FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

Who are we?What is our PURPOSE?How can we make sense of it all?

The Bible shows us that we have been DESIGNED for a PURPOSE.

Man was CREATED in THE IMAGE OF GOD. This was our original design specifications…

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…

God MADE you.He BREATHED LIFE into you.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, (BODY)

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; (SPIRIT) and man became a living soul. (SOUL)

Man is THREE DIMENSIONAL.

Someone has put it like this: man is… SPIRIT — his God-consciousness SOUL — his self-consciousness BODY — his sense-consciousness.

Through the fall satan damaged man in all of these dimensions, of spirit, soul, and body.

The designer’s design was marred, blotted, sin has damaged man in three dimensions.

Sin damaged man’s SPIRIT - when man fell into sin his spirit was deadened; he is described in Ephesians 2:1 …dead in trespasses and sins; man lost contact with God.

Sin also damaged man’s SOUL – it says you have become “enemies in your mind” Colossians 1:21.

And it describes our understanding as having been darkened, Ephesians 4:18.

And Sin also damaged man’s BODY - the body designed by God was ruined and has become a body of sin and subject to dying and death, and is unable to fulfil God’s purpose; Rom 6:6; 7:24.

We’re talking about finding purpose for life.

The question really is…

What IS His PURPOSE? Why are you here?

God, our Designer, still has His original purpose for us, and He has effected a rescue plan.

God is holy.

His will is still to transform us into His own image. Through the work of the CROSS He is able to do this in us.

HIS WILL?

1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

His purpose is to SANCTIFY us.To SANCTIFY means to MAKE US HOLY.

This was Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians…

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you (set you apart) wholly (completely)

and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is interested in the whole you.

He has designed you for a purpose.

He wants to sanctify you – set you apart and give your life direction and meaning.

This is God’s plan and purpose for us.

This is how we can find peace and purpose for life.

God does a work in us, of making His people holy. In SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY…

He SETS US APART for HIS HOLY PURPOSES…

It says our source is: The very God of peace – He is the giver of PEACE and BLESSING.

His work is to Sanctify you – to set you apart.

There is a CONSECRATION of our WHOLE BEING

We are SET APART for God For His SERVICE Unto THE GLORY OF GOD.

SANCTIFICATION is a vital Bible theme… It means HOLINESS It means literally a FILLING To be SET APART for HOLY USE It is BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST.

This is God’s purpose for our lives, in all the dimensions of our lives.

HOW does God sanctify us? Make us holy?

God sanctifies us by the application of His Word - John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The Divine Truth is the Biblical Truth. The answers are HERE, if we will but SEARCH for them, and FIND THE KEYS FOR LIFE.

It says:1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us consider this text now:

Wholly – that’s WHOLLY with a “W”.

It is talking about the WHOLE of you. God wants to make us holy completely, entirely, absolutely…. The whole of us… Through and through.

He wants to impact all of our being…

We can too easily settle for a partial work. But God does an extensive work, a full work, a complete, EXTREME MAKEOVER.

Really it’s a demolition job, and a complete rebuild. He transforms us, from the inside out.

We’re talking here about FINDING YOUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE.

What is MAN’S PURPOSE for LIFE and LIVING?

Man was created TO GLORIFY GOD and ENJOY HIM FOREVER - created to WORSHIP, and have PERSONAL COMMUNION WITH GOD.

Man is distinct from the rest of creation – we have A SPIRIT - we can FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.

God desires us to have HEALTHY LIVING in all the dimensions God has designed us for…

It covers every dimension.

Paul cites three here…

Paul prays, I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body…

God doesn’t describe it as Body, Soul, and Spirit. Notice the order of importance that He gives it – it is Spirit first, Soul next, and then Body last.

We will take a look though at these three in the reverse order…

Man can be understood in these THREE DIMENSIONS.

God wants us to be holy, firstly, as to The Body – this is the vehicle that carries us around. It’s our physical, fleshly body – We’re actually comprised mostly of water – we have our different organs and cells, and our five senses with which we touch the physical world.

The Bible says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The human body is an astounding creation.

An amazing DNA code exists in every cell of the body, in billions and billions of tiny

living cells, that program the amazing development of the body.

You are a walking miracle, designed by God.

God has a design, a blueprint for your life.

For life, for marriage, for work, for ministry, for service…

What is GOD’S PURPOSE for YOUR BODY?

GOD’S WILL for THE BODY is that we LOOK AFTER IT. You only get one each. And it is not going to last forever. And, fellows, it is not bullet proof. Take care of yourself.

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having

promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

In other words, look after it, treat it well, don’t abuse it with unhealthy things. Take care of yourself.

Daniel did this. He did not defile himself when he could have indulged in excess in joining in the heathen partying of his time. He maintained a godly stand with his body.

Your body is a vessel – it is a container for your soul; your spirit.

God’s will for the body is also sexual purity.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,

that ye should abstain from fornication:

(4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Joseph sanctified his body – he lived with integrity and with honour…

When Potiphar’s wife tempted him he left his cloak but he kept his character. He fled from the temptation and sanctified his body.

James said when we are tempted we must resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

Paul said we must flee from sexual temptation, sometimes we are not JUST to

RESIST, but to RUN FROM IT (1 Corinthians 6:18)!

God wants us to be holy, secondly, as to the dimension of The Soul – the soul is about who we are – as to our mind, our reason, our thinking, and reasoning.

The soul means our decision-making. Our personal beliefs, and attitudes.

The soul is our emotions, and our will. It includes our feelings, memories, and our desires. God wants them in tune with His.

David knew that, as much as he also miserably failed.

The prophet Samuel said to Saul, 1 Samuel 13:14 … the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people… David was a man after God’s own heart – his soul was sanctified…

God wants to sanctify your soul. Encompassing your thinking, your will, your desires, and your memories… God can bring healing here of past hurts. God wants us to delight to do His will.

As part of our soul we have our heart – the part of us that exercises the will and choice. He can bring forgiveness in our hearts. He can shift our thinking.

When we are out of accord with God our soul gets corrupted with fleshly lusts, desires, and with selfish appetites that arise in the soul.

Our soul can get overtaken by the sin nature. And we can feed that and it will just get worse.

GOD'S WILL for OUR SOUL is that we THINK ON GOOD THINGS. That we tune into God’s wavelength. As we pray, as we hunger and thirst after righteousness, and as we seek after God… His peace will flood our hearts and minds. We can start to act prayerfully, and THINK BIBLICALLY…

Philippians 4:6-8 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

(7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

(8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The soul encompasses the understanding – the seat of intelligence. God wants to sanctify your soul.

What does that mean? I believe it can include how we use our faculties, and our choices in life. It includes our reason, our judgment. Is it sanctified? Are we making wise choices that glorify God?

God wants to sanctify your soul. What course will you set for your life? What is it that will consume your energy and your devotion?

God wants to sanctify your soul. Do you use your intellect for good? Do you yield your decisions to God, to pleasing Him as your first and foremost consideration?

The soul includes… Our tastes Our talents Our abilities Our imagination Our affections.

How is your soul? Is it sanctified? Holy? Set apart for God?We would do well to consider about the control of our appetites…

Young man, young woman, do you sincerely want to be used of God?

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,

sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Do you truly want to be fitted for the service of God? There are some things that need to be reigned in, and brought into check.

God has to do a deep work in you. A purging, cleansing work.

God works as we deliberately cleanse ourselves from all sinful and doubtful things.

David prayed for a clean heart, as we read in Psalm 51:7, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

God can cleanse our heart and redirect our steps.

The Lord prompts this hunger in every justified soul, a desire for a holy heart…

God wants us to be holy, thirdly, as to the dimension of The Spirit.

We are talking about spirit – small s, really. This third dimension - the spirit of a man.

The spirit is eternal.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

The majority of people in this world have their spirits "dead" to God (Ephesians 2:2). They are spiritually dead.

The spirit speaks of the CONSCIENCE. By our conscience is our knowledge of good and evil.

God wants your spirit to be holy. Sanctification begins when the spirit of man is recreated through the new birth (John 3:3), and we receive the new nature.

We are regenerated. The spirit of a man or woman is sanctified, made holy, at salvation, by faith in Christ.

Our ultimate purpose is a spiritual one: WORSHIP We contact God personally We develop intimacy with God.

THE NEW BIRTH takes place in the SPIRIT.

God makes His abode in us – we have communion with God.

God’s Spirit fills us.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

God’s will for our spirit is that we be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes our spiritual life can ebb and wane. We can let things slip. We can lose the zeal, and the closeness to God. Yet we can rekindle it.

God does a continuing sanctifying work, as we live in daily obedience to His Word, and to His Spirit.

Our spirit is sanctified – made holy – as we meditate on the Word of God, and develop our God consciousness.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,

that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:

for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

God does a sanctifying work in our spirit as we cultivate a life of communion with God in prayer.

God works in our spirit – to motivate us in prayer and worship, and to generate faith and renewed hope.

We are talking about finding purpose for life.

Really, it’s about finding and doing God’s will in all the manifold decisions of life. It’s about how we invest our life.

If it’s important to you you will make it happen.

What about God’s will? God’s purpose for living? Is that important for you?

If it’s important for you, you will make it happen.

We can realise our God-given POTENTIAL. We can find His PLAN. His PURPOSE.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you WHOLLY;

and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless

unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a work in progress up until that time. Our body will be the last dimension to be

sanctified and refitted to God’s purpose, as we will ultimately be given a new body.

For the meantime it may feel like this is too hard…

It may seem like THIS PURPOSE is unattainable, that life’s struggle is too hard to walk with God. It may feel like it is out of your reach.

But it goes on… And the next verse shows us how it is possible:

1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

God is faithful. He makes a promise here.He is utterly trustworthy.

He will do the work.

He will preserve you. It is not really talking of as some would consider it, the perseverance of the saints, but the preservation of the saints. The perseverance is of God. As he continues to strive with us by His Spirit.

God is reliable. He will do the work in you.

He is faithful, and he stands by us, as evidenced in… The intercession of Christ The power of the Blood of Christ The abiding presence of Christ His indwelling, empowering Holy Spirit

Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God wants to sanctify you, WHOLLY, the whole of you, in the dimensions of: Your whole spirit, soul, and body. That it be preserved blameless. Unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.