Submitting to God’s Purpose
Part A ”To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak” But I want to focus mainly on Part B of this verse “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Note: This refers to Paul not availing himself of some of his Christian Liberties simply because of the possibility of causing weak Christians to stumble.
Please understand: A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. One should never protest by saying, “If only I were somebody else (had their gifts, talents, skills their charisma, etc) or somewhere else (another city, church etc)!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them.
Let me refer to scripture below: First however understand that, Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing.
Therefore, we must continually confront ourselves with these central facts—“… Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 Scripture Red & Comments in Green): “For I determined not to know anything among you (Meaning – with purpose and design, Paul did not resort to the knowledge or philosophy of the world regarding the Preaching of the Gospel) save Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified” (Meaning – that and that alone is the Message which will save the sinner, set the captive free, and give the Believer perpetual victory).
“I chose you …” (John 15:16 Scripture Red & Comments in Green): “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you (Meaning It is not really that we find the Lord; the truth is, He finds us) and ordained you (has chosen us for a purpose) that you should go and bring forth fruit (as stated, we can only do this by ever looking to the Cross [Gal. 6:14]) and that your fruit should remain (as our Faith remains in the Cross, the fruit will remain): that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name (You really know what it Ask in My Name means? It means – using His name always refers to the victory He won at the Cross) he may give it you.”
“I chose you …” (John 15:16 Scripture Red & Comments in Green): “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you (Meaning It is not really that we find the Lord; the truth is, He finds us) and ordained you (has chosen us for a purpose) that you should go and bring forth fruit (as stated, we can only do this by ever looking to the Cross [Gal. 6:14]) and that your fruit should remain (as our Faith remains in the Cross, the fruit will remain): that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name (You really know what it Ask in My Name means? It means – using His name always refers to the victory He won at the Cross) he may give it you.”
Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. Why? He is doing it for only one purpose—that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.
Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside … to the right or the left …” (Deuteronomy 28:14). And what exactly does this mean? Let’s look at the entire scripture (Scripture Red & Comments in Green): “And you shall not go aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” (Israel was to faithfully obey the Law, as well, Believers under the New Covenant can claim the same Promises, in fact, much more easily than Israel of old, because of Christ and the Cross; as wonderful as this is which the Lord promises Israel, He now promises even more under the New Covenant, which Paul referred to as a “Better Covenant” [Heb. 8:6]
Close: He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way to fulfill the destiny for which He has called you. The reason is now - The season is now - The time is now in a world that desperately needs Jesus.
