Quotes from the book, Purpose Driven Life

Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life is an outstanding book that expresses the best principles that everyone should have.  Sometimes we can be so focused on here and now and forget what God has in store for us.  We forget that we are here to serve and praise him.  Therefore, we must live and act for God’s glory.

Let the following quotes (by Rick Warren) inspire you to stay focused on what really matters:

“The purpose of life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.  It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.”

“…life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not your using him for your own purpose.”

“The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it.  The same is true of discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.”

“God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess.  He has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible.  It is our owner’s manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future.”

“You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

“The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.”

“We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”

“Listen: Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment.  Your past is past! Nothing will change it.  You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness.  For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.”

“Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be.  You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.

“Without a purpose, life is a motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason.  Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless.”

“The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.”

“Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t.  You simply ask, “Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?”

“Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources.  You will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and your mood at the moment.”

“It is impossible to do everything people want you to do.  You have just enough time to do God’s will.  If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended for you to do.”

“Purpose-driven life leads to a simpler lifestyle and a saner schedule.”

“If you want your life to have impact, focus it!  Stop dabbling.  Stop trying to do it all.  Do less.  Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most.  Never confuse activity with productivity.  You can be busy without a purpose, but what’s the point?”

“It is usually meaningless work, not overwork that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy.”

“You weren’t put on earth to be remembered.  You were put here to prepare for eternity.”

“God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views.  The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? What did you do with what I gave you?  What did you do with your life – your gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you?  Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made for you?”

“When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently.  You will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance… The closer you live to God the smaller everything else appears.”

How to start a relationship with Christ?

TO START A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

A. 

              Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23

B.      Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish; but have eternal life.” John 3:16

C.      Confess and leave your sin behind. Stop sinning. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

To continue growing in your relationship with Christ, fellowship with other believers, read the Bible and pray!

The Bible

The word Bible comes from the Greek word Biblia which means “books.” That is exactly what the Bible is – a collection of books. When we say “Holy Bible,” we speak of a collection of holy books. The word Scriptures means “sacred or divine writings.”

The Bible is divided into two sections – The Old Testament and the New Testament. The word Testament means covenant. We could correctly speak of the Old Testament and the New Covenant. A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and His people. The Old Testament tells about God’s covenant with Abraham and His descendants, the nation of Israel (Gen. 12:1-3; Exo. 19:3-8). Jeremiahspoke of a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) and his prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Jesus established the new covenant of grace by dying on the cross for our sins (Mt. 26:28).

The Bible, a special book.

●The Bible is special because of its INSPIRATION.

2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is inspired by God…” meaning that the Holy Spirit breathed divine truth into chosen human writers (see 2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit guided these writers as they wrote God’s revelation of Himself. We do not know exactly how the Holy Spirit did this, but the result is clear. The Bible is inspired by God, and it inspires us.

There are many theories how God inspired the writers of the Bible. The Bible does not explain what method the Holy Spirit used. These are the theories according to the conservatives.

Dictation theory- The Holy Spirit dictated each of the words to the writers of the Bible. This means that the writers of the Bible simply acted as scribes or secretaries.

Verbal-Plenary- The Holy Spirit guided the writers of the Bible. Because of this, they were able to write the correct words; but still God used their own personal experiences.

Dynamic-The Holy Spirit inspired the writers. Because of this, they were able to write accurately the message of God, but in their own words.

Don’t worry about these three theories. It is enough to know that there are many theories about revelation. These are the three most common ideas about how God gave His Word to man.

●The Bible is special because of its AUTHORITY.

In 2 Peter 1:21, Peter testified that the prophets “spoke the message that came from God.” The expression “Thus saith the Lord” occurs 359 times in the Bible which strengthens the belief that the Bible is the Word of God.

The Bible is our authority in all areas of life, authoritative in all matters of faith and practice/s. This means that the Bible guides us in our beliefs and in our daily living. It also means that the Bible tells us how to work in our Churches. It is important for us to value the Bible as our authority in matters of faith. God’s Word is reliable!

●The Bible is special because of its MESSAGE.

The entire Bible, whether the Old Testament or the New Testament, looks to the mighty redemptive atonement of Christ. Jesus said, “You study the scriptures because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures speak about me.”(John 5:39). The Old Testament looks forward to Christ. The New Testament looks back on Christ’s life and forward to His second coming. The key message of the Bible is found in Luke 24:45-47. “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘This is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations’…” The message of the Bible is redemption from sin through faith.

●The Bible is special because of its PURPOSE.

The Bible is to reveal God, to show the way of salvation, and to instruct us in how to live.

-  The primary purpose of the Bible is to bring men to salvation (see John 20:30-31).

-  The Bible second’s purpose is to guide us in our living (see Psa.119:105). The Bible encourages us to be faithful in service to God (Romans 15:4). The Scriptures also equips

 us for service (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

-  The Bible presents to us God’s  nature and character. It tells us about His works. God teaches us about Himself through the Bible.

●The Bible is special because of its NATURE.

-  The message of the Bible is eternal. (Psa. 119:89; Isa.40:8; Lk.21:33). Its true message will never change.

-  The Bible is true (John 17:17). Many men have questioned the truth of the Bible, but the Bible has survived every test.

-  The Bible is both human and divine. The Bible was inspired by God. God is its author; yet, the Bible was also written by men (Lk. 1:1-3). God’s Spirit guided the men as they wrote. However, their personalities were not overwhelmed. Each Bible book rreveals the distinctive style of its writer. The Bible is both human and divine just as Jesus was both human and divine. This is mystery . it is hard to understand, but we know that God works through ordinary people to perform His works of grace.

●The Bible is special because of its POWER.

The Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible to convict men of sin and call them to repentance and salvation (Heb. 4:12). The Bible has the power to change men’s lives as God speaks through it.

●The Bible is special because of its UNITY.

The Bible is a unit . the Bible was written by approximately 57 different authors from all walks of life  ̶  farmers, shepherds, tentmakers, physicians, governors, and kings. The span of its writing was about 1,500 years in places ranging all the way from Babylon to Rome. T deals with history, law, poetry, prophecy, philosophy, science, sociology, and salvation, to mention only a few of its varied themes.

The Bible was not written by its authors with the purpose of forming one book. Yet, gathered together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in its final form after AD 300, it tells one complete story. If one should read the New Testament without a knowledge of the old Testament, he would ask, “Where is that which went before?” If he should read the Old Testament without knowing the New Testament, he would inquire, “Where is the t=rest of the story?” The only reasonable answer is that all this was done under the guiding hand of God.

Armor of God

In six years of being a Christian, I could say that the past two years was just a part of the beginning to realize a true Christian life. Therefore I consider this blog an opportunity for me to share and learn from each other as we journey with every step of faith we take. I would like to start this blog with a wonderful insight from Dr. Anderson (author of The Bondage Breaker) regarding the Armor of God. Here’s how he elaborated each part of the armor.

The belt of truth. Jesus  said, “I am… the truth” (John 14:6). And because Christ is in you, the truth is in you. The belt of truth is our defense against Satan’s primary weapon, which is deception. “Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). The belt of truth (which holds the other pieces of body armor in place) is continually being attacked.

I believe that lying is the number one social problem in most countries. Ironically, most people lie to protect themselves. But Paul says that truth is our first line of defense. Truth is never an enemy ̶   it is a liberating friend. Facing the truth is the first step in any recovery program. You have to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) if you want to live free in Christ and have meaningful relationships.

The only thing a Christian ever has to admit to is the truth. If a thought comes to mind which is not in harmony with God’s truth, dismiss it. If an opportunity comes along to say or do something which compromises or conflicts with truth, avoid it. Adopt a simple rule for living: if it’s the truth, I’m in; if it’s not the truth, count me out.

Jesus prayed, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from evil one” (John 17:15). How? “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is Truth” (verse 17). You overcome the father of lies with divine revelation, not human reasoning or research.

The breastplate of righteousness. When you put on Christ at salvation, you are justified before our Holy God (Romans 5:1). It’s not your righteousness but Christ’s righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:8,9). Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is your defense against the accuser of the brethren. So when Satan aims an arrow at you by saying, “You’re not good enough to be a Christian,” you can respond with Paul, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies” (Romans 8:33).

Even though we stand on our righteous position in Christ, we should be aware of any deeds of unrighteousness. We are saints who sin. Putting on the armor of light means we walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:6-8). Walking in the light is not sinless perfection. It means living in continuous agreement with God. It is part of our growth process. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us all from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confession is not saying “I’m sorry.” Many people are sorry, but usually they are sorry they got caught, and even then they will only acknowledge as little as they have to. To confess (homologeo in Greek) means to acknowledge or to agree. It is very similar to the concept of walking in the light. To confess means you say, “I did it,” the moment you are aware you have done something wrong. Covering up anything is the same as walking in the dark.

You can walk in the light because you’re already forgiven. You are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Your relationship with God and your eternal destiny are not at stake when you sin, but your daily victory is. Your onfession of sin clears the way for the fruitful expression of righteousness in your daily life. We should be like Paul, who said, “I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men” (Acts 24:16).

The shoes of peace. When you received Christ, you are united with the Prince of Peace. You have positional peace with God right now (Romans 5:1), but the peace of Christ must also rule in your heart, and that is possible only when you let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you (Colossians 3:15,16).

The shoes of peace become protection against the divisive schemes of the devil when you act as a peacemaker among believers (Romans 14:19). Peacemakers bring people together. Peacemakers encourage fellowship and have a ministry of reconciliation. They understand that fellowship and unity in the body of Christ are based on common heritage. True believers are children of God, and that’s enough to bring us together in peace. If you wait to receive someone until you agree perfectly on every point of doctrine, you’ll be the loneliest Christian on earth. We need to work at “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). We have the promise that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20).

The shield of faith. The object of our faith is God and His Word. The more you know about God and His Word, the more faith you will have. The less you know, the smaller your shield will be, and the easier it will be for one of Satan’s fiery darts to reach its target. If your want your shield of faith to grow large and protective, your knowledge of God and His Word must increase (Romans 10:17).

These flaming missiles from Satan are nothing more than smoldering lies, burning accusations, and fiery temptations bombarding our minds. Whenever you discern a deceptive thought, accusation, or temptation, meet it head-on with what you know to be true about God and His Word. How did Jesus deflect the missiles of Satan’s temptation? By shielding  Himself with statements from the Word of God. Every time you memorize a Bible verse, listen to a sermon, or participate in a Bible study, you increase your knowledge of God and enlarge your shield of faith.

The helmet of salvation. Should your shield of faith be a little leaky and your daily victory elusive, be confident that the helmet of salvation guarantees your eternal victory. In the metaphor of armor, the helmet also secures coverage for the most critical part of your anatomy: your mind, where spiritual battles are either  won or lost. As you struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil on a daily basis, stand firm, knowing that your salvation is not based on your good works, but on the good works of Christ. You are a child of God, and nothing can separate you from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35).

The temptation is to doubt our salvation when under attack. But the Christian warrior wears the helmet of salvation in the sense that he is the receiver an possessor of deliverance, clothed and armed in the victory of his Head, Jesus Christ. Since we are joined to the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil has no legitimate claim on us, for Christ “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). Be assured of your salvation. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are children of God”(Romans 8:16).

The sword of the Spirit.  The Word of God is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. Paul uses rhema instead of logos for “word” in Ephesians 6:17 because he wants to emphasize the spoken word of God. There is only one Word of God, but the Greek word rhema brings in the idea of proclamation. For instance, Paul says in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing,  and hearing by the word (rhema) of Christ.” It is appropriate to use rhema in this context because the emphasis is on preaching the good news and hearing it.

Our defense against direct attacts by the evil one is to speak aloud God’s truth. Why is it important to speak God’s Word, in addition to believing it and thinking it? Because Satan is not omniscient, and he doesn’t perfectly know what you’re thinking. By observing you, he can pretty well tell what you are thinking, just as any student of human behavior can. But he doesn’t know what you’re going to do before you do it. If you pay attention to a deceiving spirit (1 Timothy 4:1), he is putting thoughts into your mind, and he will know whether you buy his lie by how you behave. It is not hard for him to tell what you are thinking if he has given you the thought.