The purpose of this lesson: To stress the importance of understanding God's purpose to enable us to have a better understanding of God's character.
Begin by noting a common problem. Humans (certainly including Christians!) tend to weave their immediate concerns into the fabric of their religious faith. As an example, consider Henry Kissinger. He was the 56th Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977. He was also Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from 1969 to 1975. At the height of his public political career, he was an accomplished, well known man worldwide. On a continent (other than the Americas) in a country much removed from the USA, many citizens in that nation regarded him to be the beast in Revelation. Though he was just a man, he became a religious symbol considered a threat to that nation. As a second example, incorporated among the concerns of radical Muslims is the conviction that Western culture is a threat to their faith system.
It is amazing how often we force what God said or what scripture said to fit our concerns or desires. Such is easy to see in others but hard to see in ourselves.
Before we as Christians quickly "finger point" at the convictions of nonchristian perspectives, note how often we individualize our religious convictions. There are few things that we do not justify or rationalize on a religious basis. We either keep our mouths shut about our real reasons, or we say, "Don't you know?" as we cite what we think is a biblical justification.
Before we find fault with others, we need to honestly examine ourselves. People will listen and learn from us only when we are honest about our own flaws. We cannot always be right, but we can always be honest.
The power of religious influence in a religious human's existence commonly is powerful beyond imagination. Likely all of us have behavior-altering or behavior-shaping beliefs whose only justification for existing is "that is (was) what my parents believed and taught me." Such is likely true of our parents also. Their parents influenced them, they influenced us, and we influence our children.
We need to be honest with God and His Word if we are to see what He says instead of what we want Him to say.
In the short, one chapter book of 2 John, John stressed these things: (a) Love each other. (b) Keep God's commandments--of which loving each other is one. (c) Beware of the deceivers. The deceivers do not believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Do not let the deceivers destroy your reward. (d) Abide in [continue your existence in] the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is the key to having a relationship with God. Be extremely cautious about being influenced by those who would destroy your faith in Jesus Christ. (e) I [the writer] will give you additional instructions when I see you.
Two of John's emphases stand out in this short letter. (a) Christian commitment led Christians to love Christians. Commitment to relationship with God through Christ was more significant than other relationships. (b) There were those who were dedicated to deception. A denial of Jesus as being God's promised Christ was a key part of their deception.
Please note: the source of the commandments they should follow [which will direct them to truth] is God the Father (verse 4). God the Father will use the teachings of Jesus Christ to guide them to truth and Himself. They are to understand that the ultimate source of spiritual truth is God the Father.
God is the source of truth about relationship with Him. He communicates His values through Jesus Christ's teachings.
To me, these truths are self-evident in 2 John's message: (a) The Christian never stops growing, never stops understanding. (b) He or she will rely on the teachings of Jesus Christ to lead him or her to God (sound like John 14:6, 7?). (c) The Christian will be extremely cautious about what he or she allows to influence him or her. (d) He or she knows there are people who want to deceive him or her. These people deny the significance of Jesus Christ and his relationship with God.
Holding on to what they learned in Jesus Christ could be as demanding as the learning that turned them from idolatry to Jesus Christ. It is demanding to hang on to what you have learned in Jesus Christ when you face severe temptation.
Put on your thinking caps. God has a purpose in Jesus Christ that He has in no one or nothing else. God said to Abraham before Israel existed, 2000 years before the birth of Jesus, "And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). God also said to Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" (Genesis 22:18). And again in Genesis 26:4 "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed ..." And yet again, "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 28:14).
To see God as an aimless being or to see God as One who changes purposes easily is to misunderstand God. God had a particular relationship He wanted with humans from creation. At no time in all the ages did that desire change. It still has not changed. God made it evident in His promises to Abraham that He pursued His desire with purpose. That desire could not be satisfied with one nation. God wanted that relationship with all families of the earth.
Luke (Acts 3:25, 26) and Paul (Galatians 3:1-14) declared God spoke of Jesus when he said Abraham's descendants would bring a blessing to the world.
God's desire/purpose could be and would be satisfied in Jesus the Christ.
The ultimate purpose of God for the Jewish nation and their temple was to lead all nations to God. When Solomon dedicated the first temple, he prayed, "Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name's sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name" (I Kings 8:41-43). Isaiah wrote, "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations ..." (Isaiah 42:6) Again Isaiah wrote, "He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant, To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations, So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth'" (Isaiah 49:6).
God's desire was to use the nation of Israel as His means to His purpose. He wanted to work in Israel in such a manner that He would not only bring the Christ, but that they also would help Him reach the world. The problem occurred because Israel concluded that they were God's objective, not just God's means to His purpose. We, as Christians, can too easily make the same mistake. God wanted them to illustrate His greatness.
God had a purpose when He made promises to Abraham. He pursued the same purpose in Israel. He pursues the same purpose in Jesus Christ, and in us. God's purpose has not changed Even Jesus as he faced death on the night of his betrayal understood God has a purpose. In Jesus' immediate purpose, he did not wish to die or assume the huge responsibility attached to his death. Yet, he understood that God's purpose was more significant than his immediate concerns. So he prayed three times, "And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will'" (Matthew 26:39).
It is critical to being a spiritual person who lives his/her spirituality that the person never forgets (not even God's own son forgot) that "my" purpose is always less important than God's purpose. We must identify and progressively understand God's purpose to distinguish between "my" purpose and God's purpose.
The unending goal we have is twofold. (a) We must constantly grow in understanding God's continuing purpose. (b) We must constantly yield our immediate purpose to God's continuing purpose. The fact that people can be useful to God as He achieves His purpose witnesses to the importance of people to God.
Focus your life as a Christian on the fact that God has an objective. Constantly grow in understanding of what that objective is.
For Thought and Discussion:
Humans tend to weave their immediate concerns into the fabric of their religious faith.
God has a purpose in Jesus Christ He has in no one or nothing else.
A blessing will come to everyone on earth through the descendants of Abraham.
He intended Israel to be a light to the nations.
God's purpose is more important than our immediate concerns.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 8