It's Your DESTINY!

It's Your DESTINY!

"Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life

— live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days"

Eph.5:15,16

Destiny is defined as "that to which any person or thing is destined; a predetermined state; a condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will; fate; lot; doom. The fixed order of things; invincible necessity; fate; an irresistible power or agency conceived of as determining the future, whether in general or of an individual." We seldom pause to think about reaching the end of something that is yet in our future. That's because we're alive today and we have it to get through. But this is a serious question. Whether by an untimely death, or natural causes, what am I doing to prepare for that day when I will meet destiny?

It is interesting that in the telling of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk.16) that both men had destiny to meet. It is also interesting that this destiny they were yet to meet, was based upon what they did and their conduct while alive here. Many of us though, like the writer of Ecclesiastes, come to points in our lives when we state, "So I came to hate life, because the activities done under the sun were loathsome to me, since everything is meaningless and feeding on wind (Ecc.2:17)." Yet, God's ultimate goal for our life is not comfort, but character development. Paul states, "but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ (Eph 4:15)."

In all of creation, only human beings, are made "in God's image." This is a great privilege and gives us dignity. We don't know all this phrase covers, but we do know some of the aspects it includes. The Bible says that all people, not just believers, possess part of the image of God (Genesis 6:9; Psalm 139:13-16; James 3:9). But that image has been damaged and distorted by sin. So God sent Jesus to restore the full image that we have lost. What does the full "image and likeness" of God look like? The Bible says Jesus is "the exact likeness of God," "the visible image of the invisible God," and "the exact representation of his being." (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3)

Many religions and New Age philosophers say that this is our destiny - to "become gods." That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, "you shall be as gods." (Genesis 3:5) This desire to be "a god" shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and people around us.As creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn't want us to become "a god." He wants us to become GODLY - taking on HIS values, attitudes, and character. We are meant to take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life. Paul wrote, "God's Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others. God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. Col.1:17-20"

Just like the Rich Man or Lazarus, we choose our destinies. God wants us to grow up spiritually and become like Christ, but, He does not force us to do so. "Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose; because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified! Rom.8:28-30" The question us, what do our lives, character, and actions say about what our destinies are? Are they with God, with Christ? or somewhere else that we don't want to go?

Luke16:28 "Let him warn my five brothers, so they won't come to this horrible place."

Jim