In This World...

“He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” Eph. 1:4, 11

Each of us has been born with three divine truths. We have been chosen by God, we are being transformed by God and we have been called on mission by God. These truths span the course of our lives. It sounds simple enough but the rub comes in when we accept and realize that there is a force who is working relentlessly to foil this plan for each of us. Consider the life of Jesus... chosen by God, predestined for purpose by God and was enabled and sustained through God during His walk on earth.

Once the ministry of Jesus was born He immediately was led out into the wilderness for a season of testing. Satan waited until the end of the season in the wilderness anticipating the time when Jesus was experiencing His greatest hunger and His lowest resistance. He offered the very thing that God had promised Jesus but without the pain and suffering. Satan doesn’t offer new ideas, just borrowed ideas with shortcuts. The devil doesn’t have an original idea in his head but simply counterfeits whatever God does and says. God said, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.’ Ps. 2:8. The counterfeiter ‘led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you…if you worship me, it will be all yours.'” John 4:5-7. Of course, Jesus chose faithfulness to God through citing scripture. Jesus passed with flying colors but would we?

Think about a time in your life when your pain was so intense and your despair was so deep. What if Satan could have shown us before hand the suffering we could avoid if we would follow him, what would our choice be? Especially if he waited until we had begun to experience the hunger and exhaustion of our circumstances? It is through our struggles that we must endure that develops in us the character of Christ to do the will of our Father. We spend most of our lives trying to avoid pain. These avoidances delay the development of the image of Christ required in accomplishing the mission for which we were called. “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” Phil 1:29.

If we are in this world, trouble and pain will find us. ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.' John 16:33.