The Ultimate Goal

In a sense, what the first message was about, the purpose. I also have a different angle on this. It seems like God wants us to talk about the subject, the ultimate goal. What is the ultimate goal in this life? We see in the Bible, in world literature, and even in the movies, that many of the plots are based on, first, things going well, and then evil appears and threatens to do so much damage.

That happens in our lives. We can be going along and doing pretty well, and then some type of evil or some type of negative thing happens and throws us for a loop. Sometimes it has to do with people outside the church or inside the church. Maybe it's a friend or a loved one that all of a sudden turns against someone. We see that in the Bible, first of all, with Lucifer. Yes, he was God's friend at one time. He was a faithful servant of God, and yet he didn't turn out very well.

He turned against God the Father, and at that time the Word became Jesus Christ. We have one of David's best friends and also trusted counselor, Ahithophel. He betrayed David. There in Psalm 55, you can read about.

He was a friend that we would go and walk together to services at that time, and yet he turned against David. And then Judas, of course, one of the chosen twelve who betrayed Jesus. Now, the main problem stems from our fallible human nature that can't be fully trusted. We will be disappointed by others, and most importantly, though, by ourselves. And we have to own up to that.

That was part of the first message. Notice how God concluded about human beings. So it's not a surprise to God. The problems that we have. I mean, I could go on and I'd give you a whole sermon about all the world conditions and all the things going on. Artificial intelligence is just getting so powerful that Elon Musk, one of the heads of Tesla and rocket ships, and one of the richest men on Earth, and he said that we're very close to achieve what he calls singularity in the artificial intelligence, which means that it's going to be superior and intellect to human beings.

And so it's a frightful world, but my focus is not on that. It's just this isn't surprising to God. Notice what God concluded about human beings right after the flood. Genesis 8, verse 21. I'm going to read it from the New Living Translation. Genesis 8, verse 21. It says, And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice which Noah had done, and said to himself, I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood.

He knows we got this nature, and it tends to go toward evil instead of good. He said, I will never again destroy all living things. So he made that that he will never destroy mankind like he did once because it had become so corrupt back in the time of the flood. Then we read about this human nature that we have. Jeremiah 17, verses 9 and 10. Jeremiah 17, verses 9 and 10.

This is also the New Living Translation. It's a little bit clearer. It says, So God's in charge. He knows what's going on. It's all going to turn out for good in the end. And as you get older and hopefully wiser in the church, we should come to the conclusion that there is no true or lasting solutions for human beings except what God has planned from the start. of endowing those who persevere to the end in the faith and they will receive his perfect divine nature.

So you see, one of my main points today is that it's not good enough for God to give us 99.9% divine nature if we have 0.1% of human nature. Sooner or later, maybe not in 100 years, maybe not in 1000 years, but in the future, at 0.1% it's going to do the same thing as others because that's still human nature.

Vanity can get a hold of a person, pride and lusts and things like this. So, see, God had this all planned out and so it had to be the way God planned. 100% perfect divine nature or else it wouldn't work out. He could have another Lucifer in potential and how would you like to be in the kingdom? No, it's 99.9% and 1 little 0.1% that is still carnal. So it has to be that way. 100% of perfect divine nature or it's not going to work. And so we're privileged in the church to have revealed to us the small, ordinary, humble people on the earth that God called us to reveal to us this ultimate goal and destiny.

Does the Bible teach this? Let's look for yourself. Let's go to 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. In verse 2, Peter says, Notice again, it's always God the Father and Jesus our Lord. Where's the third person sitting on the left hand, the Holy Spirit? No, it isn't. It's just talking about God the Father and Jesus our Lord. He says, I want you to focus on that term, divine.

Divine power. In the Greek, this word divine comes from the term theos, which has to do with God. But this is more of an adjective. It means divine. The word study in Greek dictionary says about theos, it's spelled T-H-E-I-O-S. It means divine, what is uniquely God's and proceeds from Him. So angels don't have this. Only God the Father and Jesus Christ have this unique divine nature.

And what did they do? They decided they wanted to share it. Can you imagine? The privilege? In order for God's plan to work, it needs to have God's very nature in us completely and permanently. A hundred percent. Although we are always going to be subordinate to God the Father and Jesus Christ. But with a family relationship. Think of it. The only way happiness can be eternal is if we, like God, will be a hundred percent perfect forever and not ninety-nine point nine percent. Notice first how God is a hundred percent perfect.

Not ninety-nine point nine percent. Let's go to 1 John chapter one. 1 John chapter one in verse five. John is being used by God to reveal these truths. And it says in 1 John chapter one verse five. He says, This is the message which we have heard from him, talking about Jesus Christ, and declared to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

A hundred percent light. Perfection. No evil human nature at all in him.

Let's go back a bit here to the pistol of James chapter one. James chapter one. We'll see if the Bible teaches this or not. James chapter one verse thirteen. It says, Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. So again, it's not God's nature to either be tempted by evil or for him to tempt someone with evil. That's not part of his nature. Goes on to say, But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. Of course, it's a wrong way of life.

He says, Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren, because some people think, Oh, God is doing this to me. He's evil. He's doing these mean-spirited things. No? Don't be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. There are no degrees of changes. He is a hundred percent. Perfect, good, holy, just, and so generous. We don't even know how many times these blessings come from him, because it's not only a good gift, it's a perfect gift. He knows when to give it and how to give it. And it comes from him. He is the father of lights. There's no darkness in him. He says, Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So this is one of the greatest gifts of his own will. He wants to share that divine nature with us. And so, let's go back to 2 Peter, because there's one part here that I had to read. 2 Peter, where he goes in verse... I'll read from verse 2 to 4. He says, He's saying this is the greatest promise anyone can receive. That through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And so, to be partakers of the divine nature. Again, same word. Theos. It means, as I brought up before, divine. What is uniquely God's and proceeds from him. So God and Jesus Christ have not yet shared this with anyone. Everybody has died.

All the apostles, they're still waiting for that moment when they will be changed, that divine nature. And he says it's not going to be only for them. Everybody that's part of that first resurrection will all come together. And you know what? We won't know the person with his old carnal nature and problems and hang-ups and what... No, when we meet, oh, that's all been removed. And now each one of us, as a unique person, with our own personality, will have the perfect divine nature. Starting with the beginning of that twinkling, the change and transformation. It's not gradual. We become perfect beings with that divine nature. And let's go to... So we see God can't be tempted by evil. He doesn't have any inferior nature to battle with, but he is light. So secondly, it's not only God that is 100% perfect, but it says we will be like him, not having some inferior nature, but light as he is light. Let's go to 1 John 3, verse 1-5. 1 John 3, verse 1-5. It says, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. See, what manner of love? It's just so incredible that we should be called children of God, part of that family. Therefore, the world doesn't know us because it did not know him. The world doesn't know this teaching. People got burnt at the stake because of this. Persecuted, hounded, because people all want this cheap grace type of reward. Go up to heaven, well, what are you going to do? Strum a harp on top of a cloud. It gets pretty boring after a while. Or staring at that beatific vision of God, and that's all you do. You're a passive watcher. That gets boring, too. It's completely different than this. Wow! Look at all the things we're going to be able to share, and we're not going to be competing against each other. We're not going to be worried about, well, I want to do this first. No. Perfect, godly nature. No errors. No mistakes. He goes on to say, Beloved, now we are children of God, yes, we've received that Holy Spirit, which is like the sperm cell, engendering the ovum, and that little baby starts to be born. And so we're inside the church, and it says like an embryo, that we're just developing, but we're going to be born into this new kingdom in the future. It says, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed, when Christ is revealed and comes back, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Divine nature, seeing divine nature. Isn't that incredible?

And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. So it's not this leap in this mountain of knowledge and practice of God. No, it's these steps that we're taking. We're purifying. It's a process. It's going up a mountain. You're going to slip. You're going to slide. But don't ever give up. Continue your climb up there. And we'll never get to the top. God's going to pull us up. But if we didn't do any effort, he says, if you don't produce fruit, you're not going to be there either. And so we will be like him, like Jesus Christ, having godly, perfect nature. We'll be able to see each other with perfect, godly nature. All human nature will be removed with no imperfections. We will still be unique personalities. In other words, we'll all be able to recognize each other. But the same godly nature, like Christ has, and God the Father, never to sin again. So we've got to put up with this life. It's an imperfect life because we have this imperfect nature. And when you're talking about how disappointing it is with people and look how they always are falling short or anything, well, let's look at us, too. We're failing. We should be disappointed in ourselves. And put, as Christ said, look into our own eye and see the wooden stake in there. Not look at the little bit of sawdust in somebody else's eyes because it's easy to look at others. It's not so easy to see ourselves as we actually are and how much we need to change. Notice how God is working things out to that end. Let's go to Romans 8.

Romans 8. And verse 17. Romans 8. It says, If children, talking about that concept of children of God, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. So suffering is part of the process. We suffer aches and pains, disappointments, disillusions, but it's part of it. Christ did the same thing. He suffered. He went through so much pain, but He still was faithful and persevered to the end, as we must also. It goes on to verse 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time, and as we get older, we find more suffering. So it's not going to get better. Our bodies are slowly decaying. And the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Again, it's not going to be this second-class citizenship that we're going to have in God's kingdom. No, it's first-class. We're going to travel first-class in God's kingdom with God the Father and Jesus Christ. And part of us will all be family, will all be together. And no more human nature to struggle with. It says, verse 19, For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. This whole universe is just waiting for that moment. Because you look, and the farther astronomers look out there, they just see all of these galaxies and millions of planets, and yet it's all still unfinished. It's there, but it's waiting to be populated, but with perfect people. Not imperfect. We don't want to have a flood in our area, do we? We don't have to go through all of this. And so it's beautification, sanctification, goes on to say, For the creation was subjected to futility or decay, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also we delivered from the bondage of corruption or decay into the glorious liberty of the children of God. You can imagine how we're so far behind. We're trying to get again to the moon and maybe to Mars. And what do you have? You have a crazy competition between all of these spending billions and billions of dollars that could have been used for health care, for housing, and all affordability and everything else they talk about. But no, we got to go there. We got to be first. And it's not bad to have challenges and desires. But you can imagine, one of the things God holds back, because if we populated Mars, you'd have wars over there too with this human nature. At least let's confine it to the damage we're doing here on this little planet, because we're not ready for another planet.

It says, verse 22, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, which should be the term sonship, because it's not something God adopts, like somebody goes to orphanage and adopts. No, it's sonship. God's Spirit produces that, as it talks about here, the first fruits, the first deposit He gives us. It's not something that has to do with outside of the family. It's inside the family. He's creating this. He says, for we were saved in this hope. And that's what we're hoping for. You come to this church and look at the goal. What gets better than that? It's not talking about money or fame or passing, pleasures. No, this is talking about perfect character. Forever. We never have to generate it or it's not going to run out on us. It's going to be inside of us. After that, now we can really get along with people, finally. But we can't until that happens. So it goes on to say in verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. You see, there's a qualification. Some people say, well, things are not going well for me. And you ask, well, are you showing God that you love Him? That you're putting Him first in your life? Don't. Ask to be blessed and have all these things. And, oh, but I don't have any conditions. I don't have any duties to carry out. No, it is. To put God first. To love Him to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He planned in this plan of salvation, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Not inferior image. The image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. So, it's going to be a similar type of a birth, spiritual birth, when He comes back.

So, these are some of the things that we have to look on high as it says, well, we see so much craziness in the world. We see so much corruption, abominations in modern Israel, as well as in the rest of the world. Notice in Colossians chapter 3, it says, verse 1, if then you were raised with Christ, that's what happened with baptism, where now you've got a new life in Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth. Yeah, sure, we got to live our life and enjoy and find happiness as we can, but those shouldn't be the primary things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. In other words, you died to your sins in baptism. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Is that clear enough? But we have to. Then, it says verse 5, therefore put to death your members, which are on the earth, fornication and cleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. This is the wrong human nature we've been talking about. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. So we have a part to do. We have to be purifying. We have to be overcoming. And yet, never lose sight of that ultimate goal and destiny. It is well worth all the sacrifice you can imagine. Notice in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 49, all these scriptures say the same thing about our change. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 49.

It says, And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, that's what we are. We're physical beings. And some enterprising scientists once took a person after they had turned into dust, maybe been cremated or what. And you look at that, how much is it worth then? I mean, cremated ashes? You can't even get five bucks for that. But that was the person. So that body of dust that we have that's activated now, he said, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. That's the next step. It's going to be a spiritual being that's going to be there. See how many churches in the world have the courage to tell you what the Bible says about this? So few. You can be there for 50 years in a church and never hear what the true purpose and goal is in life.

Let's go to Philippians chapter three. These are scriptures that we should keep in mind, jot down, go over Philippians chapter three verse 12.

It says, Paul, talking about his own life, he says, not that I have already attained, like people talk about the eternal security of somebody that they can't fall away, you've been predestined. And by the way, that predestination is about God choosing and calling people, but you have to respond, or else that calling just falls by the wayside. He'll call somebody else. And it goes on to say, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may hold on of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended or already obtained it, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, you can't change the past, you can change the present and the future. I press toward the goal for the price of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us as many as are mature, talk about spiritually, have this mind, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Here's the way the New Living Translation has it, which also is clear. It says, I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection, but I press on to possess the perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing. For getting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly price for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling us. Let us all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. We don't all have the same grasp or understanding of things. God will show you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. And then verses 20 and 21, it says, But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus lives, and we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. So God is in charge. And I've said it many times, it's like winning or at least having the lottery ticket of the universe. Now, we can't get the reward yet, but don't lose that lottery ticket. That's the greatest blessing you can have. So this is our ultimate goal and destiny, if we persevere to the end. And probably as a percentage, we still have people that drop out, lose the vision, have different issues, turn cold. And so it can happen to anyone. As Revelation 21.7, Revelation 21 verse 7 says, This is God the Father talking. He says, He who overcomes shall inherit all things. Again, if we have divine nature that's perfect, He doesn't have to look behind our shoulders or over our shoulders. And what is Mario doing over there now? Can I trust Him? Well, we all are going to have that divine nature. So it says, He who overcomes shall inherit all things.

And I will be His God, and He shall be my Son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sussers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. So there are going to be people that they don't want to have that perfect character. These are all the ones that they have become incorrigibly wicked.

And so they're not going to make it, but God is offering it to people. So let's go over four different points. Take away. What can we take away from this message? Four points. First, don't let people's problems and hang-ups get you down. They are temporary tests. Sometimes they can happen inside the church, too. Notice what it tells us in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 21.

1 Corinthians 11, verse 21. I'm sorry, it's a little earlier than this. In verse 18, 1 Corinthians 11, verse 18, it says, For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. And so it says that, look, there are people that God places in the church to test us. Try our attitudes. And He has a purpose. He knows. Just like Jesus Christ, how many accusers did He have? Three and a half years, He preached, did miracles, healed thousands of people. How many ended up following Him? There are only 120 left, according to Acts chapter 1. 120! He probably healed 120 almost every week or two, because thousands came. He never said no to anyone. And so we see here that there are going to be tests.

And Christ's body sometimes will develop sores and pimples and whatever. The pus has to go out. And God tests and He will clean His bride. That's the way it works. You have to have patience. God is working. Everything has a purpose for those who love God.

Number two.

You are in the church not because of others, but because of the commitment you made with God the Father and Jesus Christ at baptism. Never forget. Don't look at others. Oh, how horrible. How bad example they... Well, that's too bad for them, isn't it? We try to do what we can. We pray for the people. Whatever their case is. But our commitment should always be with God the Father and Jesus Christ. It's not with the person that's a good friend of yours or someone else. The third point. Be convinced only God's plan of salvation makes living in eternity worth it. The promise of changing our flawed nature to God's 100% divine nature and not 99.9%. If somebody would be asked, well, how would you like to have 99.9% of God's nature? We'll just leave that little 1%. A lot of people, I'll take it. I'll take it. Boy, that's going to be so cool. I have all of this. But in the background, that 1%, that little 0.1% is still sooner or later going to appear. It's going to spoil. Just like one rotten apple spoils a healthy barrel of apples, that one, little leavening, will live in the whole lump. That's why God's plan is not, well, I'll give him 90% of my divine nature. I'll keep 10% away from them. No, God said I'm going to give him total divine nature.

And the last point to cover, we may be disappointed by others, but more importantly, by our own selves. We have to accept it, but don't let it get you down too much. It comes with the territory. God didn't call perfect people. He didn't call supermen of human beings. Look at what it tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Who does God call?

I'm sorry, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 26. It says, For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise, according to the flesh, nor not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world. In other words, what the world ridicules. To put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world, not to people with great strength or power, to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, which are simple. The world doesn't have us on a platter, and we don't see headlines about anybody.

The base things of the world and the things which are despised, God has chosen, and the things which are not. In other words, not the important things in the world. To bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. He's not going to call somebody and say, Oh God, you certainly had to call me. Because look, I'm the brightest person. Or look at me, I'm so famous. And of course, God wants to have all of these important people. He says, No, nobody's going to glory, because God doesn't call that type of person. He could have called the Bill Gates, he could have called Elon Musk, and all of these great entrepreneurs, and would have done a hundred or a thousand times better than us.

Can you imagine having one of these guys and say, Okay, now we're going to have this evangelistic campaign, and look at all these guys with charisma and all intelligence. But then they would have said, Well God, I know why you called me. Yeah, you really needed me, didn't you? So no one will glory in his presence.

And it says, But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. We know we can't do anything unless God is doing it inside, giving us the gifts, giving us the blessings. Everything belongs to Him.

So is it worth it to persevere along with disappointments, and aches, and pains? Sure it does. I'd like to conclude with three last scriptures. Two of them are very much related to each other. In Daniel 12, verse 3, Daniel 12, verse 3, talking about the resurrection that is coming. Notice those that are called by God, going to be part of that first resurrection, it says in verse 3 of Daniel 12. It says, Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, talking about the sky. And those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever, shining forever and ever. And Christ used this scripture, and this is what He said in Matthew 13, verse 43, about His kingdom. It says, Then the righteous will shine forth at the Son in the kingdom of their Father. Again, the glory, all of that is undeserved, unmerited. But this is what the ultimate goal in life is, to be part of that coming kingdom. And the final one is 1 Corinthians 2.9. 1 Corinthians 2.9, it says, But as it is written, I has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man. No literature, no movie, nothing you'll ever see in this life is comparable to what God has given us as the ultimate goal in destiny. He says, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. Yes, it exceeds any imagination. I just touched briefly about this wonderful goal and why God's plan is the only way to have created human beings that one day will be 100% perfect with that godly, perfect nature of God.