God is About US!

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What has God done for ME?

Today is my birthday! (May 6) What has God done for me?
Not much!!
For God so loved me, that he gave his only Son for me, so that if I believe in him, I should not perish but I would have eternal life.
John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son to me to condemn me, but in order that I might be saved through him.
ESV
John 3:17 ESV
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
But He DIDN’T do that for ME - He loved WORLD so the WORLD might live; sent Son to WORLD so that the WORLD wouldn’t be condemned
How do we understand Eph 2:6?
and He raised ME up with him and seated ME with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:6 ESV
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:6 ESV
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:8
Ephesians 2:8 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
“You” is PLURAL
Focus on ME <-- idea in 80s – substitute MY name; By grace DAVID has been saved. God has a job for DAVID. God raised DAVID up to heavenly places. Scott Wilson - “I’m going to be a history maker” - arrogant presumption? God DOES have a job for me - that’s true, but in context of BODY – multiple believers, not individuals. E.g. chorus list – “I…”
--
Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Ephesians 4:14–16 ESV
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Eph 4
About the BODY being built up. Yes – I may be called to ministry – but for the BODY to benefit.
Other areas of service - , – individually gifted for function in the BODY
Abraham – called as individual, but not called just for his benefit - it was for ALL the families and nations of the world.
Oswald Chambers - several quotations
My Utmost for His Highest November 3rd—A Bond-Slave of Jesus

Is he going to help Himself to us, or are we taken up with our conception of what we are going to be?

Valid to talk of our own experience - Paul did often - but only to show how Jesus was using him to build up body and equip us - the body of Christ - to reach world.
My Utmost for His Highest February 1st—The Call of God

It is a travesty to say that Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to redeem the whole world, and place it unimpaired and rehabilitated before the throne of God.

My Utmost for His Highest February 1st—The Call of God

Paul alludes to personal experience by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are nowhere commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification; we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (John 12:32). It is a travesty to say that Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to redeem the whole world,

My Utmost for His Highest July 12th—The Spiritual Society

We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy spiritual retirement; we are here so to realize Jesus Christ that the Body of Christ may be built up.

Am I building up the Body of Christ, or am I looking for my own personal development only?

Challenge - to all in kingdom of God. Peter specially called as apostle - included “strengthen your brothers”. Members of Corinthian congregation - “do all things to build each other up.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
For OUR sake - so in Him WE might be something to glorify God.
No suggestion of what He did for ME - what I might become. Many exhortations in gospels and epistles in context of body of believers - the whole kingdom of God, not my little corner of it. Purpose of Jesus dying wasn’t to save ME but to redeem WORLD. Now that I am child of God - purpose of Him working in my life isn’t about ME - it’s about US.
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