God's Purpose for Us
God's purpose for us is to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus through the process of sanctification.
Zac Poonen emphasizes that many come to Christ with selfish motives, seeking personal benefits like healing or salvation from hell, yet God graciously accepts us despite these motives. He illustrates God's unconditional love through the parable of the prodigal son, who was welcomed back by his father even for selfish reasons. Poonen urges believers to move beyond a self-centered faith and to seek a deeper understanding of God's purpose for their lives, which is to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. He references Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, highlighting the importance of recognizing 'the hope of His calling' and the process of sanctification as believers strive to emulate Christ. The sermon encourages Christians to run their race with their eyes fixed on Jesus, who has paved the way for them.
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Most of us came to Christ at first with some selfish motive - to get some benefit for ourselves - perhaps healing, or deliverance from hellfire. But God still received us, in spite of that selfish motive. The father of the prodigal son loved him so much, that he welcomed him back, even though the son had come home only to fill his stomach. That's how good God is!
But it would be really sad if we continued in the Christian life, only because we wanted to go to heaven. As we understand more of God's purpose for our lives, we should long to fulfil that totally. Paul's prayer for the Christians at Ephesus was that they would have the eyes of their heart opened to see `the hope of His calling' (Eph. 1:18).
Romans 8:29,30 tells us what the hope of His calling is. "Whom God foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
God's purpose is that we might be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. That is what sanctification is all about - to become like Jesus increasingly. This is the Christian race that we are exhorted to run, fixing our eyes on Jesus Who has run the same race ahead of us (Heb. 12:1,2).
Sermon Outline
- God's Purpose for Us
- Our Motives in Coming to Christ
- The Hope of God's Calling
- To Become Conformed to the Image of Jesus
- To be the Firstborn Among Many Brethren
Key Quotes
“That's how good God is!” — Zac Poonen
“Whom God foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” — Zac Poonen
“This is the Christian race that we are exhorted to run, fixing our eyes on Jesus Who has run the same race ahead of us” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We should strive to understand and fulfill God's purpose for our lives, going beyond mere selfish motives.
- Sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming like Jesus, and we should fix our eyes on Him as we run the Christian race.
- God's love and acceptance are not based on our motives, but on His goodness and mercy.