faith. Mere acknowledgement of a set of historical facts will not save anyone and James says that this type of faith is “dead.”

Jesus spoke of this dichotomy when he was talking with Nicodemus. He said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus was confused by this statement and he asked Jesus: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” As a Pharisee Nicodemus wanted to follow God but he had been blinded by the traditions of men.

Jesus was looking at a spiritual rebirth and Nicodemus was thinking in the material realm. Jesus then gave a classic response that describes how human beings can have evidence in the material realm about what is happening behind the scenes in the spiritual world. He said: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus was telling Nicodemus, and us as well, that a man who truly has faith and who is truly saved will demonstrate his justification through his actions.

What then is the Biblical process and how is justification achieved? The Bible tells us: “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” We also learn from Scripture that we have been “…justified by His blood…” and this statement refers to the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary. In addition the Bible says that a man is “justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Also, we are told that as believers we are “…justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”

How do a man’s works relate to salvation? Paul clears up the controversy in the Book of Ephesians. He tells us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The fog has lifted and the concept is now clear. Justification is not a result of the works of the Law, it is by the grace of God, it is by the blood of Christ and it is by faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work at Calvary. However, when a person is saved and justified he is new creation and his actions will show evidence of what has already happened on the inside in his or her heart. The only “works” that are required by God that are related to justification are described by Jesus. He said: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

In summation of what we have learned: justification is a judicial act of God in which the believer is declared to be righteous. The Greek words used for justified and justification have two related and yet slightly different meanings. When Paul speaks of being justified he is looking at it from God’s perspective where believers are seen to be righteous. When James speaks of justification he is looking at it from man’s viewpoint. There should be evidence in a believer’s life that justification has taken place. If there is no evidence then it is questionable that faith, belief, salvation and justification have occurred. The Catholic viewpoint on justification is that faith alone is not sufficient and that faith must be coupled with works, but this position is not Biblical. The Reformed Protestant position is that works are not required and that faith alone is sufficient to justify the believer. Justification is achieved by faith alone, through God’s grace alone in Jesus Christ alone.

What are the results of justification and how can I, as an individual Christian, make application of the Bible truths about salvation in my daily life? As I read about the history of the Church and the development of various theological doctrines several thoughts come to mind which I have applied in my approach to Bible study. The first is to recall the words of Paul as he spoke to the elders of the church at Ephesus: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

It is very important for me to study the entire Bible. I grew up going to Sunday School at the Christian Science church. Christian Scientists engage in “cut and paste” theology. They will only read a portion of a verse and then a portion of another verse and then put together a false concept of God, man and Jesus. After I became a true Christian it took me several years of consistent study to flush this false theology out of my system.

Another area of application is that I must keep God’s promises in mind each and every day. I am a new creation in Christ and I need to act that way. I have been forgiven and, since God has forgiven me, I need to be careful not to condemn myself when I stumble. I have been restored back into God’s favor and I need to respond in love by serving God and others. I plan to continue to serve my church as a teacher and in the area of outreach. I plan to continue to serve my community as a member of our festival planning committee.

As a believer in Jesus Christ I have been given the righteousness of Jesus Christ as a free gift. But it is my responsibility to make righteous decisions every moment. I am enabled to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit. Titus tells us that “having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

I have been assured of my future glorification. There is a place in Heaven that has been reserved for me. This life on planet earth has been given to me as a time of preparation for my eternal future in Heaven with Jesus. Because of this I need to have regular time in God’s Word and in personal communion with Him. I need to live each day looking for the Lord’s soon return. I need to be like the Bereans who "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

Bibliography:

Catholic Answers: “The Necessity of Baptism,” www.catholic.com/library.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: “The Roman Catholic View On Justification,” www.carm.org/religious-movements/roman-catholic.

Clarke, Adam: Commentary on the New Testament. Cedar Rapids: Parsons Tech, 1999.

Elwell, Walter A.: Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1996.

Elwell, Walter A.: Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (Tyndale Reference Library).

Enns, Paul P.: The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, 1997, 1989.

Evans, William; Coder, S. Maxwell: The Great Doctrines of the Bible. Enl. ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1998, 1974.

Farlex: “The Free Dictionary,” http://www.thefreedictionary.com.

Geisler, Norman L.; Nix, William E.: A General Introduction to the Bible. Rev. and expanded. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996, c1986.

Gerstner, John: “History of the Doctrine of Justification,” www.apuritansmind.com.

Hodge, Charles: Systematic Theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

Lewis, C. S.: Mere Christianity. New York: Harper Collins, 1952, 1980.

Schaff, Philip; Schaff, David Schley: History of the Christian Church. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

Shelley, Bruce L.: Church History in Plain Language. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982, 1995.

Smith, Chuck: The Word for Today Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005.

Smith, Chuck: The Gospel According to Grace. Costa Mesa, CA: The Word For Today,
1981, 2002, 2007.

Strong, J.: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Cedar Rapids: Parsons Tech., 2003.

Swain, James: “Luther’s View of the Canon of Scripture,” www.ntrmin.org.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Nashville: Nelson, 1982

Thiessen, H.C.: Lectures in Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949, c1979.

Torrey, R.A.: Difficulties in the Bible: Alleged Errors and Contradictions. Willow Grove: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1998, c1996.

Theoi Project: “Dike,” http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/HoraDike.html.

Wilmington, H. L.: Wilmington’s Bible Handbook. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Everyone wants to be happy. In the United States, our Declaration of Independence states that “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” are “unalienable Rights.” We think that having the “good” things in life will make us happy. When “bad” things happen, and they do happen a lot, we are not happy campers.

Many people believe that they are entitled to have good things. When the unexpected occurs they feel that life is just not fair. Most of us have heard that God is good and loving and we blame Him when things don’t go our way. So why do bad things happen anyway?

Some would say that because bad things happen then God (who is supposed to be good) must not even exist. The church I attended as a child took a different approach. They denied the very existence of anything that was not perfectly good.

The problem lies in our limited human understanding and in how we define the word “good.” We think that anything that causes pain or suffering is bad and that things that make us happy are good. But the truth of the matter is diametrically opposed to this viewpoint.

God defined all of creation including man as “good” in the Book of Genesis. Jesus told the rich young ruler: “Only God is truly good.” (Mark 10:18 – NLT)

The Bible tells us: “No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.” (Psalms 84:11) The Apostle Paul writes: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 – NLT)

We have an example of this principle in the Book of Genesis. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Conventional wisdom would say that this was a “bad” thing. But later on, because God was in ultimate control of the circumstances, Joseph was in a position to save the lives of his entire family. Joseph told his brothers “God turned into good what you meant for evil.” (Genesis 50:20 – NLT)

Joseph’s brothers were acting in a sinful, evil manner when they sold him into slavery. The apparent bad thing that happened was the result of their sinful choices. But God was and is able to turn the tables.

The bottom line on this issue is that God is in control. He is, by definition, good. When we accept the “Good News,” the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are “doing right” and are in a position to receive good things from God. Even suffering, pain and things we formerly saw a bad we now understand are being used for our ultimate good as God is shaping our character to be more like that of Jesus Christ.

If we are trusting in ourselves, or in a god that is the figment of our imagination, then we have actually put ourselves under the control of Satan and he is trying to work his evil plan through us.

If we trust in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life, we have joined God’s Kingdom and we will experience true joy both now and in the future. Our happiness will not depend on circumstances but on our eternal perspective. As Jesus has told us: “The thief's (Satan’s) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10 – NLT)

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We ARE The Light Of The World - But What Kind Of Light?

20 – Prov. 14:34 - “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (NIV)

x-x-x

As Christians we have right standing with God only through our faith in Jesus Christ. But in this proverb “righteousness” or in some translations “Godliness” refers not to our position in Christ but to Godly and just principles and actions. It refers to our character – to the things that we say and do.

Part of our Cypress Church vision is for us to serve the purposes of Jesus IN our world by being involved in our communities and by us being “Salt and Light.” We are IN the world but we are not supposed to be OF the world.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14 - "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. What Jesus does NOT say in this verse is that you have any kind of choice about whether or not you will be “light.” We ARE “light” – our actions and our words are powerful. We influence everyone we come into contact with – for good or for bad - whether we want to or not!

Exactly what can we do to be “salt and light” for Jesus … IN our world? Here are some ideas: Be kind and polite to your neighbors and co-workers, be a courteous driver and obey traffic laws, keep your home and yard neat and clean. Be a good employee or a good boss. Give your company an honest day’s work and then some. Do not be a whiner or a complainer or a gossip. Demonstrate your overall faith and trust that God is in control – no matter what happens!

When Israel was encamped at Kadesh Barnea 12 spies were sent to check out the Promised Land. Of the 12 only two men (Joshua and Caleb) brought back a good report. The children of Israel sided with the majority and refused to move forward. As a result of Israel’s lack of courage and faith in God’s ability to protect them, they had to wander for 40 years before they could enter the Land. Both Joshua and Caleb stood up for God. They serve as examples of what we need to do each and every day. We must have faith that God is in control and that only He knows what is best for us. Then we need to have the courage to act on what we know to be true. Joshua and Caleb could have gotten discouraged because their ideas were rejected but they knew that God’s plan would work out. They showed that they had faith and great courage and God rewarded them.

As you are spending time alone with God today, ask Him to show you just one thing that needs to be changed in your life so that the light of Jesus Christ can shine more brightly through you. Ask Him what you need to do specifically to show others that you trust Him to meet all of your needs. When He does answer you, have the courage and the faith to take action. The Lord will give you His strength to do what He wants you to do.

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An Excellent Evangelism Tool for the 21st Century

An Excellent Evangelism Tool for the 21st Century
Review of “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel
Prepared by Bob Koehler for TH365 at Calvary Chapel Bible College
May 22, 2008

“The Case for Christ” looks at the evidence about Jesus Christ from the perspective of a skeptical investigative legal reporter searching for the real story. The author, Lee Strobel, is a former law student from Yale who went on to become “an award winning journalist” with the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune link intrigued me as my grandfather, Philip Kinsley, was a reporter there during the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Strobel is extremely well qualified to address the task of examining the evidence for Jesus. In addition to his law degree from Yale he holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri. He has been a pastor at two mega churches, Willow Creek and Saddleback, and is a prolific author. He describes “The Case for Christ” as his effort to retrace the steps of his own spiritual journey prior to making his personal commitment to follow Jesus many years ago.
This book recalls to my mind a time in the early 1990s when I was searching for answers as the Spirit of God was lifting me out of the deceptive doctrines of Christian Science. At that time I read the two volume series by Josh McDowell, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict.” Like McDowell, Strobel examines evidence but in an entirely different way. Strobel’s book is the account of his travels and interviews with thirteen leading Christian scholars and apologists. He uses his hard hitting, pointed questions and the answers provided by these scholars to build a very convincing argument, similar to a legal brief, in favor of Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. He concludes with an appeal to his readers to reach the same verdict.
The first topic Strobel tackles is the reliability of the accounts of the life of Jesus in the New Testament. His interview is with Dr. Craig Blomberg who is “widely considered to be one of the country’s foremost authorities on the biographies of Jesus” (the four Gospels). Initially Blomberg verifies that the Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke are almost certainly written by the traditionally accepted authors. He states that there is some debate about which “John” wrote the fourth Gospel. On the subject of common source material which may have been used by the three writers of the synoptic Gospels, Blomberg states that the supposed “Q” document is “nothing more than a hypothesis.” He makes a strong case for early authorship of these accounts of Jesus’ life and also discusses early Christian creeds. In Blomberg’s opinion the “fundamental beliefs in Jesus’ atonement, his resurrection, and his unique association with God” can be traced back to a time “within two to five years of the events themselves.”
The next interview is with Dr. Bruce Metzger who has authored or edited more than fifty books, is a noted theologian, holds numerous degrees and is the chairman of the New Revised Standard Version Bible Committee. The topic of this interview centers on the abundant documentary manuscript evidence supporting the New Testament. In addition the composition of the canon of Scripture is discussed as well as the Nag Hammadi documents. Strobel states that after this interview “no serious doubts lingered” about the reliability of the text of the New Testament.
Third on the list of experts is Dr. Edwin Yamauchi of Miami University in Oxford Ohio. Their discussion centers primarily on evidence for Jesus outside of the Bible itself. After discussing writings of Josephus, Tacitus and others, Professor Yamaucui concludes: “For me, the historical evidence has reinforced my commitment to Jesus Christ as the Son of God …”
The next topic is archaeology and the expert witness is none other than John McRay, Ph.D., the author of “Archaeology and the New Testament” and consultant for the cable TV program “Mysteries of the Bible.” Strobel verifies that Luke’s remarkable accuracy as a historian is verified by archaeology as well as details in Mark and John. McRay shows how the evidence of document 4Q521 from the Dead Sea Scrolls has helped unravel some riddles about Jesus. The McRay interview helps Strobel conclude that archaeology provides “important corroboration” for the reliability of the New Testament.
As the interviews continue expert Gregory Boyd refutes contentions of the Jesus Seminar about the Jesus of history being different from the Jesus of faith. Strobel’s discussion with Dr. Ben Witherington focuses on Jesus’ view of himself and his claims to deity as revealed in Scripture. Next the psychological evidence is reviewed with Dr. Gary Collins. The idea that I found most intriguing from this chapter was Collins’ contention that, to a degree, people find what they are looking for. While discussing the topic of Jesus’ exorcisms he states: “People who deny the existence of the supernatural will find some way … to explain a situation apart from the demonic.”
In the eighth interview Strobel grills Dr. Donald Carson of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School about the incarnation. They also discuss the relationship of Jesus to God the Father and controversy surrounding the word “begotten” used in many English Bible translations. Carson’s scholarly view is that a better translation of “begotten” might be “unique one.” The word does not indicate that Jesus is “ontologically begotten in time.”
The next interview is with Messianic Jewish scholar Louis Lapides. Predictably their discussion focuses on Jesus’ Jewishness and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Lapides dismisses the thought that anyone could have orchestrated their life in such a way as to satisfy the many and varied predictions that Jesus did. “Not a chance,” says Lapides. “The odds are so astronomical that they rule that out.”
Medical evidence is reviewed next with forensic pathologist Dr. Robert J. Stein. Then Strobel and Dr. Bill Crane discuss the empty tomb, Joseph of Arimathea and the harmonization of Gospel accounts about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Next the biblical accounts of Jesus after His resurrection are reviewed with author and scholar Gary Habermas who has written seven books on the subject of Jesus rising from the dead. Their conversation includes a look at the debate on the short and long endings of Mark’s Gospel as well as various alternative theories about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances.
The last interview is with the noted philosopher and theologian Dr. J. P. Moreland. This chapter deals with circumstantial evidence in support of the Christian faith. Topics include the fact that the disciples died for their beliefs, the conversion of hardened skeptics to Christianity (James and Paul), changes in social structure in the first century, the emergence of the church and the ordinances of communion and baptism.
Strobel’s final chapter is a brief review of his thirteen interviews with a summary of each subject. He then presents his “Formula of Faith” which is to believe in Jesus, receive God’s free gift through a step of faith and become a child of God through gradual character changes “with Christ’s help.” The final section invites the reader “as a fair and impartial juror” to reach a verdict in favor of Jesus Christ. The author closes with the classic words spoken by C. S. Lewis about a person who says that Jesus is a “great moral teacher” but who do not accept “His claim to be God.” Lewis states that Jesus “has not left that … (option) … open to us. He did not intend to.”
Throughout the narrative Strobel intersperses stories from his secular journalistic encounters with his current quest for the truth about Jesus. This technique has the effect of making the book read “like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it’s not fiction.”
The approach seems to work and Strobel does make a thorough examination of many areas where seekers and skeptics might have doubts or concerns. Community reviewer Marlene at chapters.indigo.ca states: “I was not really a sceptic (sic) but found that questions that I haven't even thought of were answered and evidence produced that I didn't know existed. This is an excellent book for those on the edge.” Scott Foutz echoes these views at theologywebsite.com: “Strobel's book … directly addresses the approach my students most commonly take when confronted by the topic of Jesus … The writing style is highly readable and engaging.”
Probably the best feature of the book from my personal perspective is that it serves as a condensed research project with documentation of the views of many well respected Evangelical Christian scholars. “Strobel is to be commended for summarizing the work of so many leading apologists for Evangelical Christianity in such a compact and easy-to-read format.”
Although many reviews are very complimentary there is definitely another side to the coin. Strobel interviews only proponents and supporters of Christianity. He totally ignores actual contact with detractors although he does speak about their views. In addition one reviewer, Gloria Kan, comments that the book is “loaded with logical fallacies, falsehoods and half-truths.” Her assessment seems a little too harsh to me.
Overall I personally preferred the presentation of Josh McDowell in “Evidence That Demands a Verdict.” I thought that Strobel was heavy on quotes and light on detailed references to the actual evidence referred to by the subjects of his interviews. Atheist Kush K. remarks: “Strobel, without doubt, is a dramatic writer. Unfortunately, drama cannot substitute for substance, logic and consistency. Drama is not evidence.”
Although Kush’s comment may be true (at least in part) one must consider the source. As with any issue in Christian apologetics, if a person does not have an open mind they will most assuredly find what they are looking for. Their theological conclusions will reflect the presuppositions of their jaded worldview.
I believe that this book is a great tool for outreach. I have already recommended it to a friend and will continue to do so. My desire to dig deeper and learn even more about Jesus has been increased as a direct result of taking the class on Apologetics Evangelism and reading “The Case for Christ.” I have been teaching an adult Sunday school class on apologetics using the framework of the first five centuries of Christian Church history. I have already woven material from this book into my class.
I am scheduled to preach at our new satellite campus in Seal Beach on a regular basis and will be using material from Lee Strobel whenever it is appropriate to the topic of the week. I plan to continue my research about Jesus and am already halfway through Mark Driscoll’s book “Vintage Jesus – Timeless Answers to Timely Questions.”
As Outreach Base Coach for Cypress Church I have been teaching classes in evangelism and am planning a workshop for our congregation on the subject of personal evangelism. I plan to weave the material from this book into the workshop along with some of the excellent resources made available to me through this class.
I firmly believe that every time I commit my heart to seeking the Lord and learning more about Him that my faith is increased. The more I learn the more I want to learn. As I make myself more available to serve Jesus in ministry, I find new doors opening. As I put into practice what I learn, I find that God is drawing me closer to Him and showing me even more about Himself.
I know that God provides enough time for me to do exactly what He wants me to do each day. However, I still find myself wanting what I know it is impossible to have - more hours in the day for more service in Jesus’ Name.

Bibliography:

“Case for Christ,” http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books;
Foutz, S. D., http://www.theologywebsite.com/books;
http://www.mwillett.org/atheism/strobel.htm;
Lowder, Jeffery J., “The Rest of the Story,” http://www.infidels.org/library;
Kush, K., “Nonsensical “case” for Christ,” http://www.mwillett.org/atheism/strobel.htm;
Strobel, Lee, The Case for Christ, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan), 1998;
“The Case for Christ,” http://www.amazon.com/.
Visit BestOfTheWebShopping.Com as a source for Christian Books & Music.

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?

Introduction to the Purpose Driven Life 40 Days Study
Message Presented by Bob Koehler at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station
For the Military Community Christian Community

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Responsive Reading

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 (NKJV)

Sermon Outline & Notes

On the back page of your worship folder is an outline with a place to take notes and fill in some blanks.

Let’s open our Bibles to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1 and read verses 3 through 6:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Eph 1:3-6 (NKJV)

Welcome to 40 Days of Purpose. We’re ready to start on an exciting journey that will take us through the next 7 weeks. Today we’re going to look at life’s three greatest questions: 1) The question of existence – why am I alive? 2) the question of significance – does my life matter? and 3) the question of intention – what is my purpose?

LIFE’S 3 GREATEST QUESTIONS:

1. QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: WHY AM I ALIVE?

Now this first question, the “Question of Existence: Why am I alive?” is not exactly a new question. It was asked thousands of years ago. In fact, 7 centuries before the birth of Christ, Jeremiah asked this question in Jeremiah 20:18, “Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame? Jer. 20:18 (NKJV)

Now there have probably been times in your life when you felt that way, too. Was I born just to have a bunch of problems? Was I put on this planet just to have heartache, grief and stress? Jeremiah is essentially asking: “Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace?” Jer. 20:18 (TEV)

Science Fiction writer Arthur Ashley Brilliant said “my life is a superb cast, but I can’t figure out the plot.” Jack Hanley, is an American writer and was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. He wrote, “I hope life isn’t a joke, because I don’t get it.”

Everything that we see both as good and also things we may see as bad have some kind of purpose. In the Book of Proverbs we read:
“The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.” Prov. 16:4 (NKJV)

The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. Pr. 16:4 (NLT)

So “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose…” Prov. 16:4a (GW)

It’s for His purpose. Now God has never made anything without a purpose. Every rock has a purpose, every plant has a purpose, every animal has a purpose and you have a purpose. The truth is God has many purposes for your life. In the next 40 days we’re going to look in detail at five of those purposes. Five of the reasons God put you on this planet.

Today, though, I just want us to see God’s motive.

Lets look at our Scripture from Ephesians again in Verse 4 … “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,”

The idea here is: “Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.” Eph. 1:4 (Msg)

If you don’t get anything else as we start this 40 days study, I want you to understand this, God says He made you, to love you. God made you to love you. You might want to write that down in the blank space on the outline. Why did God create me? Write this down… I was created to be loved by God. God is love and God wanted to create someone to love and so He created you. He really didn’t need you. He wasn’t lonely. But He made you in order to love you..Because He wanted you..And before we can talk about anything else, you have to understand that this is what on earth you’re here for–to be loved by God.

I WAS CREATED TO BE LOVED BY GOD.

2. QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE: DOES MY LIFE MATTER?

The second key question of life is the “Question of Significance: Does my life matter?” Isaiah asked this question in Isaiah 49:4a. Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;…

“My work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose at all.” Isa. 49:4a (NLT)

But he goes on in the same verse to conclude:

Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’” Is. 49:4 (NKJV)

You were made for meaning, and if you don’t have a meaning and purpose in your life and you don’t know why God put you on this planet, life just does not make sense.
Elsewhere the prophet Isaiah tells us:
“Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; Is. 44:2-3

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Isa. 44:2 (CEV)

During World War II, there were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp in Hungary, that were put to work in a factory. The allies came along, bombed that factory and blew it apart. So the prisoners had nothing to do. The Nazi soldiers had the prisoners take all the rubble of that factory and move it to another field. The next day, they had them take that same rubble and move it back in reverse. The next day, they had to take that stuff and move it back and day after day they had no meaning, no purpose. It was just work doing the same thing over and over with no meaning and no purpose. Then something strange began to happen. The prisoners began to go crazy. They began to lose their will to live because there was no meaning, no purpose in their work. They were just moving bricks back and forth, back and forth. Many of them began to throw themselves in front of the guards trying to get shot. In essence, trying to commit suicide.

I had a very similar experience when I was running tugboats. We were asked to move a barge to a certain oil dock and load a particular product, then take it to another dock and discharge the cargo into the shore tanks. Then we received orders to load the same product back on the barge and take it back to the dock where we loaded it and discharge it there. The company never told us why, they just said: "do it." We felt like we were just spinning our wheels. This is because our brains are hard wired by God. We know that we were made for meaning and purpose.

In our Scripture reading for today notice verses 5 & 6: “5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Jesus Christ wants to adopt and accept each one of us. We can be part of God’s family if we desire to find God’s purposes for our life.

In the Book of Psalms we read: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Ps. 139: 16-17 (NKJV)

Another way of stating this is … “You... scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” Ps. 139:16 (LB)

Psalm 33 tells us: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Ps. 33:11 (NKJV)

The idea here is that God’s "His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally." Ps. 33:11 (GN)

So if we are part of God’s plan and His purposes last forever then you can write this in the blank on your outline: God says, “I was made to last forever.”

I WAS MADE TO LAST FOREVER.

I was made to be loved by God, and I was made to last forever. This life is not all there is. One of the biggest ways you can waste your life is thinking that all there is, is here and now. You are going to spend far more time on that side of death, than you do on this side. On this side, you may get to live 60, 70, 80 or 90 years or so. But that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. It’s like if you stretched out a line from Tokyo to Los Angeles, across the Pacific Ocean. The first millimeter of that line would not even equal how tiny your life is compared to all the time you’re going to spend in eternity. You were made for eternity and this life is preparation for eternity. You’re not going to find that in a self-help book, but it’s the truth. Life is preparation for eternity and in the next 40 days we are going to discover how to prepare, because this is not all there is. This is the key to the meaning of life. Realizing that life on earth is preparation for life in eternity. The Bible says this:

“1For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 1 Cor. 5:1 (NKJV) God is preparing new resurrection bodies for us!

A more contemporary translation might be: “When this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.” 2 Cor. 5:1 (TEV)

How do we get there to Heaven and in our new bodies. Proverbs tells us: “Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.” Pr. 9:6 (NKJV)

Another way of stating this might be to “Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." Prov. 9:6 (Msg)

It is extremely and eternally important that we discover how to find the purpose and meaning God wants us to have.

Jesus spent quite a bit of time during his ministry explaining in great detail what specifics He would like to see in our lives and also what He does not want to see in us. After one such message to His disciples about what NOT to do He concluded with these words:

“And these (speaking of those people who were NOT fulfilling God’s purpose) will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Mt. 25:46 (NKJV) Which direction are you going right now?

3. QUESTION OF INTENTION: WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

Next comes the third question, the “Question of Intention: What is my purpose?”

(Discussion of why we need to know our “purpose” using three electrical devices as illustrations. What happens if we connect something to the wrong voltage?)

So what is my purpose? What on earth am I here for? And that’s what we’re going to spend 40 days looking at. In Psalm 89:47 David asked the question “For what futility have You created all the children of men?” Ps 89:47b (NKJV) Who is David talking to when he says that, himself? No, he’s talking to God.

He is basically asking: “Why did you create us? For nothing?” Ps. 89:47 (NCV)

One of the greatest, atheist philosophers of the last century, Bertrand Russell, an Englishman said .. (Now remember he was an atheist and at least he was intellectually honest enough to say this) … he said, “Unless you assume the existence of God, the question of life’s meaning and purpose is irrelevant.” You see, if there is no God, if you’re just a freak chance of nature, if you came from just some complex pond scum – guess what? – Your life doesn’t matter.

Let’s turn in our Bibles to the very first page of the Book of Genesis and read with me the very first words in the first verse in the entire Bible:
“1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1

The Bible begins with the statement that God created everything. Then if you move down the page to Verses 27 & 28 you find: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

So you are not descended from some pond scum … God made you and He gave you a job to do.

The Bible tells us in the 1st verse of Psalm 14 that: The fool has said in his heart, “(There is) no God.” The words “There is” were used for clarification in the English translation. The literal translation from Hebrew is: “The fool has said in his heart … NO God.” You do not want to be someone who rejects God and his purposes for your life because there are eternal consequences.

King Solomon was David’s Son. During his reign he was the richest and wisest man in the entire world. Success spoiled him and he had many problems later on in His life. He had it all yet he stumbled and did not completely fulfill what God could have done with him had he been obedient. But … He did learn an important and expensive lesson which he shares with us. In the Book of Proverbs King Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Pr. 9:10 (NKJV)

What does in mean to fear God? Well, first of all …

Fearing God does not mean being terrified of him. Knowing God increases reverent fear. To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who he is: God is loving and merciful. He is also holy, almighty, righteous, pure, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: we are sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect. Only then will he show us how to choose His way of accomplishing His purposes for our lives.

Fearing God leads to knowing him more fully. “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.” God offers intimate and lasting friendship to those who revere him, who hold him in highest honor. What relationship could ever compare with having the Lord of all creation for a friend? Your everlasting friendship with God will grow as you revere him.


In essence God is telling us through Solomon that … "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding." Pr. 9:10b (LB)

So…Write this down in the blank on your outline. I find my purpose by getting to know God. It all starts with God.

I FIND MY PURPOSE BY GETTING TO KNOW GOD.

We need to know God because we are told in the Book of Colossians: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Col. 1:16

In a nutshell this means “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible … everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Col 1:16 (Msg)

If God is our creator (and the Bible says He is) then we are ultimately responsible to Him.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Eph. 1:11 (NKJV)

Paul is telling us that “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for... part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Eph. 1:11 (Msg)

God considers 40 days to be a significant time period. In fact, in the Bible, when God wanted to prepare people for His purposes, He often took 40 days. For instance:

· Noah’s life was transformed during 40 days of rain;
· Moses’ life was transformed during 40 days on Mount Sinai;
· The spies were transformed while spending 40 days in the Promise Land;
· Part of David’s transformation happened because of Goliath’s 40-day challenge;
· The city of Nineveh was transformed in 40 days and decided to repent of their sins;
· Jesus was empowered for ministry while spending 40 days in the desert;
· And the disciples were transformed during their 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection.

I am confident that if you participate with us the 40 days of Purpose study your life will be transformed.

Why do we need to know God?

We will live forever. Our bodies will eventually pass away, but our spirit and soul live on. At some point in the future God promises us new, resurrection bodies. After our life on earth there are only two possible destinations. Eternal life with God or eternal separation away from Him.

In our Scripture verses for today in Ephesians 1:3 we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”

So the big question is … Are you “in Christ?” This verse is telling us that we are only blessed with every spiritual blessing” if and only if we are “in Christ.”

You see … Eternal life (or Heaven) is a free gift. God wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place and in order to be accepted there Jesus tells us we must be perfect.

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Mat. 5:48 (NKJV)

But we all know that right here- right now, we are not perfect. We know that in the world there are all sorts of problems. These are primarily the result of something God calls sin.

What is sin? Sin is doing something that God has told us not to do. And … Sin is also NOT doing what God has said we must do.

Paul says in Romans…”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23

How many of you have ever had to qualify with small arms out at the range? The Greek word for sin is hamartia. It is an archery term. Today we can relate that to the Rifle range: Sin is anything except dead center!!! How hard is that? Can you shoot in the exact center of the target every single time? I’ve held an NRA certification as an Expert marksman and Rifle Instructor and I know I can’t.

Even though we are sinners … God is merciful and does not want to punish us. The Bible tells us that “God is love” 1 Jn. 4:8b (NKJV)

But … God is just and must punish our sin. He is “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (BUT) by no means clearing the guilty,” Ex 34:7 (NKJV)

This presents a real problem. How can God be both merciful and just at the same time? Well … God is big enough to solve any problem and He solved this problem through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is both 100% God & 100% man at the same time.

The Gospel of John tells us:
1In the beginning was the Word (THAT’S JESUS), and the Word was with God, and the Word (JESUS) was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him (JESUS), and without Him nothing was made that was made. … 14And the Word (JESUS) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3 & 14 (NKJV)

Jesus (God in the flesh), became a man, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase a place in Heaven for us.

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Is. 53:6 (NKJV)

(Book Illustration of how Jesus took our sin on Himself tied in with Is. 53:6)

It sort of looks sort of like this. When I was stationed on the Minesweeper USS Implicit and one of the crew did something wrong he got written up and went to Captain’s Mast. If he was guilty he received a punishment or had to pay a fine. Let’s suppose that I did something wrong and got fined by the Captain, but then the Captain said: “I’ll pay your fine for you.” He takes out his wallet, gives the money to Disbursing Officer who marks our account “Paid In Full.” If you are Army – think of being found guilty at a Court Martial and having General Combs from the Joint Forces Training Center offer to serve your sentence for you!!!

We are guilty of sin. The Bible tells us: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:23 (NKJV)

Jesus, the righteous judge has declared that there is a penalty that must be paid for our sin. And Jesus our merciful Savior took off His robes of office, came to earth, became a man just like us, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and died in our place … in your place.

The free gift of eternal life has been paid for, it is available to all, but it is not automatic.

John’s Gospel tells us: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12 (NKJV)

Now you might remember back in the Book of Genesis that God originally created man in His image. The next question might be – well, If I was created in God’s image…why do I need permission to be a child of God. When Adam and Eve sinned - man’s fellowship with God was broken. We inherited a sin nature and we need God’s forgiveness to restore the broken relationship.

So how do we go about obtaining forgiveness and becoming part of God’s forever family?

Jesus answered this for us in the first sermon He ever preached. In Mark 1:14 we read - Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

If you’ve ever been a part of a unit that marched or watched a drill team you know what the word “Repent” means. It is the same as “About Face!” Jesus says we need to turn away from our sin and towards Him in faith.

Now this might seem hard to do. In fact many people mistakenly believe that you have to work hard to get to Heaven. They think that God grades on a curve and if they do enough good works they might have a chance of getting in. But that is not God’s plan… Jesus said:

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29 (NKJV) Who is the one we need to believe in? Jesus Christ.

How do we do this? By faith in Jesus. But this faith is not just head knowledge. We need to transfer our complete trust from anything we have ever done or could ever do in the future that we think might earn God’s favor and place our faith in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life.

(Sitting in the chair illustration of what really constitutes faith)

The Bible says in the Book of Romans “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:9-10 (NKJV)

I realize that all of us here today are at different stages in our spiritual journey. That doesn’t matter. Everyone is on a spiritual journey whether they realize it or not. Some of you may be seekers, some of you might no be sure if you buy the whole idea of Jesus and Christianity, some may be new believers and some may have been Christians for a long time. That’s Great! We’re all going to have the chance go through this journey together, no matter what stage you are in. Some of you are strong believers, and you’re going to be able to go deeper with God than you’ve ever gone before and you’re going to bring others along, too. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey, listen to what God says in His word: …in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35b (NKJV)

The idea here is that “It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” Acts 10:35 (Msg)

When I was in 7th and 8th grade I worked at the YMCA in Canton, Ohio. One of the directors there had a sign on his all that I still remember today. It read “always be ready to give up what you are today for what you can become tomorrow.” This speaks of action. Are you ready to take action by turning away from the things you are doing which are not pleasing to God and discovering what His purpose for your life?

Let’s bow our heads – You know God had a purpose in bringing you here today. He wants you to know Him and He wants you to know His purposes for you. Let’s talk to Him right now…

“Heavenly Father, I realize that if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive. But because you made me, I know that you have a purpose for me. I admit that I have focused on my plans for my life, not yours. But I want to know your purposes for me, so I commit myself to learning more about you and your plan. Thank you that you made me so you could love me. Thank you that you cared for me even when I didn’t know you. Thank you that I was made to last forever. I want a life filled with meaning. I want to start by getting to know you better. So, right now, I turn away from my sins and I turn towards you. Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me and purchasing my place in Heaven. To the best of my understanding, I ask you, Jesus Christ, to come into my life and help me to know your purposes for me. I want to take the first step today. In your name I pray, Amen.”

Thank you for joining us today. May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Material for this message drawn from Sermon Notes of Rick Warren from Saddleback Church and from The Handbook of Bible Application Edited by Neil S. Wilson. Most Scripture verses are from the New King James Version. BestOfTheWebShopping.Com is a good source for Christian Books and Music.