Your eternal purpose was deposited into your life before you were born. We’ve all been given the power to become all God designed us to become if we are willing to cooperate with what he purposed before the foundation of the world.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them (he gave) power to become the sons(and daughters) of God, even to them that believe on his name. KJV
God’s master design involves this incredible ability to cooperate with God’s eternal purposes by focusing our minds and hearts on God’s eternal perspective.
If you are going to be led by the Spirit it will only happen because your mind has been renewed by the word of God to be in touch with the mind of God. The unrenewed mind will automatically and very naturally default to logical and emotional conclusions but you’re designed by God to be stronger spiritually than you are emotionally, mentally, relationally, financially, etc.
Romans 8:28-31 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? NIV
God foreknew you, predestined you, called you, justified you and glorified you. All this took place before formed you were ever formed in the womb – (Jeremiah 1:5).
Paul explains how God has this eternal perspective and then in response to this reality we are awakened to confidence in his deeper purposes. If this God who has an eternal and infinite perspective be for us then who can be against us!
Some people live in a state of intellectual gridlock never moving past their own logic. To worship God in spirit and in truth you must engage more than just your mind. God created us with the ability to understand and comprehend. He also created with the capacity to live beyond our own understanding when we trust in the Lord with all of our hearts! (Proverbs 3:5-6).
This is why Evelyn Underhill said, “If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshipped.” If God were small enough to be understood he wouldn’t be big enough to be trusted with your future. Do you trust him?
It's like the guy who was mountain climbing and just a few feet from the top of the cliff he slipped. Fortunately, he was able to grab a small tree rooted in the rocks before falling to his death. In desperation he shouts, “Is anybody up there?” A loud booming voice thunders, “Yes I’m here. This is the Lord.” Overjoyed he begins to thank God for being there asking for help. The voice thunders again, “Trust me. Let go of the tree.” Dangling from the cliff he looks down and then looks back up and says, “Is anybody else up there?”
To understand the infinite ability of God awakens strength within us stirring a deep sense of confidence, If God be for us who can be against us! We see a glimpse of this eternal perspective of God in God’s Word.
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. ESV
Teleology is a fancy word for beginning with the end in mind. That's who God is. That's what God does. For us, the arrow of time moves in one direction—past to present to future. Then Jesus showed up and said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Wait-what? The verb tense and order of birth doesn’t seem to make sense to the logical mind.
With God time is not a confining parameter. Jesus hanging on the cross said, “It is finished” and then it began. It actually makes sense when you think about it another way. Tracy and I decided we wanted to build a house. We drew the design on a piece of paper. We gave that paper to someone who could draw a set of prints. Ultimately, we worked and worked until we had a finished rendering that looked exactly like what we had in mind. We said, “Yes that’s it! It is finished!” and then the construction began.
Before the Israelites started circling Jericho, Josh 6:2 God said, "see I have delivered Jericho into your hands." That verb tense doesn't make sense in the natural, because it hadn't happened yet. Right?
Ephesians 2 says God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms. Romans 8 has all this past tense language as well saying he foreknew us, he called us, he predestined us, he justified us and he glorified us.
When our family takes a vacation somewhere new we have learned it is very productive to hire a guide on our first day there. We explain that we want to see things they would show family members who might come to visit them. It’s been terrific discovering nonconventional sites in various places that aren’t just the common tourist attractions. The only way this works is to hire a guide who has been to all these places before and can take us through the sites.
Interestingly the Bible reveals how the Holy Spirit guides us through life. God looks at your life in past tense because He’s already been there. The Holy Spirit is qualified to be our guide because he’s been to all these places before. Isaiah 46:10 reveals how God goes to the end of your life and declares my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish my purposes with your willing heart. He says, “This is who you’re going to be. This is what you’re going to do and my counsel shall stand!” Then he goes back and puts you into a specific time where all things begin working together for your good if you accept his invitation to love him and be called according to his purpose to bring his plans to pass. You begin walking out what he’s already declared as the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord in this process of becoming all God has designed you to become.
God knows the more we are exposed to the excellence of His wisdom, the more likely we are to forsake our old ways.
GP2RL: Be very purposeful this week about pressing in and going deeper in your pursuit of God.
ALGORITHMS of Eternity
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
We have been given power to become all God has designed us to become. God’s master design involves a elaborately perpetual and ultimately unstoppable process.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them (he gave) power to become the sons(and daughters) of God, even to them that believe on his name. KJV
We are all in the process of becoming and what we process determines who we become. Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE!
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fulness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.
John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Amplified
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with this question first:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Realize there is great power in just reading the Bible together and allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature in the group.
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. ESV
Romans 8:28-31 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
3. What do these verses teach us about God?
4. What do these verses teach us about people?
5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Be very purposeful this week about pressing in and going deeper in your pursuit of the thoughts of God.