This BLOG will continue to look at the purposes of God for the Church and evangelism in light of what human beings have done in regards to developing their own purposes. We see all over the place of certain writers and their purposes for the church. However, what must be determined is what God’s purpose is. If the purposes of mankind are different than God’s, then man’s purposes are going to be idolatrous. Even if human beings do biblical things they must be doing those things in accordance with God’s purpose or they will be doing biblical things in an idolatrous way. That is what the Pharisees did in all that they did.
Ephesians 1:11 points out that we have obtained an inheritance and have been predestined according to His purpose: “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” We also see from that text that God works all things after the counsel of His will. God’s purpose and the counsel of His will work together. This is buttressed with Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Those who are converted are called according to the purpose of God.
The same thought runs in Romans 9:11 as well: “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls.” The same thought is also found in 2 Timothy 1:9: “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” As we look with wonder at the beauty and symmetry found in those texts, we must admire the glory of a God so great that His purpose and grace are granted to people “in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” But we must notice that continued use of the word “purpose” in relation to God. He has a purpose and it is all found in Christ.
How utterly fabulous and glorious it is to admire what these texts and the texts from the last BLOG declare to us. What a God it is that works all things after the counsel of His will and that in accordance with His eternal purpose. This God reveals His word and His mysteries as He pleases and to whom He pleases. This God gives grace to whom He pleases and He is pleased to reveal Himself to infants (humble, poor in spirit). He has granted this grace to all those who are and will be in Christ from eternity. This God has a purpose and He works all things in accordance with that.
Now as we look at the Church, we see something entirely different in most cases. God has a terminal end or primary purpose that He has set out, but churches seem to have their own purposes and goals. But God only saves according to His own pleasure and His revealing Himself in accordance with His own pleasure. What happens when the Church begins to operate according to its own pleasure and has purposes that are not according to God’s purposes and pleasure? When the Church does that, it is actually operating as the enemy of God.
I hope that this approach will sink in. The Church of today has bought into methods, purposes, and practices that are not according to what God has set out in Scripture. The Church of today will also use biblical methods but in ways that are not according to the purposes of God. God has given us His terminal purpose for all things and that includes the Church. He has also given the Church instrumental means on how to seek the terminal purpose. But the Church has taken His instrumental means and used them for Her own terminal purposes. This is humanism.
God Loves... Himself 
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