HOW DO YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS (From The Unshakable Truth Study Guide)
1. You have certain talents and gifts that may identify what you do best in life, but for what basic reason did God create you—that is, from God’s perspective what is your essential purpose for living?“If I were to crystallize what I think God’s purpose for me is, it would be…
2. In whose image and likeness were we created? (Read Genesis 1:26.) _____________As sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, do we naturally do a good job of reflecting God’s likeness and image?
3. “I think I do a pretty good job of reflecting a godly image in my life because….”Or, “I think I struggle to reflect a godly image in my life because….”
4. Do some scriptural research. Read Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:23; and 2 Corinthians 3:18.Based on these passages, what would you say your purpose is—why are you here? Is it different from your previous answer? How?“I would say my purpose is…
Galatians 6:8 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%206:8&version=CEV)
8 If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life.
Philippians 3:19 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:19&version=CEV)
19 that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205:17-18&version=CEV)
17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
Genesis 1:26 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%201&version=NIV)
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Romans 8:29 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Romans%208:29&version=NIV)
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Ephesians 4:23(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204:23&version=CEV)
23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking
2 Corinthians 3:18 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%203:18&version=CEV)
18 So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.
Ephesians 1:3 - 2:18 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%201:3%20-%202:18&version=CEV)
Christ Brings Spiritual Blessings
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind[a] and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.
7-8 Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, 9 and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. 10 Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.
11 God always does what he plans, and that’s why he appointed Christ to choose us. 12 He did this so that we Jews would bring honor to him and be the first ones to have hope because of him. 13 Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. 14 The Spirit also makes us sure that we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised.
Paul’s Prayer
15 I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 16 So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.
19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side[b] in heaven.21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.[c]
From Death to Life
2 In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God. 3 Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[d] This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
United by Christ
11 Don’t forget that you are Gentiles. In fact, you used to be called “uncircumcised” by those who take pride in being circumcised. 12 At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises that God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God, 13 and you were far from God. But Christ offered his life’s blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God.
14 Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body 15 to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. 16 On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace[e]between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. 17 Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. 18 And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.
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