The Reason I Live…
Dr. Russell K. Tardo
I. The Calling of Every Christian
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. [Rev. 4:11]
As believers, we were created to serve and worship God. We should ask ourselves, "Is the reason I live really to please God? How much pleasure does God get from my life? Do I really live to please Him or to please myself? Is God pleased with my activities, my thoughts, my attitudes, etc.?
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
[Mat. 6:33]
That’s the calling of every individual Christian. If you are seeking first the kingdom and His righteousness, then you are pleasing the Father. The things that you need, He will then supply.
II. The Will of the Father
Even Jesus sought to do the will of the Father.
I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. [John 5:30]
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. [John 6:38]
Jesus did the will of the Father. He had a single-minded purpose and goal, i.e., to please the Father. This is our purpose also. Now most people today are Hedonists whose chief goal in life is pleasure, i.e., personal happiness, to please themselves. In this society we have grown up thinking that the Hedonist philosophy is the correct way because it’s the way of most people in America. You won’t find anywhere in the scriptures where Jesus came to make us happy. He came to make us holy. As we conform to His teaching, we will be holy.
III. Self-Centered or God Centered?
The life of the Christian must be God-centered, i.e., centered on the kingdom. Most Christians today, however, lead a very self-centered lifestyle. They excuse their fleshly defilements, i.e., smoking, drinking, gluttony, etc. because it gives them pleasure. Materialism is the American way. Happiness is bought with material things. The philosophy appears to be that the more you own, the happier you will be. If you happen to be one who believes this philosophy, then Jesus was an unhappy man because He owned nothing. In fact, He had a warning to those with that philosophy.
...take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. [Lk. 12:15]
Genuine happiness only occurs when one has one’s life in conformance with the will of God.
Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. [Rom. 13:8]
...the borrower is servant to the lender. [Prov. 22:7]
...thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. [Deut. 28:12]
God even gave to Moses some prohibitions against the King of Israel.
14When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. [Deut. 17:14-17]
And who is the great example of a man who ignored these instructions? Solomon, son of David, was a pitiful example of a man who yielded to Hedonism, i.e., gross self-indulgence. In what did he indulge himself?
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
[1 Ki. 4:26]
1But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [1 Ki. 11:1-3]
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. [1 Ki. 10:14]
Saints, we should individually examine our affections, our lifestyles, etc. Are we leading God-centered lives or indulging in fleshly pursuits and habits that we should have dropped long ago? Let’s bring ourselves under control, making certain that it is evident to ourselves as well as others with whom we come in contact that Christ is the reason that we live and for whom we live in dedicated service.
