CALLED ACCORDING TO PURPOSE

The Lord wants us to look more closely at the things He has done in the earth. I am fascinated by His consistent and unrelenting passion for us to know Him. With each word He speaks to me, I can see more clearly His eternal purpose and intent for us. The first place He took me was to review the scriptures I had ministered so many years ago regarding His purpose.

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The Father was very detailed right here. He wanted me to know that the key to turning the hearts of the sons back to the Father is to make them perfect in knowledge.

Purpose: The Greek word is Prothesis; the meanings given in Strong’s are so in line with the scriptures.

A proposal: The meaning here is a plan. The Church is the divine plan of God. It is not an after-thought, nor is it something the Lord makes up as time moves on. It is a plan that is designed in detail, fixed, and finished. There are so many passages that declare Him as the author and architect. But I think Paul’s letter to the Ephesians says it better than most.

Ephesians 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

WHEN WAS THE PLAN CONCEIVED?

We were chosen to be in Christ and holy before the foundation of the world. It was founded outside of time. This means the plan or purpose is eternal. It was conceived before time was set. But notice something here. The Lord didn’t become sick of the sins of mankind and decide to put something in place so that we could stop sinning. No beloved, holiness was the target of the plan. It is the focal point to which all events in the plan point. The Father predestinated us to be holy and without blame, before Him in love. This brings us to other definitions of the word purpose. It means:

1. to place before (for oneself)

2. to exhibit (to oneself )

3. A setting forth

It is in the plan for us to stand before the Father in love. Many seem to think this refers to our trip to heaven. But I challenge that mind. We are already seated with Him in heavenly places. But it does not stop there. This is an eternal God designing an eternal plan that will fulfill the good pleasure of His will. The whole plan to beget children is for His pleasure. It is His desire that is to be satisfied. Jesus understood this.

St. John 8:29

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Jesus fulfilled the desire of the Father. He always obeyed. He was always in submission to the will of the Father. Paul passed this mindset on to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

If we are to please the Father, we must not entangle ourselves with the goings on of this world. We are in the world, but we are not of this world. Our affections should not lie in the things this world can offer, but they should be set above on the things that are freely given to us of God. Let’s linger here a moment.

I want to go back to the first rendering on this subject of purpose.

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Verse 28 . . . to them who are called according to his purpose. The word called used here is kaleo from the root word ‘keleuo’ which means to order, give commandment, bid, call or name. In eternity past we were given the commandment to be holy. God never intended for Jesus to be unique. He was to be the first of many brethren. And yes, the brethren were to be even as He is. We were called according to God’s purpose and that purpose was for us to be conformed to the image of His first Son. Many in the Body are struggling with the “Be Ye Perfect” message because they have not embraced the foundational truths of our faith. But the Father is responding to our lack of understanding right now. He wants us to know the truth. He does not delight in any of us stumbling through messages or avoiding certain parts of the message due to a lack of understanding.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

I can continue to list verse after verse. The message is not going to change. God called us to be holy and without blame before the foundation of the world was ever laid. But be careful pastors and all who lead in the Body. Because this truth may not be a part of your teaching or spiritual upbringing, don’t despise or ignore it simply because you do not understand. Apostle Paul makes mention of the fact that God did not call us to something we are not able to achieve. Thus, He gave each of us the Holy Ghost. It is the power to become a son of God, able to bear the responsibilities of Christ. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God . . . And now, back to the original commandment or intent of God for the church.

Conformed: The Greek word here is summorphos…

1. jointly formed

2. fashioned like unto

3. union with

4. Completeness

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Ephesians 4:15-16

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,

Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Colossians 2:10

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Before we go any further in the lesson, we need to examine our hearts to see if we are truly embracing the teachings this time. It is not good to simply avoid a message due to a lack of understanding. Those who have people in their heart, will always seek the wisdom and revelation of others to help open the eyes of their understanding. To avoid the message is to allow the sheep to be malnourished. Nevertheless, it is evident and confirmed by the Word; we, nor the sheep, will ever believe enough of the other teachings to overcome the world.

Dear sons of God, the bottom line . . . WE WERE MADE HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, AND COMPLETE IN CHRIST.