Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that reads: “Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost”? Some people live their lives wandering about with little sense of direction or sense of mission in life.
But if there was ever a person with a focused mission in life, it was Jesus. And he has passed that mission on to each of us. Jesus came to earth to lay down his life as a sacrifice to redeem us and bring us back to God and establish his kingdom. Jesus’ message was all about this new kingdom to come. He “began to preach, ‘Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near’” and from that point on “Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom” (Matthew 4:17,23).
Practically everything Jesus said and did was an effort to contrast the two kingdoms—the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world. He said to his Father that his followers “do not belong to the world” and “are not part of this world any more than I am” (John 17:14,16). Our real home isn’t here. Jesus doesn’t want us to get comfortable living here; that is why he said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty” (Matthew 6:19). He wants us to see this life and our temporal world from his perspective—an eternal perspective.
The apostle Paul warned us about those whose “god is their appetite”—their craving for earthly pleasures—“and all they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven,” Paul said, “where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Philippians 3:19-20). Living as “citizens of heaven” while residing on this earth isn’t easy, especially when we face life’s trials, discouragements, and difficulties.
Living in this world but not being of this world, of course, does not insulate us from its pain and heartache. We may experience the joy of Christ in our hearts while suffering the physical pain of a disease, the financial loss of unemployment or a stock market failure, or the emotional loss of a disrupted or destroyed relationship or the death of a loved one.
We may believe that Christ’s mission will be complete one day when he returns to destroy sin and death and restore us to a new heaven and earth, but that belief can sometimes grow weak in the face of tragedy. Jesus tried to prepare his own disciples for the impending tragedy of his death when he said, “Truly, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy when you see me again…I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:20,33).
Jesus was not caught off guard on that frightful day on Calvary. He knew that day was coming; he knew exactly what he was doing; and he was masterfully in control. That’s why he told his disciples, “Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me” (John 14:1). Yes, he knew he was about to die, but he also knew death would have no power over him. He was appealing to his followers to rest in him and commit their troubles to him. “Have peace in me,” he said. It was as if he were saying, “I want you to know I’m in control of things. I know it won’t seem like it, but trust me no matter what, for I’m going to work things out for your good and my glory. And what will seem like a disaster with my death is really for your good, because through it all I will redeem you and restore everything back to what I originally planned. I am the God of Redemption, and I am also the God of Restoration.”
It’s not hard to see now, after the fact, that Christ was in control of the situation of his death. His resurrection from the grave proves it. And we can see how he took his torturous death and transformed it into the means of salvation for the human race. We could chide the disciples for not trusting in Christ enough and for not believing he knew what he was doing. But as we said, it’s not so easy to exhibit that kind of trust in the midst of trials or tragedy. It’s hard to have a spirit of gratitude, courage, and optimism unless, of course, we view this temporal world with all its trials from God’s eternal perspective.
In Romans 8, the apostle Paul gives us several eternal insights. He first says, “Even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering” (Romans 8:23). This passage makes it clear that optimism doesn’t come from denying our present pain. Paul goes on to say that “the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress…And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:26,28). Paul had the answer: We can place our trust in God because he is sovereign and obviously knows what he’s doing. When we do this, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside each individual Christian, will cause everything to work together for good.
This does not mean that everything will work together for our comfort, or that everything will work together to spare us difficulties, pain, or trials. It is not a belief that says everything that happens to God’s people in this death-cursed world is somehow good. Sickness is not good. Death is not good. Pain is not good. Sorrow, sadness, and suffering are not good. However, by trusting in God, not only as our Savior but also as our sovereign Lord who does all things well, we can be confident that he will cause all things—even the bad things that happen to us—to work together for our good and his glory. Our confidence in and conviction about a God who loves us beyond words and causes all things, even tragedies, to work together for good can produce within us a spirit of gratitude, courage, and optimism in the face of life—and death.
It is faith in a sovereign God that moves us beyond a human perspective on life to an eternal perspective. The apostle Paul was a living example of this eternal mind-set. Listen to his heart of gratitude as he shares his God-inspired letter to the church of Corinth. Read the words carefully. Note how his faith in the resurrected Christ provided him with a sense of courage and optimism, even in the most difficult of times:
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going…We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit…
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:8-9,14-18).
What an amazing approach to life’s problems! Paul didn’t run from difficulties in order to avoid pain, nor did he try to deny that difficulties existed in his life. He acknowledged his suffering and viewed the trials of life from an eternal perspective, knowing that the God of all comfort was there to ease his pain (see 1 Corinthians 2:3-4). He trusted in a sovereign God who would cause everything to work together for good. Paul’s faith in a God who had everything under control enabled him to see the difficulties of this life as producing “an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!”
God’s kingdom defines where we are going. For we are destined to have our struggles, suffering, and death transformed into blessings, joy, and a life at home with God for all eternity.
Because of the resurrection, we are destined to live forever in new bodies on a new earth, an existence that will be so enjoyable that anything “we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory [God] will give us later.” For we “wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:18,23).
Our “priceless inheritance” is a state of being in which we will be given “full rights” to reign with Christ in the new kingdom of heaven on a new earth. It is a kingdom “pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:4). This kingdom that will completely encompass the new earth is our destiny. God’s kingdom defines where we are going. For we are destined to have our struggles, suffering, and death transformed into blessings, joy, and a life at home with God for all eternity. We will inherit a new heaven and a new earth as our eternal home. This is our destiny.
Christ is saying to us, “Trust me. I am alive and in control of every situation. I will take your struggles and change them into blessings. I will take your suffering and turn it into joy. And as your inheritance I will give you a new heaven and a new earth as your eternal home. How can I do that? I’m the sovereign, almighty King of the universe, who can do all things and who causes everything to work together for the good of those who love me and are called according to my purpose. So trust in me, no matter what.”1
Our destiny may be eternal life at home with God, but we aren’t there yet. “So be truly glad!” the apostle Peter said. “There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while” (1 Peter 1:6). And Peter made it clear why God is keeping us here. He has a mission for us to accomplish.
“We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised,” Peter said, “a world where everyone is right with God. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved” (2 Peter 3:13-15). We may be waiting to live on the new earth, but it’s not time yet. The Lord appears to be waiting to usher in that final day so that those around us still have time to trust in him. Our task here is to participate in God’s mission to reach these people by living pure and blameless lives that reflect his nature and draw others to him.
“God has given us the task [or mission] of reconciling people to him” (2 Corinthians 5:18). During the years of Jesus’ life on earth, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Now, Christ is in us, and Paul says that God “has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 NIV). He wants to involve us in his mission of drawing people to him by the attitudes we have, the things we say, and the way we act—especially in times of adversity and trouble.
God did not cause any of the suffering or difficulties you may be going through right now. There is nothing good about pain and suffering. But God is not caught off-guard or blindsided by your suffering. He knows that in this fallen world, suffering is inevitable. Yet your sovereign God causes all of your circumstances—both the good and the bad—to work together for good. As you make Christ more and more at home in your life, the gracious, long-suffering Spirit of God can be seen in your suffering. And in those circumstances, people clearly see Christ.
We often seem to fulfill Christ’s mission to reach others most effectively when we are enduring times of crisis, suffering, or persecution. Nearly all of us can exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, and so on when the wind is at our back and we’re sailing high. But how many people display gratitude, courage, and optimism in the midst of a storm? Displaying these attributes in such times is what causes people to sit up and take notice: when tragedy strikes, when you’re hurting, when you’re mistreated.
Think of the trials, struggles, or suffering you may be going through right now. It’s not a sin to feel discouraged or frustrated with the tests of life. But can you sense how God wants to be there for you with his love, support, and comfort? What gives him pleasure is to fill you so completely with an abundance of his joy and blessing during your difficulties that you actually become grateful for the trials you’re experiencing. And when people see how courageous and optimistic you are during your troubled times, they will be drawn to Christ.
When we fully submit ourselves to God, we can be especially encouraged when trouble strikes or problems come our way. It is during these times that we can become aware we have been assigned a mission, if we are willing to accept it—a mission to exhibit a Christlike spirit and share the love of Christ with those around us. Far from being a cause for complaint or self-pity, we should see such instances as great compliments. God trusts us enough to bestow on us the great honor of reflecting his glory in circumstances that might discourage those who do not trust him.
As you can see, sharing Christ with others doesn’t have to be thought of as a chore or obligation. Rather, it is an opportunity to reveal Christ through our lives to others. It does require, however, a basic understanding of what to say and how to share a simple presentation of the gospel as we explained in chapter 27. But once that is learned, it’s a matter of developing a lifestyle that makes you a walking example of Christ. As people recognize you as a person who lives in a temporal world with an eternal perspective, they too will catch a glimpse of your King and his kingdom, the King who has prepared you “an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV).2
To help you instill within your family or church group an eternal perspective while living in a temporal world, we have provided instructions to help you prepare and carry out a Judeo-Christian celebration, the Restoration Celebration. It is based on the Feast of Tabernacles, an ancient Jewish festival that puts this present world into a godly perspective. You will find these instructions in appendix C at the end of this book.
SUMMARY OF PART IV
God’s Truth Declaration:
I Am the God of Re-Creation—The God of Restoration
• We believe the truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again to transfer us from death to life and secure our eternal salvation.
Because there is sufficient evidence that Jesus rose from the dead, we can believe with confidence that he has the power to forgive our sins and reconcile us to God.
Christ’s resurrection also assures us that he will raise our dead bodies to live with him for all eternity.
• We believe the truth that there is one God who is eternally co-existing as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in a perfect relationship of oneness.
The Holy Spirit is the dynamic, active, and ever-present person of the Trinity who dwells within us, making us intimate with God.
When we yield to the Holy Spirit he makes us one with God, confirms our Christlikeness, leads us into all truth, empowers us for service, and brings meaning to our lives.
• We believe the truth that the kingdom-of-God message forms our biblical worldview.
God’s kingdom worldview has been a powerful influence for good in this present world for centuries, motivating people to bring aid and comfort to those in need.
A biblical worldview provides a supernatural way for Christ-followers to live in this present world.
• We believe the truth that the church is Christ’s visible representation on earth, in which his transformed followers individually and collectively fulfill God’s redemptive plan.
The authentic church is Christ’s loving community that acts as “salt and light” to draw people to Christ and impacts the culture around it.
Jesus’ Great Commandment “to love” and Great Commission “to make disciples” are inseparably linked so that his church meets both the human and spiritual needs of people.
• We believe the truth that Jesus will return to give his followers resurrected bodies that will last forever; abolish sin; and restore the earth to a perfect world, where his children will live with him through all eternity.
We can believe with confidence that Jesus will return because he has conquered death through his own resurrection.
Until Christ returns, we as his followers are engaged in his mission to reconcile as many people as possible to God.