God Created You For A Purpose
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We find ourselves today hearing Paul speak to us about life in a world where people worship many so-called gods, but we know the truth of the one true God. How are we to live in the midst of such a corrupted world?
Paul has been addressing the issue of eating meat which has come from the local pagan temple. Since the meat was originally part of a sacrifice made to the pagan god, is not a person worshiping that god when they eat the meat of the sacrifice? According to Paul there are two different understandings of how we are to respond to this situation. If a Christian is weak in their faith (young in faith), there might be the belief that this worship is taking place. On the other hand, a Christian strong in their faith understands that an idol is nothing! There is only one true God and He has revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This truth does not change the fact that there are many gods which are worshiped in this world. In fact, the world is filled with so called gods. Paul affirms this in the words he speaks to us today.
Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
This is a universal truth we who are Christians today need to understand. There is an emptiness in the heart of every human being who is separated from the one true God because of sin. This emptiness can seem all consuming to a person and because of this, a person will seek to fill this void with all manner of beliefs. There are literally millions of gods professed and worshiped in the world today. I would venture to say that our world today has more gods identified by name than the world of Paul’s day.
Each one of these gods has a system of worship built around it which identifies what an individual must do to achieve what is believed to be eternal salvation. Please understand, every religion and belief system in the world lays out the parameters of what must be done to be acceptable to the god being worship. In other words, if you work hard enough you can achieve your own salvation.
Paul acknowledges there are many gods in this world. There are many gods but only one true God. The imagination of man has created for himself gods, but it is the one true God who created man. And the one true God created man for a purpose.
Paul concludes this section with the words, yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
There is a focus on God the Father and a second focus on God the Son. When Paul is addressing the Father, he makes two statements. All things have come from Him, (from whom are all things) and each one of us (humans) exist for Him.
Put this in the context of what you know about the creation of the world! God created the world to be a home for the people He would create. All of creation was brought about because God desired to create people to be the focus of His love and blessings. When Paul says “we exist for Him,” it is a purpose statement for our very existence. Why were you created? Why were you born? Why do you exist? This is an age-old question of a yearning heart! The answer is, you exist, you were born because God wants you!
The truth is, the one yearning in the heart of every human being is, “I want to be wanted.” Paul reveals where this yearning finds fulfillment! It is when we know the one true God that we find the One who truly wants us because He created us for the purpose of belonging to Him.
Secondly, Paul addresses Jesus. He says, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. When we say God created all things, we often lose sight of the fact that all three persons of the Trinity were intimately involved in the act of creation. The Spirit was present in the beginning, hovering over the water. John tells us Jesus is the one through Whom the world was created (John 1). The Father is the one who initiated all of creation! God working in harmony in Himself to bring about all that exists.
Jesus was the “agent” of creation, or the One through whom the Father created all things. He is the one through whom all life came into being. John says, All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. (Jn. 1:3 CSB) I generally seek to describe creation as follows: God the Father created the world through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All three Persons of the Godhead active and working in unison.
What does it mean that Jesus was the Creator of all things. It means He is the Author of all life! It means there is no life apart from Him. When Paul says, we exist through Him, his statement could not be truer! There is no life apart from Jesus! Paul is addressing physical life. Jesus is the originator of all physical life. How much more appropriate is it that Jesus is also the source of all spiritual life as well?
There is no life, no true life or eternal life apart from Jesus. We were created by God, for God, and Jesus is the one who makes this life possible on every level.
May you be blessed to live each moment of your life with the understanding that you are wanted by God and Jesus has made this possible for you.
In His Name!
Pastor Russ
We find ourselves today hearing Paul speak to us about life in a world where people worship many so-called gods, but we know the truth of the one true God. How are we to live in the midst of such a corrupted world?
Paul has been addressing the issue of eating meat which has come from the local pagan temple. Since the meat was originally part of a sacrifice made to the pagan god, is not a person worshiping that god when they eat the meat of the sacrifice? According to Paul there are two different understandings of how we are to respond to this situation. If a Christian is weak in their faith (young in faith), there might be the belief that this worship is taking place. On the other hand, a Christian strong in their faith understands that an idol is nothing! There is only one true God and He has revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This truth does not change the fact that there are many gods which are worshiped in this world. In fact, the world is filled with so called gods. Paul affirms this in the words he speaks to us today.
Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
This is a universal truth we who are Christians today need to understand. There is an emptiness in the heart of every human being who is separated from the one true God because of sin. This emptiness can seem all consuming to a person and because of this, a person will seek to fill this void with all manner of beliefs. There are literally millions of gods professed and worshiped in the world today. I would venture to say that our world today has more gods identified by name than the world of Paul’s day.
Each one of these gods has a system of worship built around it which identifies what an individual must do to achieve what is believed to be eternal salvation. Please understand, every religion and belief system in the world lays out the parameters of what must be done to be acceptable to the god being worship. In other words, if you work hard enough you can achieve your own salvation.
Paul acknowledges there are many gods in this world. There are many gods but only one true God. The imagination of man has created for himself gods, but it is the one true God who created man. And the one true God created man for a purpose.
Paul concludes this section with the words, yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
There is a focus on God the Father and a second focus on God the Son. When Paul is addressing the Father, he makes two statements. All things have come from Him, (from whom are all things) and each one of us (humans) exist for Him.
Put this in the context of what you know about the creation of the world! God created the world to be a home for the people He would create. All of creation was brought about because God desired to create people to be the focus of His love and blessings. When Paul says “we exist for Him,” it is a purpose statement for our very existence. Why were you created? Why were you born? Why do you exist? This is an age-old question of a yearning heart! The answer is, you exist, you were born because God wants you!
The truth is, the one yearning in the heart of every human being is, “I want to be wanted.” Paul reveals where this yearning finds fulfillment! It is when we know the one true God that we find the One who truly wants us because He created us for the purpose of belonging to Him.
Secondly, Paul addresses Jesus. He says, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. When we say God created all things, we often lose sight of the fact that all three persons of the Trinity were intimately involved in the act of creation. The Spirit was present in the beginning, hovering over the water. John tells us Jesus is the one through Whom the world was created (John 1). The Father is the one who initiated all of creation! God working in harmony in Himself to bring about all that exists.
Jesus was the “agent” of creation, or the One through whom the Father created all things. He is the one through whom all life came into being. John says, All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. (Jn. 1:3 CSB) I generally seek to describe creation as follows: God the Father created the world through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All three Persons of the Godhead active and working in unison.
What does it mean that Jesus was the Creator of all things. It means He is the Author of all life! It means there is no life apart from Him. When Paul says, we exist through Him, his statement could not be truer! There is no life apart from Jesus! Paul is addressing physical life. Jesus is the originator of all physical life. How much more appropriate is it that Jesus is also the source of all spiritual life as well?
There is no life, no true life or eternal life apart from Jesus. We were created by God, for God, and Jesus is the one who makes this life possible on every level.
May you be blessed to live each moment of your life with the understanding that you are wanted by God and Jesus has made this possible for you.
In His Name!
Pastor Russ
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