A member of one of my classes asked: “I love all the good blessings I receive from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but why did God do this for me? What is God’s purpose? Does God get anything out of it...???”Author Deverne Fromke in “The Ultimate Intention” explained, “If you had one son in whom you found unspeakable delight, would it not be normal as a father to want many more? It is exactly so with the eternal Father, who, by nature and choice, has desired and purposed to have a vast family of human-divine sons and daughters who are just like His only begotten Son. (Hebrews 2:10-11, 1 John 3:1-3).”“Further, as we view from His heart, it seems evident that the Father makes all His plans with His eternal Son in view; that in the unfolding ages ahead Jesus Christ might have a glorious Body in which to express His very life, and a family of brothers and sisters with whom He might enjoy fellowship.”
“Then, as we understand the innermost purpose of the Son, we see how in turn He dedicates Himself to helping the Father realize His intention for Himself; that He (the Father) might have a family of sons and daughters in whom He can have paternal honor, glory, pleasure, and delight. The Father plans for the Son, whereas the Son lives unto the Father."The Cross Set Us Free from the Problem of Sin...
1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit...”
Colossians 2:13, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions...”
1 Peter 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you...”But the Cross Also Set God Free from the Problem of Sin...
Clearly God has never sinned and did not have a sin problem like fallen mankind [Hebrews 4:15], but humanity’s sin did create barriers to and hindered His desired plans for His creation [Mark 6:1-6]. He could not bestow on fallen sinful men and women the gifts and blessings He had always planned from creation, Ephesians 1:3-14. But now, because Christ’s atonement on the cross satisfied Holy God’s just judgement of our sin, and Christ’s shed blood on the cross has removed the relational sin barrier between us and Our Heavenly Father, it enabled God to fully release the blessings and gifts that He always desired to bestow upon His beloved children of faith in Jesus Christ. Following are just some of the ways God is free to have a relationship with us.God freely expresses His Fatherly Love for us...
1 John 3:1, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are...”
God is free to Bestow upon us the Heavenly Blessings...Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...”
Our Heavenly Father is Free to Intimately Communicate with us...Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Greek word for Peace in this verse means “two hostile bitter enemies that are reconciled and are now intimate friends”).God is fulfilling His Purpose for Himself and for Us...
1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal priesthood, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”God is free to Partner with us for Good Works...
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”Our Heavenly Father Enjoys the Presence of His Children with Him...
Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jude 1:24, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy...”God is free to reveal His Gracious Heart to us...
Ephesians 3:16-19, “...That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”Jesus Christ is Free to Express His Life in and thru us...
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”God Provides Eternal Security for His children...
Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”God is Growing us into the Image of Jesus Christ...
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”WHY Is This Important?
When we understand the full impact of the cross for God, ourselves and the rest of the world, it motivates us to seek the heart and presence of God even more. It begins to move our center of focus from being consumed with our needs and desires to embracing the Heavenly Father’s purposes and calling to know Him. In view of our Father's eternal purpose, what then should our purpose be?