"God's Ultimate Plan"
QUESTION 3: Does following God’s plan always make the path of life easier?
Can you guess the answer? It is “yes and no.” Ultimately, at the end of the day, the answer is a resounding, triumphant “YES!” Following God’s plan throughout our lives results in an eternity in the company of the Creator of the Universe and our Savior Jesus Christ and all of the saints of God. Sin and death will be nonexistent. What we do during our exceedingly brief time on earth determines eternity for us and for others. So yes, yes, and yes again, following God’s plan and purpose is always “easier” in this life than the alternative and also reaps eternal benefits that far outweigh any rewards on earth.
Now let me clarify, following God’s plan in a fallen, wicked world filled with evil and an evil nemesis is not “easy,” but it is easier than not following God. Does that make sense? Let me attempt to summarize in a sentence or two. The peace that exists deep within our hearts when we accept the righteousness of Christ, the internal joy of salvation, forgiveness, the indwelling of the Spirit, the promise of eternal life, etc., etc. far outweigh a life absent of the God who created us for His glory.
The path of Christ in a fallen world at times may seem more challenging than a life lived for ourselves…but it’s not…it’s definitely not. The way of faith is not always easy, to say the least, but it is far, far easier than a life without God!
We, as Christians, put on our shoes and socks like everyone else. We contract colds and viruses and other sicknesses. We grieve when a loved one dies. We face physical, emotional, and mental challenges. Sometimes we are “up,” and sometimes we are “down.” Even if someone claimed the only difference between Christians and non-believers is the fact that God is with us (There are many more benefits, but for argument’s sake, let us agree)…if that truly was the only difference…then I would say, that makes all the difference in the world!
QUESTION 4: What is God’s ultimate destiny for us?
You might recall that I answered this in an earlier message, but it is an important truth to briefly re-emphasize. God’s ultimate goal for every human being is to become one with Him through Christ Jesus…to reunite with God in Spirit…to restore our broken relationship with Him due to sin. In other words, we were created in the image of God to live in complete harmony with God and God seeks to restore that.
Our sin and rebellion made a chaotic mess of our original destiny. But God did not give up on us so easy. The Creator God revealed and proved His unconditional, unwavering love for us through the sacrifice of His own beloved, perfect Son. We are now fully restored in our relationship through faith in Christ.
Therefore, we all have the same general, ultimate destiny or purpose in life. The Westminster Catechism perhaps provides us with the best, most concise definition of our destiny, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” I know it may sound like an oversimplification of the subject, but if we follow this confession, we cannot fail! On the other hand, if we live out our daily lives and refuse to glorify God in everything we do and basically enjoy Him, then we most certainly will fail in fulfilling of our destiny.
Thus, although we all have the identical “ultimate destiny,” we do have different callings and giftings in order to fulfill our specific or redeemed purpose.