Your Life and What Comes After

Your Life And What Comes After (2): God’s Grand Plan Part 2

Rick TryonLeave a comment

We have a function to perform and a part to play, each one of us individually and all of us together as God’s people, in God’s Grand Plan.

God’s Desire

God’s desire is to dwell together with his children forever in His perfect creation.

Our job in that relationship is to love and glorify our Heavenly Father and to take care of and add value to the creation He has given us.

The original creation and state of mankind was in perfect harmony and fellowship with the Creator and all was well with the universe.

The Rebellion

Then disobedience, rebellion, and sin cut mankind (Adam and Eve) off from their relationship with God.

Adam and Eve hid from God in shame. God’s perfect garden of delight was ruined, brought forth thorns and weeds, and was no longer the joyous place for Adam and Eve to tend and enjoy.

So Along Came Jesus

Then, after the fall and ruin, the whole purpose and plan of God is to restore that original relationship with His people and redeem the creation from the wreck of death and decay brought about by the rebellion.

The way he has done and is doing that is through His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who through his love and obedience has made it possible for us to once again live God’s original purpose.

So What About Us?

What is our part in all of this today? Where do you fit in?

Let’s consider this idea: Our purpose is to help God in bringing about the redemption of His people and the final restoration of His creation.

Let me say that again with a slight variation: YOUR purpose is to help God in bringing about the redemption of His people and the final restoration of His creation.

So, we can either believe we are just tiny specks of dust with no purpose or meaning floating around aimlessly in a cold and dark universe – or we can believe that we are actually workers together with the Creator of the universe to accomplish a Grand Plan with an everlasting purpose.

I choose the latter. The challenge is to understand and believe it to the point of action. How do we do that? We’ll dig deeper in the next post.

Your Life And What Comes After: God’s Grand Plan Part 1

Your Life And What Comes After (1): God’s Grand Plan

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Too many times, folks seeking purpose in their lives come up short in finding the answers they’re looking for. Why?

I think most of the time it’s because you can’t really understand the purpose of your individual life unless and until you gain some understanding of, and appreciation for, what I call God’s Grand Plan.

What is God’s Grand Plan?

Well, let’s let the Word of God speak for itself:

Genesis 1:27-28 – So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” (Berean Standard Bible)

First, we are the only creatures that carry the image of God. We are to be like Him, and we are to reflect who He is to the creation—which is to glorify our Creator.

Second, we are to be fruitful and multiply, caring for and adding value to His creation, and filling it with more and more of His image-bearers so that God is glorified more and more.

God created man not only to reflect His image and add value to His creation, but also to have a relationship with Him. We are to be companions of and have fellowship with the Creator of the universe.

That was God’s original intention. Then it all went wrong because of man’s disobedience and refusal to submit to the clear and loving will of his Creator.

Now What?

Now God’s Grand Plan is to restore His people and His creation to their original purpose. Paradise was lost; it is to be regained. Everlasting life with God was lost; it is to be regained.

But our original purpose remains the same today, even in a fallen state of sin, death, darkness, and rebellion: to glorify God and add value to His creation.

What Does That Have To Do With My Life?

If you’ve ever been part of a team or organization, you know that once you get a basic understanding of the ‘big picture’ goals and purpose of the team or organization, your part in it begins to make more sense, and you get a clearer vision of what you need to do individually.

We’ll start to look into what all of that means—and what it looks like in real life—in the next part of this series.

Your Life And What Comes After: Introduction

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Today’s post is an introduction to a new series of articles I’ll be writing for Bible Rebel. I’m calling this ongoing effort ‘Your Life And What Comes After‘.

I’ve been thinking about this project for years and am excited that the gestation period is now over and it’s time to birth the baby, knowing that the birthing process itself will take a considerable amount of time. I think I can get it done one weekly piece at a time over a year or so.

Here is a general outline of what I’ll be covering in upcoming articles and the overall content and purpose of this series:

  • God’s Grand Purpose and Plan
  • The believers role in God’s Grand Purpose and Plan
  • Heaven, hell, and the end of the world
  • Who is the King and what is the Kingdom of Heaven
  • Your calling in light of everlasting life

The ‘Your Life And What Comes After‘ series will be a work in progress and a journey of discovery – for the reader as well as for the writer.

I’m looking forward to the journey.