ROMANS 9:25- 33. VINDICATING GOD (PART 4) GOD’S PLAN OUR PURSUIT...
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THROWN INTO THE DEEP END OF THE SWIMMING BATHS AS A CHILD, WHEN YOU COULDN’T SWIM? I’VE EXPERIENCED IT......FOR ALL YOUR WORTH YOU TRY AND KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER BUT TO NOW AVAIL YOU BEGIN SINKING, SWALLOWING IN WATER, GASPING FOR AIR, YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF THE MORE YOU TRY, THE HARDER IT BECOMES TO STAY AFLOAT, YOU BEGIN SINKING DEEPER UNTIL SOME ONE DIVES IN, RESCUES YOU, YOU ARE BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE, THEN THEY PASS YOU A BUOYANCY AID TO STAY AFLOAT.
THESE LAST FEW WEEKS WE HAVE BEEN THROWN INTO THE DEEP END (GODS SOVEREIGNTY, HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES ) AT TIMES WE MIGHT HAVE FELT THAT WE ARE SINKING TRYING TO RECONCILE GODS SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL ENABLE US TO STAY AFLOAT IN SUCH DEEP WATERS WILL BE IF WE OURSELVES ARE LIVING BY FAITH, IF YOU ARE WITHOUT FAITH THEN YOUR NEED IS TO PURSUE FAITH. FAITH IS OUR BUOYANCY AID IN THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. OUR FEET WILL NEVER TOUCH THE BOTTOM OF GODS PURPOSES WE ARE JUST FLOATING UPON THE SURFACE OF THE DEPTHS OF GODS SOVEREIGN PURPOSES ..... ROM: 11 33 OH THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE HIS JUDGEMENTS AND HIS PATHS BEYOND TRACING OUT.
AS MATTHEW HENRY SAID, “WHEN WE CANNOT, BY SEARCHING, FIND THE BOTTOM, WE MUST SIT DOWN AT THE BRINK AND ADORE THE DEPTH.”
LIVING BY FAITH, WE SIMPLY TRUST A SOVEREIGN GOD WHO UPHOLDS US BY FAITH. YET WITHOUT FAITH WE WILL DROWN. WE WILL BE MEN AMD WOMEN MOST MISERABLE A BIT LIKE THESE JEWS WHO ARE ARGUING THE TOSS WITH PAUL AND WITH THE GOD HE IS PROCLAIMING......INSTEAD OF SIMPLY TRUSTING IN A GOD WHO IS WAY DEEPER AND BIGGER THAN OUR HUMAN MIND CAN COMPREHEND.
PAUL’S COUNTRYMEN HAVE WANTED ANSWERS AND PAUL HAS VINDICATED GOD.....
• ISRAELIS UNBELIEF DOESN’T BREAK ANY OF GODS PROMISES BUT FULFILS THEM. V6- 13
• THAT ACCUSATION THAT GOD IS UNJUST REFUTED BY SHOWING GOD TO BE MERCIFUL (SALVATION) AND JUST.V14- 18
• WE CANNOT BLAME GOD, BUT NEED TO STAND IN AWE OF GOD GLORY SHOWN . V19 -24
• NOW HE SHOWS HOW GENTILE INCLUSION AND JEWISH UNBELIEF ISN’T INCONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN OF GOD SHOWN THOUGH THE PROPHETS V25 –33. AND OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY IN PURSUING GOD IS MOST IMPORTANT..
VINDICATING GOD PART 4 IS STILL ALL ABOUT GODS ELECTING LOVE, THIS TIME IT FEATURES THE INCLUSION OF GENTILE BELIEVERS V25 -26 AND A REMNANT OF JEWS V27 -29 . HE POINTS AS TWICE BEFORE TO A COUPLET OF SCRIPTURE PASSAGES PREVIOUSLY FROM THE TORAH NOW FROM THE PROPHETS. PAUL POINTS TO HOSEA AND ISAIAH WHO MINISTERED AROUND 750 BC TO THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN KINGDOMS.
1. GODS INCLUSIVE PLAN V25 -26.
PAUL IS QUOTING FROM THE PROPHET HOSEA 2:23 READ , WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN A PROPHET SPOKE GODS WORD INTO A SITUATION IT OFTEN HAD A THREEFOLD FULFILMENT FIRSTLY IMMEDIATE HISTORICAL FULFILMENT, INTERMEDIATE AND SPIRITUAL AND THIRDLY AN ETERNAL FULFILMENT.
THE IMMEDIATE (HISTORICAL ISRAEL 8H BC TO THE NORTHERN KINGDOM.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO IN A RELATIONSHIP IF YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE WAS CONSISTENTLY UNFAITHFUL? HOW COMMITTED WOULD YOU BE TO THAT RELATIONSHIP? COULD YOU CONTINUE TO FORGIVE, COULD THERE BE RECONCILIATION? WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS BEEN IN THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP HE WAS A HUSBAND TO ISRAEL AND THEY PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES TO IDOLATRY..........
A. THE JEWISH CONNECTION
THE PROPHET HOSEA WAS TOLD BY GOD TO TAKE A WOMAN WHO WOULD BECOME AN ADULTEROUS WIFE 1:2 READ , THIS RELATIONSHIP REPRESENTED THE RELATIONSHIP THAT GOD WAS HAVING WITH ISRAEL AT THE TIME, THE PEOPLE HAD TURNED AWAY FROM GOD THEY HAD PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES TO IDOLATRY TO BAAL AND OTHER GODS. OVER TIME HOSEA AND GOMER HAD CHILDREN WHETHER THEY WERE HIS OR NOT IS DEBATABLE AS SHE PROSTITUTED HERSELF TO OTHERS, BUT ITS THE NAMES WHICH AR E IMPORTANT THAT GOD CALLED HOSEA TO GIVE .......
1:4 . A SON – CALLED JEZREEL - MEANS SCATTERED. 25 YEARS LATER THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL WAS SCATTERED 722 BC.
1:6 A DAUGHTER - CALLED LO RUHAMAH: MEANS NOT LOVED. BECAUSE HE WILL NO LONGER SHOW LOVE TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
1:9 A BOY- CALLED LO-AMMI . MEANS NOT MY PEOPLE
THESE NAMES HAVE ALL REFERENCE TO GODS RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL - BOTH THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN KINGDOMS WERE SCATTERED – GOD TOOK HIS LOVE AWAY FROM THEM - AND THEY WERE NO LONGER HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY BROKE THEIR PROMISES, THEY WERE UNFAITHFUL. GOD IS DISSOLVING HIS COVENANT WITH THEM, JER 7:23 GODS WARNING CAME TO FRUITION (DEUT 28:15-68).
YET GOD PROMISES RECONCILIATION 1:10 HE IS GOING TO ALLURE HIS ADULTEROUS PEOPLE BACK 2:14, HOSEA IS A LIVING PARABLE OF WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO WITH ISRAEL. THEY HAD BECOME UN LOVED AND NOT THE PEOPLE OF GOD. YET RESTORATION CAME – THEY WERE BROUGHT OUT OF CAPTIVITY - GOD GAVE THEM BACK LAND – THE TEMPLE- THE NATION ITS IDENTITY THIS IS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
HOSEA IS SAYING GOD IS GOING TO WELCOME PEOPLE AGAIN WHO WERE UNWELCOMED HE IS GOING TO DECLARE HIS LOVE AGAIN TO UNLOVED PEOPLE. SO THE IMMEDIATE LITERAL APPLICATION WAS TO ISRAEL WHO WERE JUDGED BY GOD FOR APOSTASY BUT LATER RECEIVING RECONCILIATION.
SO I BELIEVE PAUL IS APPLYING THIS HISTORICAL CONTEXT TO THE CURRENT JEWISH UNBELIEF – HE IS FACING - AS JESUS THE MESSIAH (GOD) - THEY REJECTED - HENCE THE TEMPLE DESTROYED 70 AD - THE JEWISH PEOPLE SCATTERED HISTORY HAS REPEATED ITSELF AND ONCE AGAIN WE SEE A REMNANT OF JEWS BEING SAVED AND WILL BE SAVED AS THE END TIMES COME TO ITS CLOSE.
B. THE GENTILE CONNECTION: THE INCLUSIVE PLAN THE GOSPEL APPLICATION
GOD IS GOING TO CALL PEOPLE TO HIMSELF WHO ARE NOT HIS PEOPLE HE WILL CALL AN UNLOVED PEOPLE AND LOVE THEM . A PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ONLY JEWS BUT GENTILES V24.
ALL OF US ARE BORN IN SIN - SEPARATED FROM GOD – OUR NATURAL CONDITION WE ARE UNLOVED - UNWANTED FROM GOD – OUR LIVES ARE DEVOID OF THE REAL GOD - YET HERE IS THE MERCY AND LOVE OF GOD EVEN IN THIS CONDITION - GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS MERCY TOWARDS US - GOD ALLURES US BACK TO HIMSELF. HOW? THROUGH THE DEATH OF CHRIST.
EPH 2:12 – 13 : REMEMBER AT A TIME YOU WERE SEPARATE FROM CHRIST, EXCLUDED FROM THE CITIZENSHIP IN ISRAEL AND FOREIGNERS TO THE COVENANTS OF THE PROMISE, WITHOUT HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD . BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS YOU WHO WERE ONCE FAR AWAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
SO WE TOO CAN BECOME A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD , LOVED , HIS TREASURED POSSESSION ONCE MORE SONS OF THE LIVING GOD V27. 1PET 2:10 . ONCE YOU WERE NOT A PEOPLE, BUT NOW YOU ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD , ONCE YOU HAD NOT RECEIVED MERCY, BUT NOW YOU RECEIVED MERCY.
SO HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO IN AN UNFAITHFUL RELATIONSHIP? WOULD YOU JUST GIVE UP ON THE OTHER PERSON? GOD NEVER DOES, IT ALWAYS THE OTHER WAY ROUND, HE WENT ALL THE WAY TO WIN US BACK, HE WENT TO THE CROSS SO THAT WE COULD BE INCLUDED, SO THAT WE COULD BE LOVED – SO THAT WE COULD BELONG TO HIM.
GODS EXCLUSIVE PLAN FOR THE JEW .V27 -29.
• WHAT ARE YOU LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING CARPETS DO YOU GO THROUGH THE HOST OF SAMPLE BOOKS OR DO YOU CHOOSE FROM THE REMNANTS THAT ARE LEFT IN THE WAREHOUSE ON SHOW?
HERE PAUL TELLS HIS HEARERS THAT GOD CHOOSES A REMNANT OF JEWS TO BE SAVED SO THEIR WHOLE SALE UNBELIEF IS NOT A SURPRISE BUT WAS ALWAYS WITHIN THE PLAN OF GOD FOR HIS PEOPLE.
UPON WITNESSING A ROMAN CENTURION FAITH, JESUS SAID MATT 8:11 -12 I SAY TO YOU THAT MANY WILL COME FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST, AND WILL TAKE THEIR PLACES AT THE FEAST WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. BUT THE SUBJECTS OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE THROWN OUTSIDE, INTO THE DARKNESS WHERE THEE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.
PAUL REFERS HERE TO ISAIAH LIKE HOSEA WAS AN 8TH CENTURY PROPHET AT A TIME OF APOSTASY - UNLIKE THE HOSEA TEXT WHICH REFEREED TO THE NORTHERN KINGDOM HERE ISAIAH IS SPEAKING TO THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH WHO HAD FORSAKEN GOD AND WERE FACING INVASIONS FROM THE ASSYRIANS ALSO. ISAIAH ULTIMATELY SPEAKS OF ASSYRIA BEING OVER THROWN AND A SMALL REMNANT OF GODS PEOPLE REMAINING FAITHFUL TO GOD .
• IN FACT ISAIAH HAD A SON CALLED SHEAR –JASHUB 7:3. WHICH MEANS : A REMNANT WILL RETURN.
HE PROPHESIES THAT “ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF ISRAELITES BE LIKE THE SAND BY THE SEA. ONLY THE REMNANT WILL RETURN (SAVED ) . ” V27 ISAIAH.10:22. THE KEY HERE IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE MAJORITY WHO ARE LOST AND THE MINORITY WHO ARE SAVED – V6 FOR NOT ALL DESCENDED FROM ISRAEL ARE ISRAEL.
PAULS PRESENT GOSPEL CONTEXT - HIS GOSPEL MINISTRY CONFIRMED THE PROPHETS WORDS - THAT ONLY A REMNANT WOULD BE SAVED - PAUL HAD A HEART FOR JEWS 9:1-3. HE WANTED THEM TO BE SAVED - HE SEES THEIR UNBELIEF FITTING INTO GODS EXCLUSIVE PLANS FOR A REMNANT TO BE SAVED.
EVEN SO ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES PAUL GOES WHEN HE WAS PREACHING EVEN THOUGH HE WAS AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES WAS TO THE SYNAGOGUE TO PREACH TO JEWS – THE WHOLE SALE UNBELIEF DIDN’T DETER HIM - BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN GODS PLAN AND WITNESSED A REMNANT BEING SAVED THROUGHOUT HIS MINISTRY. ACTS:13:5,14, 43, 14:1,17:2,5,10,13, 18:4,8,19.
• WE MUST NOT GIVE UP WITNESSING TO OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FIENDS.
• GOD IS CHOOSING A REMNANT OF JEWS CHOSEN BY GRACE TO BE SAVED ROM 11:1 -5. V29 UNLESS THE LORD ALMIGHTY HAD LEFT US DESCENDANTS , WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE D GOMORRAH ISAIAH 1:9: A PLACE WHERE ONLY LOT AND HIS TWO DAUGHTER WERE SAVED - GOD CALLED THEM OUT - AND SO GOD CALLS OUT AN EXCLUSIVE REMNANT OUT OF ISRAEL TODAY TO BE SAVED.
IMAGINE IF GOD HAD NOT INTERVENED IN SODOM AND GOMORRAH WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED? NOBODY......PEOPLE ARE ONLY SAVED BECAUSE GOD HAS INTERVENED.
AS A RESULT OF THAT INTERVENTION WE HAVE THE AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO CALL PEOPLE LIKE PAUL TO BE SAVED AND PEOPLE HAVE THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND AND BE SAVED BECAUSE WE NOW GOD HAS INTERVENED AND CALLED OUT A REMNANT FOM JEW AND GENTILE TO BE SAVED.
1. PURSUING GODS PLAN OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY V30 -33.
NOW WE MIGHT BE FEELING A LITTLE BIT LIKE ITS ALL OF GOD AND I HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER AT ALL BUT THAT’S WHERE YOU WRONG BECAUSE YOU DO. V30 -33 WE SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN..... AND SPEAKS OF OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY TO PURSUE RIGHTOUSNESS.
D LLOYD JONES SUMS UP PAULS POSITION IN THESE WORDS, “V 6-29 HE EXPLAINS WHY ANYBODY IS SAVED: IT IS THE SOVEREIGN ELECTION OF GOD. V 30 -33 HE IS SHOWING US WHY ANYBODY IS LOST, AND THE EXPLANATION TO THAT IS OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY.” VOLUME 9 P28. COMMENTARY ON ROMANS
A. THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY LAW V31 AND CHRIST BECOMES A STUMBLING STONE (ISAIAH 8:14 2PET 2: 7-8 ).
• WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IN COMING TO CHRIST? SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS – BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SEE YOUR NEED OF BEING SAVED AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE THESE JEWS ARE..
V31 FIRSTLY WE SEE THERE IS A WONG WAY TO PURSUE GOD ( THE MOST POPULAR OF ALL PURSUITS) THESE JEWS PURSUED RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GOD THROUGH KEEPING LAWS - WHETHER THEY WEE CEREMONIAL – CIVIL OR MORAL LAWS THEY WERE BOUND BY THEM AND THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS ACCUMULATED AND ACCREDITED TO THEM THOUGH THIS PURSUIT.
• ISN’T THAT LIKE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE STILL? ATTENDING CHURCH- PARTICIPATING IN RITUALS AND OBSERVANCES - MORAL OBEDIENCE – BEING NICE – DOING GOOD WORKS - HOW CAN GOD REFUSE US? THEY BELIEVE IT WILL SEE THEM RIGHT BEFORE GOD . AFTER ALL WE HAVE PLAYED BY THE RULES .... THEIR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS BY THEIR OWN EFFORTS.
YET PAUL GIVES THESE LAW KEEPERS A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW. THEY HAVE NOT ATTAINED IT V31.
V32 WHY NOT? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ELECT? NO! THEY DIDN’T PURSUE FAITH (HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY) . WE CAN NEVER EARN GODS FAVOUR BY OUR WORKS BUT BY FAITH.
• I REMEMBER ONCE WALKING INTO WIGSTON ONE SATURDAY, NOW I’VE DONE THE WALK A MILLION TIMES BUT THIS TIME I WALKED INTO A LARGE STONE BOLLARD AND IT HURT I STUMBLED ONTO THE FLOOR. THE REASON I WALKED INTO THE BOLLARD WAS I WASNT LOOKING WHERE I WAS GOING - I THOUGHT I KNEW THE ROUTE AND SO I STUMBLED OVER THIS HUGE CONCRETE BOLLARD.
V32 -33 AND SO THEY STUMBLED OVER A STUMBLING STONE. FRIENDS THAT STONE IS JESUS CHRIST. RELIGIOUS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PURSUING GOD THROUGH LAW FOR CENTURIES - THEY THINK THEY KNOW THE WAY – SO THEY FAIL TO LOOK TO CHRIST – THEY PURSUE LAW – THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS - AND SO FAIL TO PURSUE RIGHTOUSNESS BY FAITH AND SO THEY STUMBLE.
B. THE GENTILES PURSUED RIGHTOUSNESS BY FAITH V30 CHRIST BECOMES A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE (ISAIAH 28:16, 2PET 2:6)
THE IRONIC THING, IS THE GENTILES WHO DID NOT PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS V30 ( ROM 1: 18 – 32) (TO A JEW GENTILE WAS SYNOMONUS WITH SINNER, SO IF YOU WERE A GENTILE YOU WERE BRANDED A SINNER THEY WERE PAGAN OUTSIDE OF GODS REMIT) YET WHEN THE GOSPEL CAME MORE OF THEM THAN THE MORAL RELIGIOUS JEW ACTUALLY OBTAINED IT V30 . THROUGH FAITH V30. HEART OF GOSPEL ROM 3:23 RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
SADLY THEIR ARE COUNTLESS SELF RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE STRIVING TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH LAW YET WILL STUMBLE AND THEN OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT A THOUGHT FOR GOD AND HIS WAYS - BUT AT SOME POINT WILL SEE THEIR SIN AND REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL BY FAITH AND BECOME A CHRISTIAN. AND THE DIFFERENCE IS THE WAY THEY HAVE PURSUED THEIR RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD. EPH 2:8 WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH AND NOT BY WORKS SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST.
TO THIS PERSON JESUS CHRIST ISN’T A STUMBLING STONE BUT A CHIEF CORNERSTONE OF LIFE AND ETERNITY WHOM THEY CAN TRUST AND WHOM THEY BUILD THEIR LIFE UPON. PAUL CLEARLY SHOWS US OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH -YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE – FOR YOUR CHOICES - PURSUE CHRIST AND BE SAVED OR DO IT YOURSELF RELIGION AND STUMBLE.
YOUTH STUDY PAPER ON ROMANS 9 :25 -33 VINDICATING GOD PART 4 – GODS PLAN MANS PURSUIT.
1. WHEN WE CONSIDER GODS SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY IT IS DIFFICULT FOR HUMAN MINDS TO GRASP, BUT WHAT WILL ENABLE US TO RECONCILE THESE TWO TEACHINGS FOUND IN THE BIBLE? ........................
2. WHO WERE THE TWO PROPHETS THAT PAUL REFERS TO.................. AND ................... WHO MINISTERED TO THE NORTHERN KINGDOM....................... AND WHO MINISTERED TO THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM.......................
3. THE NORTHERN KINGDOM IN HOSEA’S DAY WERE ............................. TO GOD AND SO GOD ABANDONED THEM LETTING THE ASSYRIANS ATTACK THEM AND TAKING THEM INTO CAPTIVITY, THE YEAR WAS .............BC.
4. PAUL IS POINTING OUT TO THE JEWS THAT IT WAS ALWAYS IN GODS PLAN THAT ONLY A ............................. OF JEWS WOULD BE SAVED.
5. GOD PROMISED THAT HE WOULD ................ AGAIN THOSE WHOM HE UNLOVED.
6. PAUL IS APPLYING THIS TEXT ALSO TO THE INCLUSION OF THE................... IN HIS OWN DAY AND OURS.
7. AGAIN THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH PAUL SHOWS THAT GODS PLAN IS FOR A REMNANT OF JEWS TO BE SAVED IF GOD HAD NOT HAD INTENIENED LIKE HE DID WHEN HE RESCUED LOT AND HIS TWO DAUGHTERS FROM SODOM AND GOMORRAH, WHO WOULD BE SAVED?........................
8. SO PAUL HAS SHOWN THROUGH THE PROPHETS GODS ............ TO SAVE ................... AND A REMNANT OF ...........
9. NAME THE TWO WAYS PEOPLE PURSUE GOD? THOUGH ......................... AND THROUGH ..............................
10. WHO IS THE STONE THAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO STUMBLE...................
11. HOW SHOULD WE PURSUE RIGHTOUSNESS................................ IF WE TRUST IN CHRIST WE WILL NEVER BE PUT TO ......................... HAVE YOU PURSUED CHRIST YET YOU HAVE A .............................. WHAT ARE YOU PURSUING IN LIFE?............................................
