God's Plan For Me Series

GOD’S PLAN FOR ME

Romans 3:20-26

*Parents tend to have a plan, wishes, and hopes for their children. Teenagers may “roll their eyes” or “perish the thought” of fulfilling the dreams mom and dad has for them, but truthfully in most cases, the parents honestly desire the best for their offspring. However, we parents do have an incomplete picture of our children. We are not privy to their thoughts, pressures, deep seated frustrations or likes. The point is that while we want the best, we do not truly know what the best is for them.

* In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Faith in heaven will give good gifts to those who ask Him!” In the same way you and I desire the best for our kids, so does God want the best us and God has a much better knowledge of us that we have of our Children. He knows us from inside out, He knows what makes us tick, and He knows what is BEST for us.

* What God wants for everyone of His creation is this; fulfillment, peace, joy, love, security, gentleness, and much more. However, God knows that we cannot ever achieve this type of life without a guiding, loving, ongoing relationship with Him. How does He know this? He designed us this way. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you" — this is the LORD’s declaration — "plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God has a plan for every person’s hope and future, yet God has given mankind a human choice. Everyone makes a choice.

* When I was a kid, the adults in my life used a phrase which we do not use much anymore. “Bent and determined” was the phrase (and the faster you spoke it the more meaning it had.) Using that human argument, it would seem that mankind has been “bent and determined” to dismiss God from our lives. At the same time, it would seem that God is “bent and determined” to give us every opportunity to come to Him. He has given us laws, history, prophecy, & now His Son Jesus to draw us to Himself. He wants the best for us.

* We have been working our way through the book in the Bible known as Romans. If you will turn to chapter 3 with me and let’s look at verses 20-26. Paul has made a valiant attempt at helping us, the readers; understand our need for God’s help. Since chapter one he has pronounced judgment on the heathen, hypocrite, Hebrews, and humanity, in what has seemed unending bad news. Now, he begins to give the message of God’s desire and/or plan for me (and you). Let’s Read.

* For years songwriters have attempted picture for us the depth, length, height, width, and breath, of God’s love. The old gospel song says, “The Love of God is great far than tongue or pen could ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star & reaches to the lowest hell.” Bill Reynolds said it this way, “The Love of God is broader than earth vast expanse. Tis deeper and wider than the sea.” Michael W. Smith wrote, “How long, how wide, how high, and how deep is the love; how deep is the love of Christ.” It is the love of God reaching for us to give us the best this life has to offer and prepare us for eternity. Because of His love, He has a plan for us & a require-ment for us is to understand or comprehend His plan. In this text, I see 3 different degrees of understanding which is required to take advantage of His plan for me;

1. I need a practical understanding. Being a pragmatist means that I always desire the pragmatic or practical understanding of whatever I may do. Paul has been using words like judgment, condemnation, blasphemy, and sin, yet what He wants to readers to clearly understand is this “the righteousness of God has been revealed.” (Read verses 20-22) To summarize, he tells us that the law was given to show us how sinful we are and that no one will be saved by keeping the law. The law reveals our bent toward evil. However, with the words, “BUT NOW”, Paul turns a corner and says, “Sin and punishment existed, but now something better is here, it is God’s righteousness.” And it has here;

a. Apart from the Law. Don’t miss this. The law serves it purpose and it does this very well. It shows our need.

* It tells us where we’ve fallen and then the righteous-ness of God is revealed to show us how we can get up.