christianity – Life in the Spirit

“DEPART FROM ME; I NEVER KNEW YOU”

I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear or read this verse, it always sends chills down my back. Here is the full passage:

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23 KJV

There may be millions of people around the world, and probably people that you and I know, who claim to be Christians, and “do good works”, but will be sent to the Lake of Fire because:

they do not do the will of God the Father,
they don’t know the Lord, and/or
they are workers of iniquity.

This is really heavy and even scary. But when we examine it carefully, we will discover good news for true believers.

Key Point #1: Calling upon the Lord and claiming justification by works is not sufficient to go to heaven.

Works righteousness – trying to attain righteousness by our works, even prophesying, casting out demons, and doing many wonders in Jesus’ name, does not qualify us for salvation.

They may KNOW ABOUT THE LORD (as many pagans do), but have not surrendered to Christ, so they don’t KNOW THE LORD. Jesus said: ^“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Salvation comes only from a true surrender of one’s heart, mind, and soul to receive Christ, who died for our sins.
The Gospel doesn’t just save us; it changes us into new creations in Christ. II Corinthians 5:17

Key Point #2: People can “do good works” and yet never surrender to and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They are in effect CINOs – Christians in Name Only.

Key Point #3: There is power in the name of Jesus, even when used by individuals who do not know the Lord.

Key Point #4: Observe why, and upon what grounds, He rejects them and their plea—because they were workers of iniquity.

The Greek word for “iniquity” is anomia, which literally means “without law”. In the biblical sense, it refers to being in opposition to God’s moral will – acting as if God’s commands don’t matter.
Outward religion without inward regeneration is “iniquity”.

Key Point #5: THE GOOD NEWS is that although doing good works doesn’t earn salvation, when we have true faith in Jesus Christ, it will lead to obedience to God’s will, a life of good works led by the Holy Spirit, and eternity with Christ in Heaven.

Christ didn’t come just to create another RELIGION. He came that we may be set free of sin and have a RELATIONSHIP with Him.

Religious acts like worship services become hollow if they are not grounded in faith in Christ and a desire to live a life with God. Those who settle for doing good works and going through the motions at church are missing out on the greatest adventure in the world – life in the Spirit.

Three critical questions:

Do you KNOW the Lord and the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, or just KNOW ABOUT Him, like knowing about Trump or Putin?
Do you know the Lord’s calling upon your life – what He is calling you to do and become?
Are you fulfilling that calling? If not, WHY NOT?

Time is short, and He is inviting us to join Him on a great spiritual adventure. It is truly exciting, it is the most important thing we have ever done in our lives, and we will never be the same. God loves us more than we can imagine, and He can’t wait to welcome us home through the gates of heaven.

So we need to stand strong, be bold, and be courageous, speaking His Word and His Truth with love and compassion to all He brings across our path.

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

Source of Image: Godversusreligion.com

25 SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

A healthy church is not just a building, leadership structure, or weekly service. A healthy church is a vibrant community where God is present and members grow in their faith and service. Here are 25 signs of a healthy church:
___1. There is a divine sense of mission and purpose to carry out The Great Commission.
___2. The presence of God is evident in worship services and the assembly of the saints.
___3. The Word of God is presented with authority and anointing.
___4. There are functional prayer gatherings.
___5. There is a real expectation for answered prayers.
___6. People are getting saved and baptized.
___7. The leadership of the church – elders, deacons, teachers, and pastors, seek to serve the Lord and the congregation with humility and integrity.
___8. The church is more in love with the future (with a compelling vision) than the past.
___9. Fellowship and relationships are warm, and people do not jockey for position and titles.
___10. Many people volunteer to serve.
___11. Many people support the church with tithes and offerings.
___12. The community gets impacted in real ways.
___13. Your leaders have great passion.
___14. There is more attention, resources, and enthusiasm devoted to the work of the Lord than to maintaining the church organization and facilities.
___15. There is an established pattern of disciple making, equipping members to be ambassadors for Christ.
___16. Homeless and street people are seen as a mission field and are treated with compassion.
___17. There is greater emphasis on what unites us in Christ than how we are different from other Christians.
___18. There is an increase of members and finances over time. ___19. Openness to change and support of innovation is evident.
___20. Sermons engage both the mind and the heart. ___21. You are seeing many first-time visitors.
___22. Your church is welcoming and diverse; everyone in your church does not look and think just like you.
___23. You’re focused on reaching new people as well as keeping church members. ___24. Communication is clear and conflicts are resolved when they arise.
___25. There is a sense of urgency and passion to reach lost souls.

How many of these describe your church: _ out of 25?

Action steps you can take:
• share this list with other members and leaders of your church,
• hold this up to the Lord, seeking His guidance,
• develop action steps to build on your strengths and address problem areas, and
• take action, giving glory to God for the results.

To God be the glory
LifeintheSpirit.net
Image by Arnie Bragg from Pixabay

We Are Not Here by Chance, and He Is Sending Us Out

We are not here by chance, but for such a time as this (Esther 4:13-14). We are called, equipped, and sent forth into battle – spiritual battle, to reach the lost with His Truth, Love, and Compassion. We need to start the day on our knees before God, praying and feasting on His Word. Then we are to put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6), and go forth to reach those He brings across our path. When we surrender to Christ and seek His guidance, we will see the Holy Spirit work through us, bearing much spiritual fruit and even miracles.

We will only experience His Joy – the joy of the Lord, when we discern His will for our lives and carry it out with gladness in our hearts. So we need to stand strong, be bold, and be courageous. We are to be the man or woman He has called us to be, and speak His Word and His Truth with love and compassion.

He brings people into our lives for a reason and a season. We are to discern the reason (from the Holy Spirit), but typically we will not know the length of the season, for things are happening fast in the world, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Time is short, and He is leading us on a great spiritual adventure. It is truly exciting, it is the most important thing we have ever done in our lives, and we will never be the same.

It is time for us to buckle up, go forth, and enjoy the ride. And then He will bring us home. God loves us more than we can imagine, and He can’t wait to welcome us home through the gates of heaven.

So let us go out with GODFIDENCE, walking and speaking as if God sent us, because He has!

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

ONE OF THE GREATEST TRAGEDIES OF ALL TIMES

One of the greatest tragedies of all time is the many people who believe they are going to heaven when they die, but end up in the Lake of Fire:

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

Here are four warning signs that we all should watch for, described as questions the Lord may ask us when we stand before Him after we pass from this earth:

Warning Sign #1: UNIVERSALISM – EVERYONE IS GOING TO

HEAVEN

“You believe everyone is going to heaven, even those who refuse to repent of their many sins and also reject Me – God the Father, My Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. You do not know Me, and have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven:”

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6

Warning Sign #2: UNFORGIVENESS

“You refused to forgive (this person) in your life, so why should I forgive you? My Son Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 6:14-15”:

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Warning Sign #3: UNREPENTANCE

“You worship other gods, such as wealth, status, pleasure, lust, and power, and are unrepentant. Why should I let you bring your sin and idolatry into heaven which is holy and without sin?”

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

Warning Sign #4: LUKEWARMNESS

“You belong to the Church of Laodicea, a church known for comfort, prosperity, wealth, and leisure; a lukewarm, spiritually stagnant, church in the midst of people with great physical and spiritual needs. Why should I let you in while your soul is polluted with the world and worldly desires?

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth (reject you with disgust).” Revelation 3:14-16 MSG

These warnings follow the post “Each of Us is Going to Court” (https://tinyurl.com/EachGoingtoCourt), which describes how each of us will one day pass through the veil of death and be judged by the sovereign, living God of the universe in the Great Courtroom of Heaven:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” Revelation 20:12

The warnings are particularly relevant when we reflect on this sober warning that few there are that find the narrow gate and path which leads to heaven:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

So let us reach out to those who come across our path with the love and truth of Christ, for life is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the Glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

A Homeless Guy, a Recovering Christian, and a Christian Met One Night in a Bar

Wouldn’t you like to hear what the homeless guy said to the recovering Christian? Stay with me and I will tell you, for it is a compelling story.

Actually, it was on an afternoon, not in a bar, and on the steps of a house owned by the recovering Christian, a young man in his 40s. When asked what his religious background was, he said he was raised in the church, but he is now “a recovering Christian” (like a recovering alcoholic).

He cited two experiences that impacted him in particular. The first was when he was enrolled as a student at a Christian university and playing baseball. When the coach caught him and several other players smoking pot, he confessed and even said he had a joint in his dorm room. The next day, security officers searched his room, where they found the marijuana joint.

The other players were reprimanded, but stayed on the team and in school, while he was expelled. He pleaded for mercy from the college administrators, but they refused and expelled him.

Secondly, he mentioned seeing homeless people sleeping in the alcoves or on porches of churches who kept their buildings locked. He then referred to Jesus who said inasmuch as you did not give food, water, or shelter to the least of these, you did not give to Me. So he is a recovering Christian because of the traumatic ending of his college and baseball career, and the gap between what Jesus said and what he has seen in churches.

It is at this juncture that a homeless man chimed in. He told the homeowner that there is a big difference between true Christians who are members of the Body of Christ, and church organizations that place a higher priority on holding events for their members and maintaining their buildings than going out to win souls for Christ. He declared that the true church is not an organization with buildings and a sign that says church, but an organism with members from all countries who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. His final admonition was to not confuse the two, but focus on Christ who alone can set us free from sin and the fear of death.

The True Church in Communist Romania

This conversation brings to mind insights from Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, author of “Tortured for Christ”. Wurmbrand experienced months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, and the anguish of brainwashing by Romanian communist officials, all for the crime of public witnessing about Jesus Christ.

Wurmbrand described how believers would not build houses, because officials would then arrest them and take their properties. They could not gather in public or they would be arrested, so they would gather in basements or out in the forest at night – anyplace where they would not be detected.

So what if (or when) Christianity is outlawed in America, and we had to meet under a tree in the forest at night? There would be no buildings to maintain, lock, or worry about vandalism. If someone was sleeping under our tree, fine – we might sleep there as well. If someone came to worship with us, terrific, for they too are seeking the love and truth of Jesus, the only truth that can set us free. If we are sharing food and someone comes, fine, we share food with them JUST LIKE JESUS DID.

Everyone has a story – a story of their life, with successes, failures, hopes and fears. Everyone we see or meet is going through some struggle unknown to us, even if they say everything is “fine”. So let us reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Source of image: Shutterstock.com

To God be the glory

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

Education is Not THE ANSWER –

Two Incredible Stories

Source of image: unknown

Is education important? Of course. While we may expect a better educated public to address complex and serious issues more effectively than an uneducated public, in my many years as an educator, I concluded that it is not THE ANSWER to the many critical challenges facing our nation, such as drugs, poverty, homelessness, corruption, and crime. Ironically, it may even provide greater capability to promulgate evil. Here are two incredible stories that shed light on this matter:

Story #1: The Einsatzgruppen in Nazi Germany – Educated Murderers

Prior to the invasion of Poland in 1939, Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the German Police, created the Einsatzgruppen to identify, combat, and eliminate suspected enemies of the German Nazi government in areas taken over by the Nazi army. They were paramilitary death squads that engaged in mass murder, primarily by shooting many of the cultural, religious, and intellectual elite of Poland, including Catholic priests, Freemasons, Jews, local political leaders, communists, partisans, and Romani people.

These units, supported by SS units, killed over 50,000 Poles, including 7,000 Polish Jews by the end of 1939. Himmler recruited highly educated Germans to lead the Einsatzgruppen, with OVER HALF OF THE EINSATZGRUPPEN LEADERS HAVING PH.D.S. Their advanced education did not provide them with a moral compass to forbid mass murder.

Story #2: Craig Marlatt – From Prison to Street Ministry

Craig Marlatt’s life started out rough, then took a radical turn for the Lord. Sent to prison THREE TIMES for drug offenses, the third time he was in prison, Marlatt volunteered to assist with a prison ministry as the chaplain’s clerk because it was easier than working out in the hot cotton fields. There he met a homely preacher who preached the Word of God. The Holy Spirit convicted Craig, and he came to the Lord. When he left prison, he started a coffee house in the toughest part of downtown Orlando. Here is an ex-con with a high school education, ministering to drug addicts, prostitutes, and street people, as well as writing books and recording Christian songs that inspire people to live lives of honesty, virtue, and service.

These stories demonstrate that education, while important, can be used for good or evil, and that our Lord can and does use ANYONE who is yielded to His Holy Spirit and is willing to carry out the work of the Lord. God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.

Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 The word “life” in Greek is “zoe” which means a life expressing the highest and best, a life of service to God and to mankind. As just one example, the early Christians were known for rescuing unwanted babies off the trash heaps of the Roman empire. In contrast, communist regimes that explicitly rejected God have killed over 100 million of their own people. Christ brings life; communism – rejecting God – brings death.

So let us seek the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, that we may discover God’s calling upon our lives and experience the abundant life – the life of joy that He promises to all who follow Him.

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

Start Each Day in the Third Heaven

START EACH DAY IN THE THIRD HEAVEN

Source of image: Freepik.com

For many years, I would get up in the morning, have breakfast, and go to work. But I discovered that our Lord calls us to a higher calling and purpose for our lives:

a love for us to experience that can transform us,
a battle for us to engage in that is worth fighting, and
a story for us to live in that is far bigger and better than we have known.

Furthermore, when we receive Christ, we become indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And when we spend time each morning in His Word and prayer, we can experience the three heavens. We receive a clue about the third heaven from the apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12:2:

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.”

THIRD HEAVEN

When we repent of our sins, forgive others, and get into the Word of God and prayer, we can commune with our Lord in the third heaven, where the sovereign, living God of the universe resides on His throne, with Jesus Christ on His right side. This is also called the secret place:

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

Our Lord teaches, convicts, equips, encourages, and loves us. He also illumines and transforms our minds so that we can see the world as He does and walk in the Spirit.

But then He says – it is time for you to go and carry on My work on earth, because there are many souls who don’t know Me and are headed for the Lake of Fire. So put on your spiritual armor and go forth.

SECOND HEAVEN

Then we can enter the second heaven – the realm of angels, demons, and spiritual warfare, where we can:

Ask our Lord to bind the demonic forces harassing us and our loved ones, and command them to go into the Lake of Fire,
Plead the blood of Jesus over our family and friends and ask our Lord to protect us with His mighty angels,
Rebuke all curses upon us and our loved ones, including generational curses upon our family to the 4^th generation,
Ask our Lord to touch their lives of particular individuals, our leaders, and the lost.

Interceding for others is like SPIRITUAL ARTILLERY. Just as armies shoot artillery shells into enemy territory, we are asking our Lord to send His Presence into the lives of loved ones – for healing, comfort, direction, and peace.

You don’t think demons are active today? Then you are misled by our culture and Lucifer. Here is what the apostle Paul said:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12

FIRST HEAVEN

Now we go out into the world to carry out the work that He has set before us:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

We are also to look for the divine appointments our Lord has for us each day. And we should always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us, imparting some spiritual gift to them, or receiving a spiritual gift from them.

If we don’t spend time with our Lord in the third heaven, we won’t have anything supernatural to share with others. And we will miss the joy of the Lord that comes from fulfilling His purpose for our lives.

If we don’t do spiritual battle in the second heaven, we will be going into enemy territory without armor, unaware of the evil that attacks us and our loved ones.

And if we don’t know God’s calling on our life, we will live in the first heaven, oblivious to the spiritual battles around us that seek to rob us and those around us of the joy and salvation of the Lord.

So let us go forth with the truth and love of Christ and witness to all whom the Lord brings across our path, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

CARRYING A PRECIOUS GIFT – FOUR STORIES

Story #1

There was once a great king who wished to send an invaluable and precious gift to a distant kingdom. So he chose a young man who was swift of foot, with a sound mind and loyal heart to carry this precious parcel to its final destination. The king chose his carrier carefully, because he knew the gift was very valuable, and a person of unsound mind or questionable character could not be trusted with such an important task. Such a person could easily be sidetracked or even sell the precious gift for money or other worldly considerations.

Story #2:

When the angel came and spoke to Mary, he told her that God trusted her to carry the Christ child from conception to full maturity and birth, then to raise Him as her son. She was to carry the Christ from the Kingdom of God into the Kingdom of Man, a sacred journey. She knew that the child within her body has not hers, but it was her responsibility to carry it to full term to delivery into life on earth.

Story #3:

When a woman conceives a child, she is not merely carrying a parcel or mass of tissue, but another human being, created in the image of God. The child within her may not only be a male, but have a different blood type from her own. So although it is within her, it is also distinct from her. Psalm 139 describes how precious and special each of us is, and God’s involvement in our creation, growth, and development:

“Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you…’” Jeremiah 1:4

So God forms us through human means. He even knew us and our names long before we were conceived, and designated the days of our lives. Like Mary, women are the noble carriers of the most precious gift – a gift of human life – on a nine-month journey, to deliver it into life on earth. This precious cargo started in the Kingdom of God, where it was conceived in the mind of God, then entrusted to a woman to carry this precious life to full term and deliver it to the Kingdom of Man on earth. Like Mary, her responsibility continues in the nurture and admonition of the baby through childhood and into adulthood.

Story #4:

When we receive Christ as our Savior, our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within us. So our bodies (and souls) are to be holy, set apart as the very throne room of God.

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord…” Hebrews 12:14

It also means we should take care of our bodies, and not become obese, use drugs, or embrace any other sin that would pollute our bodies, the very tabernacles of God. For we are carrying within us the Holy Spirit, the third person of the triune God. And although this does not culminate in physical birth as does a woman carrying a child, it can result in spiritual birth in others as the love and truth of Christ flows through us to reach those who don’t know the Lord and are on the broad path that leads to perdition.

For a woman to carry a child and give birth to a new human being is INCREDIBLE. And for a person to host the Holy Spirit – the very presence of God is SUPERNATURAL. So let us go forth and share the love, the truth, and the joy of the Lord, for time is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

Let’s Hear it for Humanism

“Naturalism or secular humanism is superior to Christianity as a belief system because it is less hypocritical, has greater faith, is more challenging, and is more daring”.

Response:

I agree that Christianity has the greatest hypocrisy, or at least the greatest potential for hypocrisy, compared to humanism. The standards set by the Lord for Christians are very high. We are called upon to love our enemies, to go the extra mile when called upon to go a mile (as you may know, this refers to the Roman soldiers commanding citizens to carry their heavy packs a mile), to feed the poor, and be willing to die for our Lord and for our spouses. We are also called upon to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. How many Christians really love their enemies? If Christians are really willing to die for their wives, why isn’t the divorce rate among Christians much less than that of non-Christians? (It is not). So the gap between the standard of behavior set by the Lord for Christians and those who profess to be Christians is large, at least in the U.S.

On the other hand, it seems that the standards of behavior set by naturalists would be more modest, perhaps even low. Secular humanists talk about fulfilling their potential, which seems like it would be easier to do – even a natural process. If there is no external standard – no standard set by an external entity, then we are free to set our own standards. Furthermore, what is a standard of behavior for one person need not be accepted by another. A consensus on how to live by some group does not hold sway over another group or individual. And there are many groups – which one should we choose? So if I am to develop a set of standards for my life – my moral code, I will likely set it low enough to be reached in my lifetime. Hence less hypocrisy.

I might add that the standard set by the Lord for Christians can only be achieved through supernatural means, as the righteousness of Christ is imputed to His followers. To carry this a step further, the Lord can work through us to do things that defy natural reason and transcend typical norms.

Second, naturalism/humanism is a religion of greater faith than Christianity. This is using the definition of religions as systems of ultimate beliefs. (The U.S. Supreme Court declared some years ago that secular humanism is a religion.) I agree – it takes more faith to believe that the incredible complexity and design of the universe, which is even more complex than a Boeing 747, came about by pure chance, than from some intelligence.

The Intelligent Design movement within the evolution community is problematic for evolutionary scientists, with prominent evolutionary scientists embracing intelligent design because the data drives them to it, and that nature, like Mount Rushmore, reveals evidence of intelligence, and intelligent design.

Third, the most daring persons are naturalists – humanists. I always think of Christopher Columbus, or Lewis and Clark as daring explorers, because they traveled to unknown lands with limited supplies and imperfect maps. The most they could lose were their lives on this earth. However, the journey beyond the grave is the ultimate journey.

Naturalists facing death with no certainty of what lies ahead, other than perhaps through speculative philosophy, are truly acts of daring. And if naturalists are wrong, they will experience an eternal life of suffering, which I would wish on no person. Christianity not only describes the next life and the different destinations in the next life; it also describes how to get to heaven. This is confirmed by fulfilled prophecies and 12 disciples who were transformed from cowards to bold witnesses for the Lord, all of whom except one was killed for his faith.

One clue about life after death comes from Maurice Rawlings (http://www.freecdtracts.com/testimony/hellandback.htm), a cardiologist who has brought many people back from death. He discovered that about half of them experienced a light with great joy, and half were absolutely terrified, as they experienced hell. Did they make this up? How can a person make something up when he/she is clinically dead?

Fourth, naturalism / humanism is the most challenging.

Richard Dawkins, a famous evolutionary scientist, stated:

“Nature is not cruel, pitiless. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous – indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose.”

So the challenge is – if one’s world view does not allow for purpose – if we came about by the survival of the fittest, why live? Why are we here? If we are smarter and/or meaner than all the rest of the animals, so what? We will just live a little longer perhaps – a life of emptiness. What can you tell a friend who is considering suicide if we, like a pebble or rock, have no purpose in our lives?

If we are just animals, seeking to survive, what can we tell a mugger who wants to take our money and bump us off? Who are we to say what he is doing is wrong? Is he not just fulfilling Darwin’s mandate – to survive?

Nations with no transcendent purpose ultimately embrace an ideology that favors the ruling class, usually based on utilitarianism:

“We keep you alive to serve this ship. Row well and live.”

Roman Commander of a slave galley ship in the movie Ben Hur

Other than scapegoats (Hitler’s attack on the Jews), it means that the productive are kept, and the crippled and elderly are expendable. If human life, like animals, has no purpose other than material production, us older folks are in trouble, as are the sick and handicapped.

In contrast, the Christian world view describes our creation by a sovereign, living God to carry out His work in the world. We are not merely animals but special creations, created in the image of God. Discovering His will for our lives is the first task, but the second is perhaps more difficult – yielding to His will and being obedient to His call on our lives.

“For I know he thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11