What is Our Destiny?
In its simplest form for me it is To know Christ, to be known by Him, and to be His hands and feet in the earth. But wait, there’s more ..
Redemption from the penalty of sin, and restoration to relationship with The Father through The Christ, for those who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord, is our ultimate eternal, spiritual, Kingdom-driven destiny. This feat has already been achieved through the saving work of the Messiah. He proclaimed the conclusion of The sacred mission with the three words which our hope hangs upon, “It is finished.” Yet the question about fulfilling our destiny on earth continue to swarm and circulate about our souls like a meandering elusive mist we can’t quite seem to fully grasp. Counselors, and prophets, and preachers, and teachers, and ministers and priests offer rich insights and sage wisdom. So has our question been answered? Is there more? Is there a revelation from The Lord?
The word “destiny,” is such an all-encompassing, transcendent kind of word; I can really only contemplate it In terms of my highest calling, which for me is actually the fulfillment of a compact – of a Covenant. The first condition has already been satisfied, and I had very little to do with its realization. Christ alone accomplished it when He traded His life for mine to pay a cruel penalty I could not, and if we’re being perfectly candid– most likely would not have paid. He alone has fulfilled the terms of a Covenant that gives me legal access to the Father (and license to the benefits shrouded in eternity that belong to His glorious Kingdom). Scripture teaches that we don’t even stand a shot of coming to The Father, of even being accepted by Him – except for Christ. Those of us who have sat under teaching in Apostolic, Evangelical, or Pentecostal ministries have a special affinity for terms like “but God,” and “except for.” In Kingdom speak they are a confession that encapsulates the relief and gratitude liberty and hope experienced when acknowledge that the risen Savior delivered us from a state and fate we could never have achieved ourselves. Our souls were quickened again in this regard by The Holy Spirit via the timely, anointed message (1st Kings 8-15) delivered by Bishop George Searight of Abundant Life Family Worship church recently, I encourage you to read the text if you’re not familiar with it, and to allow the Holy Spirit’s revelation about God’s timely provision to thoroughly nourish you. I’ve heard it said that The Lord had me (specifically, individually) on His mind (as His motivation) as he subjected His life to rejection, gruesome abuse and crucifixion. I’m not sure about that. Maybe. His role in that part of my destiny being so tragic, so mysterious and so powerful, it’s hard to imagine His loving kindness directed toward me even for a moment during that horrific experience. It’s easier to imagine my sin propelling Him to the fate of Golgotha. And it’s always horrifying and humbling to consider. When the dreadful debt was paid to ransom a collective body of sinners, even if He wasn’t lovingly doting over me personally, the gift of His impossible sacrifice that benefits me eternally is altogether sufficient.
Becoming Sons and Daughters
The question, having received the gift, is … now what? Well I certainly wasn’t worthy of receiving the ultimate gift from The Giver of all good gifts, but His Holy scripture says something else about my new identity and destiny. “As many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” John 1:12, So now we respond by entering into that other realm of the destiny Covenant and embarking upon the next leg of our Journey which is all about assuming our right, and embracing the power to become sons and daughters. This will be a process of becoming. But how do we do it? – Well, what if in a way the journey or the process is the destination? I think that in some ways that’s true. Isn’t there always some layer of ourselves to be uncovered, revealed, burned away and renewed by the Refiner’s Fire? And if we’re yielded, we are continually being compelled toward some new place in Christ and in us – toward some new thing being birthed. I am a new creation not just in that single instance when I accepted and received Christ, but potentially each day, moment by moment as I yield. It is as though core to our destiny is a state of perpetual rebirth; one where we’re continually surrendering to the Savior’s process for transformation.
But why – why if He’s already saved us from sin and death are we still working at it?. Well, we’re not working at salvation: I don’t think “work out your own salvation” means work at your own salvation. We’re not working at something we were incapable of accomplishing in the first place. It’s about aligning ourselves with God’s will for that renewed, hallowed life and its purpose in the earth. We know the confessions: It’s no longer I that live, but Christ; To live is Christ to die is gain. In truth when things go as intended – Christ is our new life – – As we embrace the Truth of His Word (cool redundancy. He is The Word made flesh. He is The Truth), and as we follow His example of surrender more and more, He becomes our Way. We receive discernment and vision, clarity, conviction of purpose, victory, success – all these things being added unto us even when life’s circumstances are far from perfect. It really is about submitting to the process of being perfected by the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Glory to Glory
Transcendence requires continuous and increasing obedience leading to perpetually deeper knowledge, the ultimate knowledge – knowing Him. The Word says that deep calls to deep (and our knowledge of Him ins inexhaustible). I think of this as a depth within us that can only be satisfied by the matchless breadth and depth found in His Word and by His Holy Spirit. For The Bride of Christ this knowing goes beyond proximity to intimacy. it is a drawing toward Christ, a beckoning that yields discovery renewal and reward (from glory to glory we ascend) until at last we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He :“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12. Interestingly this verse follows 11 other verses on the highest expression of our calling –to LOVE our God and by extension one another. There’s a direct correlation between obedience, love and blessing. See almost any chapter in Deuteronomy. Loving Him is obeying Him, and we can’t do that without knowing Him, and we can’t know Him without His Word. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.1 John 5:3
Easy Yokes and Light Burdens – Embracing Obedience
But if His commandments are not burdensome why is that perpetual obedience isn’t always easy, and truthfully, not always desirable. We often fret and resist and rebel. We need something more. More??? Hasn’t The Christ done enough, given enough, revealed enough? Isn’t He enough? Yes He is enough. But we’re in a covenant relationship now, and a covenant isn’t fully exercised by a single party. I think we often fear obedience condition and what it may demand of us. We seek The Holy Spirit for empowerment and strengthening of our will through and there’s wrong with that. In fact it’s expected. It’s consistent with Jesus’ example of petitioning The Father, and being empowered by The Holy Spirit to carry out a commitment. But I think we might be less intimidated by a commitment to obedience if we saw it differently. What if we were to think of it as a gift, as a friend and facilitator. What if rather than running away from it, we sought after it and cherished it as we do wisdom and prayer. But perhaps even more helpful than this desperate pursuit of something that seems at times elusive or fleeting, would be two things 1) To desire a genuine love for obedience. We might ask The Lord to do a work in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit such that it’s no longer this foreign peculiar thing, but instead, a treasure we embrace and 2) Perhaps we should think of it terms of the relief found in loosening our misguided, death-like grip on the thing designed to kill, steal or destroy, and releasing it to The Lord.
The act of obedience is always transactional. In the very act we are trading our will for His, but deeper still, we are releasing something He doesn’t desire for us; something most likely harmful to us to receive instead His favor and blessing or promise. Help us Lord to be obedient in the moment. To develop a distaste for delayed obedience. Please make our yes a sweet, sweet sound in your ears and our life a sweet-smelling aroma
What Destiny is Not –
Inevitably there will be times when it’s hard to fully conceive of how we are to be, what specifically we are to do and what direction we are to go. In this season we’ve battled become distraction, discouragement, disappointment, and disillusionment for the lack of clarity or movement. While we should place a high value on the gift of discernment: on direction from the Lord, revelation through The Holy Spirit, sometimes we may need to be reminded that we don’t always need, nor should we always have perfect 2020 vision> It’s not my destiny to lean upon my understanding – else what’s the point of trust and faith in Christ?
Our Walk is about faith-driven decision-making – making decisions that represent our choice for Christ and our trust in Him every day. But situational convergence and complexity is also the order or the day, with challenges and limitations mounting on every hand. The landscape is wrought with tradeoffs. Circumstances fail to align or fall into place in ways that are familiar despite, earnest petitions and faithful servanthood, and decision-making has become more layered and nuanced than ever. Moreover, this is the season of increasingly hyperactive spiritual dynamics as The Lord’s return approaches. The enemy’s days are numbered and He knows it. All has been foretold regarding the end of the age, and we know it – even if not the actual day nor the hour of Christ’s return. The evidence is so entirely undeniable at this point that even the unbeliever realizes the unusual nature of the disruption in the earth.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.…” Romans 8:22-23
Don’t Panic. Keep it Simple
Here’s what The Good Lord in His great mercy confirmed for me the other day: Keep it simple. Simply, the more intense the unwieldly dynamo swirling around us becomes, simplify. So how to simplify. Focus on release. Let’s concentrate on releasing that thing we know displeases Him; not out into the atmosphere or stratosphere, but releasing it to Him – one at a time, one day at a time. Release the life destroying, death promoting things that weigh us down. Even things that are generally benign outside of God’s purpose can impede our ascent. Releasing cares to God is a form of resistance. It is one effective way to bring our will into subjection and to resist the enemy. The Lord will look with favor upon these acts of surrender.
When these trappings are not obscuring vision, we have greater clarity. We can see Jesus and His priorities concerning us more easily. His will becomes clear(er). The Way, The Truth and The Life becomes clearer and our way, our truth and our life is brought into sharp relief. And it’s enough… for this day. We don’t have to have the entire big picture mapped out or figured out. He says that sufficient unto the day are the cares thereof.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Todayhas enoughtroubleof its own. (Matt 6:33-34).
Pursuit of the King
So we go after The King (even more than some virtuous thing), and we allow ourselves to be vulnerable in His presence, laying down our weighty things at His feet:– burdens, cares, strife, worry, fear, anger, regret, jealousy, accolades, pride, failure, success, hurt. We trade them in. Handing them over one by one – yeah, wherever the struggle is – that one – hand it over. We thank Our God for receiving the dry, dead or empty, confusing or overwhelming things and then …we rest. We don’t need to lie down and take a nap. We’ll have the kind rest in your soul that restores. So we are both quickened, enlivened and at rest, at peace. We bake a pie. clean out the attic. write a book, redo the deck. phone a friend. help someone in need, start a business. If you know in your spirit that there’s something specific The Lord wants you to do today, do that. “If today you hear His voice harden not your heart…” Hebrews 3:15. Looking upon our surrender and surrendered thing with great compassion, I believe He grants us mercy and favor. We are revived. And he is satisfied. The exchange is complete.. And tomorrow we begin again – the same, until the day we hear him say those words we long for “Well done my good and faithful servant…” Matt 25:23
bluhem 