God's Plan and Purpose for Man Part 2

In part one of this particular subject, we saw that it has always been the purpose of God to have a people in "His image and according to His likeness" (Genesis 1:26). We saw that when a fallen man responds positively to the drawing of Christ into the "new-birth," he experiences afresh the reality of being "made in the image of God." He is made a "new=creation" child of God in spirit, put back into righteous standing and glorious fellowship with Him...the war is over and that man now lives by "the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" ( Romans 8:2).

We also saw that his having been put back into the "image of God," he is now enabled to experience the progressive reality of being made "according to His likeness." This aspect of man's relationship with God is an on-going work wrought in him on the basis of his submitting to the Word of God and his pursuing the will of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Many believers never come to an effective appropriation of this second aspect of God's original plan for their lives; therefore they live much of the time in a spiritual wilderness never quite sure of where they belong and wandering in a wilderness of uncertainty and defeat. This often results in many troublesome areas in their spiritual lives: family and social dysfunctions, low self-esteem, a sense of unworthiness, financial frustrations, never being sure of God's will and countless other negative features of everyday life.

It is essential that we come to realize the significance of living "according to His likeness..." and that we treasure and value the privilege to do so. We must actively pursue and sincerely desire God's personal involvement in our lives on a consistent and regular basis for this to become a practical reality. God never created a world where He is not needed.

There is a principle here: A Productive Life is not an Accident. The Bible clearly states, "The steps of a good (righteous) man are ordered of the Lord..." (Psalm 37: 23). In essence our highest priorities and most ardently pursued goals should be those which are ordered of the Lord. One of the most destructive presumptions is that our personal aims and goals are also the aims and goals of God for us.

David, the man after God's own heart, had to learn this truth...more than once. He had it in his heart to build a house for God, but God did not see things as David saw them. God did allow David to amass the materials and the finances for the construction, but it became Solomon's (David's son) task to construct the Temple. Sometimes our personal agendas and desires...well-meaning thought they may be, are counter-biased to God's thought and plans for us.

So we must put ourselves on the altar of God until the Holy Spirit comes to rightly divide between our thoughts and those of God...until we discover God's true plan for us. Usually this is done in small increments...a step at the time. So we must prepare our hearts to accept and to agree with His directions...learn to listen in the inner-man, to evaluate in the light of His greater purposes and to cultivate acceptance and submission to the "still small voice of God."

It isn't always easy to be patient, to listen and to wait upon the Lord, but it is always productive and fruitful to do so. One of the best ways I have discovered to do this is to be willing to just take time to be alone with God. Waiting on the Lord does not presume a passive attitude. I try to look at it from the perspective of an excellent waiter in an up-scaled restaurant attending to those whom he is there to serve. So just serve the Lord during this "waiting" time. Keep Him first and foremost in your mind; give Him all your attention.  You'll be pleasantly surprised at how He will reward you for your sincere and genuine service and how much more like Him you will have become through your time with Him.