God's Purpose for Christians
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
Throughout His ministry, Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God carried more than is seen upon first examination. Hidden within this message is the understanding of the awesome, incredible human potential for the one who truly yields to God. Wherever Jesus went, He spoke about the coming kingdom—or government—of God. While most of His parables were centered on this message, few that heard them understood their meaning. And when He spoke them, He always included how true Christians were qualifying to become part of that government!
Matthew 13:1-58 contains a half dozen “kingdom” parables. This chapter begins with the parable of the “Sower and the Seed,” depicting one throwing seed into various locations and kinds of soil. The parable described how, in some cases, the seed grew and flourished in the person who received it. In others, it either died quickly after starting to grow, or took no root at all. Some who received the seed grew in character “thirty, sixty or one hundred fold” on the way to the kingdom.
This is followed by the parable of the “Wheat and Tares.” This parable discusses “fruit” that appears in Christians’ lives prior to the time God gathers them into His “barn.” The fruit, good or bad, represents Christian growth, or lack of growth. The barn is a type of the kingdom.
The third parable depicts the kingdom beginning as a tiny “grain of mustard seed” that grows into a great tree. This is followed by the parable of leaven, depicting God’s kingdom as leaven spreading until it has permeated the dough (the earth, all nations) that contains it. The fifth compares the kingdom to “hidden treasure” found in a field. The finder sells all that he has to buy this field.
The sixth parable describes God’s kingdom as the “pearl of great price,” which a person buys after selling all that he has to raise sufficient money for the purchase. The seventh and final parable of this one chapter describes the kingdom as a “net” gathering all kinds of fish. The “good” fish are kept—the “bad” are thrown away. Jesus explains that the good fish are those who enter the kingdom. The bad represent those burned (Mt 13:50) and destroyed in a “furnace of fire” (the lake of fire).
In each of these parables, the message is the same. A few (not most) are willing to pay the price to be a Christian. They are willing to spiritually grow and develop real Christian character so they may later inherit the eternal reward of becoming born (no longer merely begotten) sons of God—in the God Family—ruling with Him in the kingdom of God.
There are many other New Testament parables. Much of Christ’s teaching was through the use of these stories about common, well-known things. They were intended to carry deep lessons about a Christian’s calling, for those whose minds have been opened by God to understand them.
Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him” (John 6:44,65). You cannot understand God’s truth unless God has drawn you—called you—to it through the power of His Spirit. So, the process of coming to true Christian conversion begins with a calling or drawing directly by the Father.
The parables of the talents, penny, marriage supper, 10 virgins, sheep and goats, unjust judge, fig tree, lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son, unjust steward, Lazarus and the rich man, the good Samaritan and others, all involve or depict a Christian entering the coming kingdom, or governing Family, of God at Christ’s Second Coming. Space could be taken to more closely examine each parable and demonstrate this. Though some are very short, and others quite long, the purpose of most of Christ’s parables is essentially the same. For those who follow Peter’s instruction to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of...Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 3:18) on a daily basis, rulership in the government of God under Christ is attainable.
In addition to entering God’s kingdom, all of these parables carry the additional element of having everything to do with whether one will escape all that lies ahead.
Great Reward
We now ask how does one qualify? In Revelation, Jesus stated, “And he that overcomes, and keeps My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron…” (Rev 2:26-27). A chapter later, He adds, “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne…” (Rev 3:21).
These verses picture Christ re-establishing God’s government over all nations on Earth. Christians will receive real power to rule. But first, they must overcome sin—defeating, with God’s help, their flesh, this world and the devil!
Overcoming is rarely easy, nor does it happen overnight. It is a lifelong battle against well-established attitudes and a former way of life that the Christian has now rejected and turned from. The one who is walking God’s path is striving to curb and withhold himself wherever God’s Word instructs him. He strives to exercise himself in matters where God says to do so. When God gives instruction to do something, the Christian strives to do it! When God instructs not to do something, he strives not to do it.
Christians are those who follow—who copy!—Jesus Christ (I Pet. 2:21). What then is the pattern Jesus established for us to follow? Did He overcome? We saw in an earlier chapter that He did.
In reference to His own struggle to remain free of sin and perfect in character, Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation [how true today!]: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus had overcome both the world and its god—Satan (II Cor. 4:4). He also said, “even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne” (Rev. 3:21). Jesus’ overcoming qualified Him to rule. As He qualified to replace Satan, so must we!
Such enormous power to rule—to guide and affect millions of lives during Christ’s millennial rule—could never be given to people who are unprepared—who have not qualified to properly use it. God will not hand this unprecedented authority to people who might rebel and revert to Satan’s ways. God’s servants must diligently use this life to build His very holy character, so necessary for those who will one day hold offices of great authority!
True Conversion Understood
At this point, the specific role of God’s Holy Spirit must be addressed. This is the powerful force sent by God that helps a person grow and overcome. Literally, this power is Christ living His life in the Christian. Without His help, the new convert gets nowhere—fast! When Christ said, “bring forth much fruit” (John 15:5), He followed it with “For without Me you can do nothing.” Human power—human energy—only helps a person overcome in physical areas. Spiritual problems cannot be conquered through physical, mental or emotional effort.
Jesus said that He is the “Vine” and His true followers are the “branches” (John 15:5). Branches must be connected to the Vine, and this happens through God’s Spirit working in a mind.
When speaking of this, Christ said, “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him shall receive…)” (John 7:38). As it performs good works, God’s Spirit flows “out of” the Christian. Therefore, it must be replenished, or it will be depleted and disappear completely. This is why Jesus said, “If you…know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13). The true Christian regularly asks, in prayer, for more of the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13), and, “My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10). Jesus also said, “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). With God’s Spirit actively working and growing in you, this can be true of you!
But truly deep conversion does not occur overnight. The Corinthians had to be told that they were “babes [babies] in Christ” (I Cor. 3:1). Paul described how they required “milk,” instead of “meat,” for food. The brand new Christian is much like an infant. By analogy, he first learns to roll over, then crawl, before walking (and even then at first in an unsteady, toddling fashion). Only later does he finally learn to run (spiritually).
Paul understood this. He compared conversion to running a race (I Cor. 9:24). Of course, though not right away, the runner must, at some point, develop more speed, because he wrote, “run, that you may obtain [win].”
Such is the Christian way. Slow, steady growth, through daily practice, produces progress in the person who is copying Jesus Christ. The new Christian sincerely strives, from the heart, to be different—to turn around and go the other way—the way of God—for the rest of his life!
But most who know certain or even many of these things do not truly apply them.