For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21. We who are redeemed in Jesus Christ have been bought with a price, that price is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I read a quote this morning by the late preacher of the 19th century Charles Spurgeon, whom said: "Christ will save you, but a part of the agreement on your part must be this, ‘you are not your own, but are bought with a price.’” If you would have Christ’s blood to redeem you, you must give yourself up to Christ—your body, your soul, your spirit, your substance, your talents, your time, your all. You must from this day be Christ’s servant, come what may." ~Charles Spurgeon. This quote got me to thinking about whom and what we are. So often it is, so easy for us to begin thanking that all of this is about us. We human beings are so silly! The way we act and think you would think that God the father created all things through us and for us. In the Gospel of John he tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” ~John 1:1-3. Jesus and God the father were together before time began, God created all things, even time itself was created by God for His purpose. The book of Genesis in the account of creation the bible says that God created man in His own image. Then if we skip all the way to the book of Revelation it reveals to us the purpose of our creation, and that purpose is worship, we were created to worship.
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. ~Revelation 5:11-14
Our salvation in Jesus Christ is incidental to the purpose of God. God new before time began that he would redeem the elect in Jesus Christ for the purpose of worshiping His son Jesus Christ, “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 given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” ~2 Timothy 1:9. Your purpose and my purpose is to worship and glorify Jesus Christ, “ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ~Philippians 2:10-11. I am so thankful that God would create me for this purpose, to put myself under the authority of God the son, to the glory of God the Father. That is why I say as Paul said: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21.
Repent and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. ~Revelation 5:11-14
Our salvation in Jesus Christ is incidental to the purpose of God. God new before time began that he would redeem the elect in Jesus Christ for the purpose of worshiping His son Jesus Christ, “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 given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” ~2 Timothy 1:9. Your purpose and my purpose is to worship and glorify Jesus Christ, “ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ~Philippians 2:10-11. I am so thankful that God would create me for this purpose, to put myself under the authority of God the son, to the glory of God the Father. That is why I say as Paul said: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~Philippians 1:21.
Repent and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
