God's Plan for You

God has a master plan for the universe and YOU are a part of it.  Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  God created the Universe to reflect His Glory.  Proverbs 16:4 says,  "The Lord has made everything for its own purpose."

In the order of creation he created man last and said, "Behold, it is very good"  (Genesis 1:31).  Man is the crown of God's creation.  Psalm 8:5 says, "Yet, Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty."

God's Plan for you is for YOU to reflect the glory and majesty of your creator and to live with Him forever.  In order to do that there are certain things you need to understand:

• Do you realize how much God loves you, really loves you?   Sometimes we wonder where God is, let alone whether or not He loves us.  If He really loves us, Why...?? The fact  is He has already shown us just how much He loves us.   Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."    Christ said in John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."  Imagine that, we would agree it takes a great love to die for a friend, but Christ died for us while we were still sinners, while we were in rebellion against Him, while we didn't care one whit about Him.  That takes a Divine, Godly Love and that's exactly how much God loves YOU.  He loves you more than you love yourself.

• Do you realize the seriousness of sin?    The word sin means to miss the mark as when an archer misses the bulls-eye on the target.  Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."    That means that none us have reflected the "glory and majesty" of God" as we should have.  We have all come up short.  We have messed up God's plan pretty bad and deserve His judgment because of it.  In fact the Bible says in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death..."   Did you realize that "death" is the result of our sin?   That's how serious is it.   God's plan is that we realize we are all sinners and our sin has separated us from God.  Do you realize today that you too are a sinner along with the rest of us and in need of a savior?

• Do you realize what God has done about our sin?   Since you and I are unable to get rid of our sinful nature,  since we are powerless to correct what we have done, since we are now unable to reflect God's glory and majesty, God Himself has done something about it.  He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in your (my) place.  When Christ died on the cross, he took your (my) judgment (wages of sin is death) and paid the penalty for your (my) sin.  Through Christ then you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me" (John 14:6)

• Do you realize what you must do?  Now that God has done His part, there is something you must do.  You must receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord; then you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.  Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into your heart and life (faith) to forgive your sin and to make you the kind of person God wants you to be.   John 1:12 says, " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."    By His grace (God is under no obligation), God offers you the gift of salvation (free to you, paid for by Christ).  You must simply receive it through repentance and faith.    

• Do you realize God's Plan for You?     God's plan for you is that you be saved from sin and death and that your life reflect His glory and majesty.  God will bring His Kingdom of "Righteousness and Peace and Joy" (Romans 14:17) to this earth and He wants you to be a part of that.  
  
  If we here at First Baptist Church can help you find God's Plan for you, please feel free to contact us.  pastor@fbcleavenworth.org or call 913-682-4426