YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE (BY ZACH BUNYE)

• When God started creating things, everything had a purpose. In Science or space, everything has a purpose. But creation cannot give itself purpose. It only comes from the Creator.
• So we need to look to God to see what is our purpose.
• What type of being is God? 1 John 4:8 – God is love.
• Revelation 4:11 – God created all things, and they exist because He created what He pleased.
• God created us because it pleased Him. We were made for God to love us.
• God loves us for who we are and not for the things we do.
• His love for us is not dependent on the things we do but on who He is.
• 1 John 4:8 – God is love. He Himself is love. He is the embodiment of love.

1. Your purpose is to be loved by God.

• We can only love God because God loved us first. (1 John 4:19) Siya ang nag first move.
• Our worship and our love is a response to the love of the Father for us.
• God doesn’t love a future version of you where you are perfect. God loves you right now. God cannot love you more than how He loves you now. Sagad na! Ibinuhos na Niya ang pag-ibig Niya sa atin.

2. Your purpose is to be in God’s family.

• God didn’t just love us, He wanted us to have a relationship with Him. God wanted us to be in His family.
• Ephesians 1:4 – God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family, and it gave Him great pleasure.
• God doesn’t need anything from us. He is all powerful, all knowing. We can’t add to God.
• God doesn’t need us. He wants us. To be His children, to be His family.
• The good news is if you believe in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God!
• 1 John 3:1 – He calls us His children, and that is what we are!
• Once you are in the family of God, nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:35-39)
• We can try to stop God from loving us. But God just keeps on loving and loving us. God is right there, ready to love us. God’s love will find you anywhere you try to hide. His love will come after you.
• As children, we can approach Him boldly with confidence.
• Romans 8:14-15 – We call Him, “Abba, Father.”
• You can approach God directly. You have a direct line to God through Christ Jesus.
• And it’s all possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross.
• Jesus taught us to address God as Father.
• Romans 8:16 – The Holy Spirit is the seal, stamp, confirmation that we are His children.
• Romans 8:17 – Since we are His children, we are His heirs.
• Kung anong inheritance ni Jesus, same lang ang ibibigay sa atin.

What is our inheritance?

1. Heirs of God Himself (Romans 8:17)
2. Heirs of the kingdom (Colossians 1:12, James 2:5)
3. Heirs of the earth (Matthew 5:5, Romans 4:13)
4. Heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14)
5. Heirs of eternal life (Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:17, Ephesians 1:14, Titus 3:7)
6. Heirs of God’s promises (Hebrews 6:12, 17)
7. Heirs of blessed and gracious life (Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 3:7, 9)
8. Heirs of all things (John 17:10, Hebrews 1:2, Revelation 21:7)

• Prodigal Son – Luke 15:29-31. Verse 31 – “Everything I have is yours.”
• The older brother in this story is like a Christian who does not know how much God loves them. And they are trying to please God and earn their inheritance from God. They are slaving away not knowing how rich they already are.
• What God has, we already have!
• Most Christians just see themselves as a servant of the Lord working for a wage rather than as a son or daughter with a privilege of inheritance.
• Do not degrade yourself as just a servant of the Lord. Yes, we are happy to serve, but we are children of God with the privilege of serving Him.
• Declare: “I have an inheritance!”
• The church is your spiritual family. It’s important to have a support group, other Christians around you.
• We are humans, social creatures, and we are not made to be alone. We need each other. We need the church.
• The church is not a building, institution, or religion. The church is the children of God.
• Kahit saan man tayo pumunta, andun ang church kasi andun tayo. We are the church.
• There will be times that we will fail, fall, make mistakes, or sin. We need to have a family around us to encourage us. (Hebrews 10:24-25) To be part of a local church to nurture you and help you understand more of the love of the Father for you.

God created us because it pleased Him.

• We were made for God to love us.
• Our primary purpose then is to be loved by Him.
• God loved us first.
• It is also our purpose to be in His family.
• He wants us to be His children.
• And as children, we are heirs of God!
• What God has, we already have!

Lastly, our purpose in life is to be Christ-like.

• Romans 8:29 – We are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
• Ephesians 4:22-24 – We take up His godly character, His values, His attitude, and His character. It is through the renewing of the mind.
• He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
• In our spirit is the Holy Spirit. That is why we are conformed to His image because we already have His spirit in us. Without the Holy Spirit, it will be impossible for us to imitate Him.
• It does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created your uniqueness. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.
• This is called sanctification – the process of becoming more like Christ.
• We are called to be Christ-like: 1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1-2.
• Imitate what Jesus did on earth. Imitate His behavior, how He lived, treated people, His attitude towards sin, and compassion for people.
• He is our example on how God wants us to live and treat other people.
• Church, we are called to be Christ-like. To reflect God’s love to others. Not to condemn them to hell or judge them.
• Phil. 1:6 – Don’t worry about being perfect because God is the one perfecting and completing you.
• Ephesians 3:16-19 – Experience the love of Christ and you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.