The God of Purpose

The Life of Jesus Christ 2b

“Purpose is in Christ”

John 1:1-5

Imagine that someone in our church was selected to represent our country in the Olympics.  When they return home they stand before us and say:

“I did not win the gold medal and I did not win the silver medal.  Neither did I win the bronze medal.  I am both a failure and a loser.”

To that, what would you say?

1._______________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________________________________

“Winning” and “losing” are words of comparison.  If I say “I win” I am comparing myself to someone who has lost.  If I say “I lose” I am comparing myself to someone who has won.

In other words, winning and losing requires 2 things:

1) A competition

2) Opposition

The reason that we can never lose as Christians is also 2 fold.

1) We are not competing       

2) Our opposition has already been defeated.

Victory in Jesus

We must know whose team that we are on.  Those who are on “Team Jesus” can never lose.  The victory was one before the foundation of the world (verses 1-3); for Jesus was the light that pointed sinful men to the God (Verse 4).

So, why do so many Christians live in defeat?

Some Christians can never see themselves as anything but loses because they do not realize fully that their relationship with God is “in” Christ Jesus.  In some way they are relying on themselves to win the victory.  In the very least, they want to have some part in the victory: and because this is not possible they live in defeat.

In short, what I am saying when I live in defeat is, “I just want to be a participant.”  However, when I say this:

1) My focus is now on me instead of Christ who has already won the victory

2) Unless I feel successful I refuse to be satisfied with who I am “in” Christ

So, how do we participate in the victory?  The answer is found in John 6:28-29