An Egocentric God?

"Humans exist merely to glorify God."

Perhaps you have heard this statement before. I don't know who first said it nor do I care. In my opinion it is at the heart of religion and legalism.

Let me just say that this statement is false. Not true.

But really, this statement diminishes every personal relationship with God to a meaningless, zombie state of mind. It is as if God needs to be worshipped or else He will become sad and angry.

Here is the problem with this statement: it contradicts the whole New Testament and really the whole Bible.

We know it says in 1 John 4:8 that "God is Love" and in 4:10 "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away our sins."

Hmm.

If God is love, His nature is not to be self-seeking or egocentric. His nature is to be life giving. Paul shows us the nature of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails.
I know you have heard this a million times at weddings but it really has more to do with the character of God. He is love. Look at it this way.
⁴ God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. ⁵God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸God never fails.
That is the nature of God. And it changes the meaning of our existence drastically.
I know people have different experiences in life but your experiences do not define who God is. Jesus Christ is the exact representation of God (Heb 1:3). If you read the Bible you see Jesus healing, forgiving, and preaching the Good News. If you recall Mark 10:45 he said that he "didn't come to be served, but to serve..."
Religion just got flipped on it's head.
How about this...
"Humans exist to be in perfect relationship with God through Jesus Christ, having their needs met by Him alone."
You can quote me on that.

New Creation

The Gospel is Good News. We need to focus on the Gospel of Christ and it alone. People get carried away talking about the Law, prophecy, curses, sinning, and all sorts of other things. But the whole Bible points to one Savior, one Healer, and one truth: Jesus Christ.

He tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me and find rest." This is rest for our whole being, spirit, soul, and body. He can give this because He is the fulfillment of the Law, He has broken all the curses, and is the healer of all. Why waste time talking about all these other things out of context or rather out of the context of Christ.

What is truly important? For a glimpse, let's look at 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (Paraphrased)

-Christ died for all

-We can now live for God (without fear)

-God has made us a new creation through Jesus

-God isn't counting sins against us

-God is reconciling the world back to himself

-We get to carry this message of love and Good News to people

In Romans 5:12-20 we see this truth: Righteousness isn't what you do, it is who you are because of what Jesus has done. If you are a new creation, what has changed about you? You are now righteous. It is who you are now.

Stop disqualifying yourself. Lose the condemnation. If you have accepted Jesus, you are a new creation in God's eyes. Start viewing yourself the same as God sees you. If you have a bad habit that you need to get rid of, praise God, Titus 2:11 says that the grace (His Favor) of God will teach you and lead you. Grace gives time.

This is the message that will give people joy, happiness, and peace. Truly there is freedom in it.

This is the ONLY Gospel. What Gospel do you believe in?

Check this video out.

New Creation from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

Sorrow

Proverbs 10:22 NLT - "The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." What an interesting concept... God isn't the one bringing sorrow into your life. Could God be nicer than you think?

May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! - Ephesians 1:3 AMP

Here is a spiritual litmus test to see if something is from God: Does the situation or issue you are dealing with bring sorrow or grief?

If it does, (Here is a bold statement) it is not from God. Jesus says himself in John 6:37 that he would never drive away or reject anyone who comes to him. Giving someone sorrow and grief (which is usually associated with pain and sickness) will cause someone to leave. If I inject my best friend with a deadly virus, they won't want to be my friend anymore!

Why is it different for God? "Because He is sovereign and cancer or trials could be His will!"

We need to learn that God does work all things (even bad things) for the good of those who love Him. This doesn't mean those things were sent by God.

God will not violate His Word. If we being merely human know how to give good gifts to our kids, how much better do you think God's gifts are! (Our spiritual Dad)

He is the giver of every perfect gift.