What’s Your Purpose in Life?

 “You are the salt of the earth; . . . You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:13a and 14a

 

 What’s your purpose in life? Do you know what your purpose is in life? Why are you alive? Why are you here? These are profound life questions every human asks at some point. The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” [1] I like that. King David said he would be satisfied when he saw the face of God (Psalm 17:15). Solomon, the wisest man to ever live according to the Bible, spent a good part of his life searching for meaning. He looked in every crevice of life “under the sun,” or on this horizontal life plain. He was wealthy enough and powerful enough and smart enough to make a reliable exhaustive search. His conclusion? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). The Psalmist Asaph said knowing God was the only thing that satisfies us (Psalm 73:25).

In the New Testament the Old Testament’s statements of purpose are affirmed. The Apostle Paul is inspired by God to state that everything else is a pile of manure compared to knowing God (Philippians 3:9-10). That’s pretty graphic, but its true. Paul reached his life purpose and testified to the fact in his life that, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). At the end of the Bible, when we and the heavenly host are pictured at the throne of God, all bow and worship the LORD saying, “Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11 KJV). Human purpose is bound up in our Creator.

“But I don’t believe God is my Creator!” Whether or not you accept God as your Creator doesn’t change the fact that He is and that your purpose in life as a created human being will never be realized until you factor God into your life equation. In fact, the Bible says its foolish to fail to factor God into your life equation. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1a). David the psalmist continues saying that, failing to involve God in your life leads to “abominable works,” and that “there is none who does good” who act so foolishly (Psalm 14:1b).

Failing to look to God for our purpose in life only hurts us. God loves us. And He wants to help us recover from the dark effects of sin we all live in (cf. Romans 3). He’s gone so far as to come into this world and make a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and recover from them. The Bible says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). It says, God is “the just and justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). The Bible says God loves us and He sent Jesus to pay off our debt of sin for us. He paid a debt He didn’t owe, for those who owed a debt they couldn’t pay (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God is for us. There is an unseen adversary of God and all His creation. He is called “the devil” or “Satan.” This devil introduced sin into God’s creation when he rebelled against his Creator. Now humanity is born with a similar sinful nature. The devil wants our worship. The devil wants us to worship him. So, he deludes and deceives fallen sinful humanity into thinking that God hates them and is out to get them (2 Cor. 4:4). Nothing could be further from the truth. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). These are wonderful words! God isn’t against us; He is for us!

But until we straighten that out, until we realize God is for us and not against us, until we get right with God, we will go through life aimlessly. We may do a lot of things that are good in life, get married, start a family, build a career, help others, sacrifice, a lot of good things, but without God in our life equation, we will be frustrated and have a sense of incompleteness. That’s the simple but profound truth of life.

The reason for that is God created all humanity to have fellowship with Him. He didn’t do that because He has some innate need for fellowship or interaction with His creation. God has no needs. He is Holy, Perfect in all His ways and being. But He has created us with a need to relate to Him in fellowship. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, “He has put eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:8a). We were created by God and for God; for His pleasure. Augustine of Hippo aptly said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds rest in thee.” [2] That’s true.

God looks down on His creation in sympathy, pity and empathy and because of His great love for us, He, in Christ, has stepped down into this world to show us the way to fulfillment and true purpose in life. And that way is in Him. Of Jesus it is stated, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:1-3 and 14). “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17). Our guest for purpose and meaning in life brings us to Jesus.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). Jesus came to “bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). That truth is all about knowing God and spending eternity with Him. Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life, the hereafter, that existence which exists beyond this life, our purpose in life is to prepare fo that eternal life and help others to prepare for it too.

Are you a follower of Jesus?

Are you a follower of Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you know how to know Him? It’s not hard. God has done all the heavy lifting for us in His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible says you can know God and know for sure that you will spend eternity with Him. First, you have to realize you’re a sinner. We are all sinners. That’s important to know because sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sin is rebellion against God. It is saying, “God I don’t need you.” Or, “God I don’t accept You or Your word.” Or, “I’m more important than you.” It is living a self-centered life of “me, myself, and I.” The center of sin is “I.” “I” is at the center of pride. When Satan rebelled against His Creator, he did it because of that great big “I” (Isaiah 14:12-17). Sin keeps us from knowing God and fulfilling our inherent purpose for our existence. Sin is a big problem for humanity. Sin warps us. It makes us think wrong. Sin causes us to live a lie (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Sin is at the heart of every pain and source of suffering and hardship. Sin will literally kill us if we don’t address the problem of is. Sin is a curse on all humanity.

Secondly, we need to realize that sin entails a cost. There is a consequence for sin (Galatians 6:7-9). The wages, or consequence for sin is “death” (Romans 6:23). All humanity is living in sin. All humanity is going to die. All humanity lives with a death penalty hanging over it. And once we die, there is a judgment to determine our eternal destiny (Hebrews 9:27). Sin leads to death. Sin has a price it exacts on all. That price, that cost, that expense is death.

Third, we need to realize that Jesus paid the price for our sin. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:10-13). Jesus paid our death penalty for us. “For Christ also suffered one for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). And, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Fourth, realize our salvation is a free gift that only requires our heart decision to trust in Jesus as our Savior. “But why did Jesus have to die? Why was it necessary for Jesus to pay our debt of sin?” You might also ask, “But why can’t God simply forgive us; forgive our penalty for sin?” God is Holy and Just. He is a Perfect Judge. “God is a just Judge” (Psalm 7:11). “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2). If an earthly judge would be seen as corrupt for letting offenders off without a just penalty, we shouldn’t expect God who is Holy and Perfect to do so. If an earthly justice system became corrupted so that there was no penalty enforced for crimes committed, the result would be anarchy and the proliferation of victimization. Justice is the means of order in society. Justice deters criminals. Justice brings order. Justice is necessary for peace to exist. When crimes are committed, penalties must therefore be imposed and enforced.

As sinful offenders, we are in no position to pay our own debt of sin. We don’t have the currency to pay the consequential debt for the sins we’ve committed. In God’s order of justice, only someone who is perfect can stand in the place of the imperfect as a substitute to pay off such a debt. God, to be just and righteous, doesn’t just wave a carefree wand and dismiss sin. That would be the same as not imposing a just penalty. Only an innocent party can step in and offer to pay the price of another’s debt of sin. The sinner is disqualified to pay off his debt of sin or the sins of another. And as a sinner, we all owe a debt of sin. We are all deserving God’s judgment. We are sunk in our sin. On our own, we are hopelessly looking at eternity in hell separate from God and from fulfilling our life purpose.

But Jesus came and paid a debt He did not owe for those who owed a debt they couldn’t pay. And He did it freely. This is grace. “Grace” means “gift.” “Grace” is God’s Riches (Redemption/Reconciliation with God) at Christ’s Expense. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Fifth and last, realize your part is simply in faith to call on the name of Jesus to save you. The Bible says to every person, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). The Bible states, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). When we turn from our sins (i.e. repent) to God and ask Him to forgive our sins based on Jesus death on the cross for us, He will. The resurrection is vitally important, because it is the proof that God accepted Jesus death on the cross as payment for all our sins and that Jesus made a way for us to overcome death (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).

When we do this, realize we are a sinner, realize there is a price for sin, realize Jesus paid the price for us, realize salvation from sin is a free gift of God’s grace received by faith, and call on the name of Jesus to save us, God will save us from our sins. He will forgive our sins (1 John 1:9). He will give us spiritual life (Titus 3:4-7). He will justify us or make us just-as-if-I’d-never -sinned (Romans 5:1f.). When we do this, we will be “born again” just like Jesus said we needed to be (John 3). All of this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Gospel” means good news. And when we realize the problem we are in because of sin and the impossibility of fulfilling or finding our true purpose in life on our own, then truly we will realize the good, no GREAT! news we have from God in Jesus Christ.

But that’s only the beginning of the story. Remember, our purpose in life is to know God. To know God means to grow in our relationship with Him. Just like in marriage, a couple grows together in their relationship (e.g. Ephesians 5). And this brings us to Jesus’ greatest sermon. For it is in Jesus’ greatest sermon that we receive practical instructions on how to live with this newfound purpose of God in our life.

Arguably Jesus’ most famous sermon was the Sermon on the Mount. The context for this Sermon was that Jesus had been baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and His Father had pronounced His approval on Him saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17). Once baptized with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted and tested by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). After His testing, Jesus begins His public ministry and starts to call His disciples to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). He says that to each of us today too. When we come to Jesus and receive forgiveness for our sins, He invites us to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

It’s at this point that “Jesus went about all Galilee. . .[and] great multitudes followed Him” (Matthew 4:23-25). And it’s at this point that Matthew records the words of Jesus famous Sermon. It is a sermon Jesus gave to His disciples (Matthew 5:1). “Disciples” are learners, they are those who follow Jesus and walk with Him and learn from Him. When we come to Jesus, discipleship is His means of helping us realize and fulfill our purpose in life.

This sermon was delivered by Jesus on a mountainside on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. If you go to Israel today, you will find a tourist spot that claims to be where Jesus taught this Sermon. We don’t know for sure other than that it was on the slopes of the shores of Galilee. Where this great teaching was given is not as important as its contents. Jesus introduces His Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes or pronouncement of the way to being blessed and happy in our relationship with God (Matthew 5:2-12). The heart of this introduction is that, even if we are persecuted and suffer harm, as long as we are living for God, the disciple will be content and happy.

Salt and Light

 Once Jesus pronounces the way of blessing for His disciples, He then declares the purpose of a disciple. According to Jesus He states:

• Matthew 5:13-15 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

Jesus chose two things to describe His disciples. He said they are light. He said they are salt. What did He mean? Understanding this is the key to unlocking the door to fulfilling our life purpose in Him.

Salt is a flavor enhancer, a purifier, and preservative. To be a salty disciple means to bring the flavor of Jesus’ truth in to the worlds tasteless conversations. It means to purify and clean out the sinful pollutions of this world. It means to bring preservation to those who are decaying in sin.

Salt makes people thirsty for more. Jesus said if a person drank the water He offers, they would never thirst again (John 4:13-15). He said, “he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). To be a salty disciple, a disciple who spreads salt for the Lord, is to live in such a way that it creates a thirst for Jesus in those who have yet to tasted Him. To be a salt spreader is to live a life that when other people see you, it makes them thirsty for what you have, for Jesus. Does the salt you spread make others thirst for Jesus, or does it leave a bittersweet taste in their mouth?

Salt speaks to us of this world and the way we live. Salt speaks to us about our purpose. We are to be salt. Salt speaks to us not only about doing but about being. We are to be what Jesus makes us after we experience the life changing regeneration and salvation of being born again. Salt is the flavor of heaven in us. Salt is the new nature of Jesus in us. Salt is something to be spread around. Salt speaks to us about our way of living once we have received Jesus as our Savior. Salt speaks about living with Jesus as our Lord. We walk as He walked in this world (1 John 2:6). Salt is spread as we follow in Jesus’ steps in this world and become little Christs for that is what “Christian” means (1 Peter 2:21). When we walk as Jesus walked and follow in His steps, when we are conformed to His likeness by the work of the Holy Spirit in us (Romans 8:29), then God uses us as salt-spreaders to melt hearts made icy cold by sin.

Salt comes from the earth. Light comes from the Sun. Light comes from above. When Jesus refers to light, He speaks of how His disciples are to be reflectors of light that comes from above, His light.

A city is a big thing, and a city on top of a hill “cannot be hidden.” When you lose power in your home or are out camping and you take out your flashlight, you don’t cover up the beam of light. No, you shine it so that you and others can see where they are going. The same is true of the disciple. Disciples are light bearers. We are commissioned by Jesus to shine His light in a world lost in darkness of sin. A disciple’s purpose is to help others come out of the darkness of sin and into the light of Jesus’ truth.

How can we further explain the metaphor of light Jesus uses toward His disciples?

The Bible is God’s instrument of light. The Bible is our source of light. In the Psalms it states. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Palm 119:105). In Proverbs it states, “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).  In the New Testament it states, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (1 Peter 1:19).

The Bible is light because it sheds light on Jesus. We can define this light more fully and come to its most intense brightness when we understand that the word is light because it sheds light on Jesus. The “morning star” Peter speaks about in 1 Peter 1:19, is Jesus. Jesus describes Himself as “the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).

When we get to the New Testament and come to the Gospel of John, John is inspired to write:

• John 1:6-10 – “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”

These verses refer to John the Baptist who was called by God to prepare the way for Messiah Jesus, “the Light.” Later in John’s gospel Jesus further connects Himself with light when He says: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12; See also John 9:5)

In the book of Hebrews, it states that the entire volume of the Bible is designed to shed light on Jesus. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God’” (Hebrews 7).

As disciples of Jesus our purpose in life is to be used by Him to shed light on Him by sharing His word with others. This is the purpose of a disciple. How is the disciple to be “light”? In the New Testament it states:

• Ephesians 5:8-21 – “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.14 Therefore He says: 1 “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

To “walk in the light,” to “walk as children of light,” means therefore, to shed light on Jesus. The disciple sheds light on Jesus in that as they are salt in the world, they attribute their distinctive difference to Jesus and so shine a light on Him. To be, “the light of the world,” means to be God’s instruments of revealing or light-giving, of sharing His word and explaining Jesus and the Gospel to the lost.

“Who me?”

“Who me?” Just imagine, it’s about 2000 years ago. Jesus and His disciples, taken from amongst the common folk. Fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots, famers and all kinds of people. They are all sitting on a mountain side with Jesus overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Then Jesus says to them, “You are the light of the world.” Can you imagine what they were thinking? Maybe they thought, Who me? You mean little old me? Who knows me? How can I affect the world? Well, the truth of the matter is that they could not influence the world, but He could and still can. All God seeks are disciples, people who are surrendered to Him to be used by Him when, where and however He chooses. He produces the light in us. He produces the light. WE are simply called to reflect His light.

Salt and Light to the Glory of God

Remember what the Westminster Shorter Catechism said the purpose of life was? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” How do we fulfill our purpose in life to being glory to God? Jesus explained it to His disciples saying:

• Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When the disciple lives as salt and shines the light of Jesus in this world, it brings glory to God. And that fulfills our life purpose. When we bring glory to God, we feel fulfilled as disciples of Jesus because that is what we were created to do.

All that the disciple does should be aimed at bringing glory to God. A disciple’s focus is Jesus. A disciple’s purpose is to bring glory to God in Christ. If our salt loses its saltiness when we try to flavor the world with things about us; our fame; our glory; our benefits. Our light becomes dim, very dim, when we try to shine ourselves into the darkness. Don’t shine a light on yourself or other people, shine a light on Jesus. The ministry of a disciple is only as effective as it points people to Jesus. This is to bring glory to God.

When Jesus ministered, He brought glory to God (Matthew 9:8; 15:31). Jesus is our example. This is to be the objective of the disciple as well. Jesus said that the disciple’s objective was to glorify God. We see this in the following verses:

• John 15:8 – “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Peter, one of the first disciples passed on this purpose for the disciple when he was inspired to write:

• 1 Peter 2:11-12 – “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
• 1 Peter 4:11-16 – “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”

The apostle Paul was inspired to write:

• 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Disciple, glorify God in all you do. That is your purpose!

Salt and Light in Balance

Jesus calls the disciple to be salt AND light. This is very important because these two attributes are indispensable to each other in terms of the disciple fulfilling his or her godly purpose. When the disciple is both salt and light, the result will be that God is glorified. The key here is balance. Evangelist and Bible teacher Greg Laurie explains the problem that often exists in being both salt and light:

“Too many believers try to be light without first being salt. They talk the Christian talk, but they don’t live it. . ..

On the other side of the coin, there are those who are salt without being light. They live godly life but don’t tell people why! We must find balance. The Scripture says in Romans 10:14, ‘How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?’ God wants us to be the vehicle through which He can speak.” [3]

Some people stick out like a sore thumb from the Body of Christ. How can we keep from being a “sore thumb” disciple? How can we balance salt and light in our lives?

Be Flexible. The disciple should follow the example of Jesus in this regard. Jesus was always available and flexible in His ministry to people. He did not rely on canned messages or a set of spiritual laws to minister to people. Jesus related to people as individuals. He practically applied God’s word to their particular life situations. He spoke in ways that they could understand. He used parables. Jesus ministered in a way that was appropriate and pertinent to those around Him. He didn’t speak in lofty tones or with complicated words to show off His intellect. Jesus shared in love and sought to save and heal those who came to Him. Jesus spoke in a way that He could be heard. If a person didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, it was because they didn’t want to understand, not because Jesus spoke in too lofty of a way.

Some people are like doctrinal porcupines, they have so many points, no one can get near them. The apostle Paul spoke of the need to be flexible and pertinent to those ministered to. He was inspired to write:

• 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 – “and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

This does not mean we need to become a sinner to witness to a sinner. (We already know enough about being a sinner!) But what it means is that we should be able to empathize with the lost and not just brush their feelings or circumstances aside. We need to love them enough to get to know them, while not compromising God’s word or the Gospel. WE NEED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. As disciples our standard and strategy for being salt and light is, “speaking the truth in love, [so that those we speak to] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). The truth we need to be speaking to those around us is what was shared in the first half of this teaching. The truth we share comes from the word of God (John 17:17).

The need to keep salt and light together in order for the disciple to accomplish his or her purpose as a disciple is seen in the following powerful poem:

You Lived Next Door

You lived next door to me for years

We shared our dreams, our joys, and tears.

A friend to me you were indeed…

A friend who helped me when in need.

My faith in you was strong and sure

We had such trust as should endure.

No spats between us ever rose;

Our friends were like…and so our foes.

What sadness then, my friend, to find

That after all you weren’t so kind.

The day my life on earth did end

I found you weren’t a faithful friend

For all those years we spent on earth

You never talked of second birth.

You never spoke of my lost soul

And of the Messiah Who’d make me whole.

I plead today from Hell’s cruel fire and tell you now my last desire.

You cannot do a thing for me…

No words today my bonds will free.

But do not err, my friend, again;

Do all you can for souls of men.

Plead with them now quite earnestly,

Lest they be cast in Hell with me.

Source Unknown.

What’s your purpose in life? Do you have one? Do you know Jesus? That’s essential to discovering your purpose in life. I encourage you to call out to Jesus. He will accept you. He will help you fulfill your purpose in life.

And if you do know Jesus, are you fulfilling your purpose in life? Are you growing in your relationship with Jesus? Are you being slat and light?

Disciples are who they are because of their relationship with God in Christ. Because of their relationship in Christ, disciples are both salt and light; they live in a way that influences, purifies, preserves and creates a spiritual thirst in those around them. They are also light, they do not just live a good life, but live for Christ and shine the light of Christ in a dark world bearing witness that who they are is because of who they know, Jesus. Are you salt and light? Let’s spread some salt and shine some light and fulfill our eternal purpose to the glory of God.

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6879092.Westminster_Shorter_Catechism

[2] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/42572-thou-hast-made-us-for-thyself-o-lord-and-our

[3] Greg Laurie, Ibid. p. 88