The question was raised at the Tuesday night Bible Study on Ft. Liberty, “Once we are saved, why does God leave us here?” The easy answer is for the advancement of His kingdom. But I think that leads to the mindset that our value resides only in our labor for the Lord.
I think He leaves us here for our growth in our relationship with Him and all that comes with it.
Jesus defines eternal life in John 17:3. “This is eternal life that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.” It is also Paul’s passion in Philippians 3:8. “More than that I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…”.
I tell people on occasion that God doesn’t need us. Navigators don’t like to hear it because we see ourselves as fulfilling a key role in ministry and the coming Kingdom. I also occasionally tell Navigators that it is impossible to “make” a disciple, and they don’t like to hear that either.
Salvation is impossible without the work of the Holy Spirit. A Christian desiring to grow in Christ in discipleship is impossible without the work of the Holy Spirit. No one labors unless the Father moves them to do so through the work of the Holy Spirit.
God doesn’t need me…He wants me. We have been adopted into His family precisely because it is a family. I struggle with God wanting me because I know the dark parts of my life. I struggle because all of my life performance has been the standard for acceptance and approval. And yet it is true that He loves us and desires us apart from our performance.
God will on occasion advance His kingdom through us. But it is never because of us. If I read Revelation correctly Christians get run over in the tribulation. We are triumphant in death, not overcoming in this life. We have to go through the Antichrist and the tribulation to get to the return of our Messiah.
May the Lord grant us the same heart Paul had for knowing Jesus!
Your brother,
David
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