Many people have read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life
and reflected on the purpose of their lives. The readings for today begin with
the Apostle Paul telling the people in Athens that the God he speaks of is the
one who created the world. Paul goes on to explain that the purpose of creation
is “...so that men would seek Him...”(Acts 17.27). In the very next verse he
explains that God wants to live inside us and through us. This is how the
spiritual dimension intervenes in the physical world as the Holy Spirit. It
happens when we “...live and move and have our being in Him...”.
1. The God of Christians is behind creation
We do not want to get sidetracked into an argument of how God created
the world. This would distract us from the key fact that creation cannot be
random or an accident. There had to be something behind it, creating it. We
believe this is the God that revealed Himself to the Hebrew people and us
through revelations in history, and particularly in the form of Jesus.
- The readings also tell us
God also created a spiritual dimension which seems to inhabit the same
space.
- 1 Peter 3.22 adds to our
understanding of creation by mentioning heaven, angels, principalities and
powers
- Bad news is some of the
angles, principalities and powers rebelled against God and have engaged in
spiritual warfare for human souls since the time of creation.
- Paul warns us that
creation is going somewhere. There will be a final judgement. Each
individual will have to give an account of their response to God’s
reaching out to them.
- Test will be how well you lived this life as a sign of God’s love.
2. Good news “... Christ died to bring you to God...”. (1 Peter 3.18)
