Life’s Choices

by Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

A philosopher once said, “We have been given an extraordinary life, but we chose to live the ordinary.” Life’s greatest sorrow is not failure, but living without purpose. Many people do not know the purpose of their existence at all. Of course, only the Creator would know clearly the reasons he created man. According to the Bible, God created man for three important purposes. When we understand these purposes, then we can make the best life choices.

I. To Glorify God (Gen 1:26-27 / Rom 3:23)

A Jewish rabbi said, Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This world declares the Lord’s glory. The wonders of nature can truly move us to utter, “God is great!” But only human beings can live out the glory of God’s nature, because humans were created in the image of God. God’s goodness, God’s righteousness, God’s love, God’s patience — God put all his character in man, thus, only man can live out God’s glory. This is God’s first purpose for creating man and it is also our first purpose on this earth – to glorify God. But because man fell into sin, he fell short of God’s glory.

In Greek, the word sin means missing the mark. Sinning and violating the law are different. Violating the law is breaking set rules and regulations, while sinning is violating God’s standard. Our lives originally were meant to glorify God, but because we sinned, we fell short of God’s glory. The wages of sin is death. All of us are destined to die in our sins, but because God loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Christians, do you really have the life of Christ in you? Can people see Christ in your life?

A Jewish rabbi said, “The younger generation of Jews today are messengers without a message.” Christians, how about you? Are we Christians without Christ? Beloved friends, do you really have Christ in your life? If not, then, accept Jesus today by faith to be your personal Savior, allow Christ into your life, so that you will be a Christian with Christ, and be a Christian who glorifies God.

II. To Enjoy God (1Tim 6:17)

God created the world in six days, and man was created on the sixth day. When man was created, God placed man in the Garden of Eden to enjoy His creation. Why did God create man on the sixth day? Someone has said, “What parent would prepare the baby’s needs only after the child is born?” As parents, we prepare the baby’s needs before it comes out — clothings, milk powder, crib — and await the baby’s birth. God loves us and so before He created us, He prepared the earth, created the perfect environment, so that we can enjoy it. To enjoy God is the second reason God created us.

1 Tim 6:17 “(do) not put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” God’s purpose for creating us is so that we may enjoy Him. God did not create us to make us suffer, He wants us to have a wonderful life, to enjoy Him. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Life with Christ is a life of abundance and freedom. The Bible says, “All things are permissible” — how freeing this is. However, true freedom entails boundaries. Without boundaries, freedom is not freedom, but indulgence. The fish can only be free in the water, the birds can only be free in the air; the fish cannot walk on land, the birds cannot fly in the water; and man can only be truly free in the Truth. What is true freedom?

1st. Everything is permissible but we must not be controlled by anything.

What does it mean to be controlled ? It is becoming enslaved. It is being unable to stop doing something even when you do not want to do it. You want to stop smoking but you can’t. You want to stop drinking but you can’t. You do not want to gamble but you cannot not do it. Because you have been enslaved, you are unable to enjoy true freedom. Often, people ask me, `Pastor, do you drink wine?’ I tell you, ‘I can drink and I can refuse a drink, because wine has no control over me.’ How about you?

2nd. Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.

Everything we do has some benefit, they benefit us or others. We do not do wicked things intentionally to harm others. But you may argue, “Some Christians are not good testimonies.” Please do not forget, all Christians are in the process of growth; as long as we truly have the abundant life, our lives will improve gradually, we will mature more and more. How about your life?

3rd. Everything is permissible but we must seek to glorify God in everything.

Glorifying God is our first purpose. We should not do anything that will bring shame to God. Every true Christian must be a good citizen, a good worker, a good student, a good husband, a good wife, a good father, a good mother. Because we have an important mission — to glorify God in everything.

III. To Serve God (Gen 1:28)

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” God wants us to be masters over the earth, God wants us to be His managers on this earth, and this is one way we serve God.

The greatest inventor Edison, invented the light bulb, phonograph, and 2000 others things. On the average, he invented something every 15 days. A reporter asked him what his greatest discovery was and he replied, “I discovered Jesus is the Savior of mankind!” In his laboratory, there is a piece of stone, engraved with these words, “I deeply believe that there is an all-wise, all-powerful, most high and most exalted God.”

When a person believes in Jesus and has new life, he begins to understand that life is for serving God. He realizes that whatever he does, he must do it to serve God – he does business for God, and any profession is unto God, be it doctor, lawyer, chef, or preacher. God, on the other hand, is very willing to help us be the best doctor, lawyer – because God’s will is that his children be extraordinary men and women in the midst of the ordinary. Do you still remember that I said, “We had been given an extraordinary life, but we chose to live the ordinary. The greatest sorrow of life is not failure, but living without purpose?”

When we believe in the Lord, we come to realize our purpose on this earth:

• to glorify God
• to enjoy God
• to serve God.

Once we have a clear and correct purpose, then our life will have direction and meaning.

Romans 11:36 is a precious passage in the Bible that tells us an important principle – from Him, through Him and to Him are all things.

What does `from Him’ mean? Everything in this world came from Him. Mankind was created by God, He is our Creator. What does `to Him’ mean? Everything in this world will someday return to Him, He is our eternal dwelling place.

In Psalm 90, Moses said, “Lord you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” Someday, we will all return to God. Those of us who belong to God know where we came from, and where we are going someday. What does `through Him’ mean? We do not know how long our life on this earth will be, but each day, we trust in him, we rely on him; He is our trust, our help, our refuge.

A believer in the Lord knows where he came from, and where he is going. And while he lives on this earth, he has God as his help and rest, what a blessing this is! On the contrary, a person without God does not know where he came from, nor does he know where he is going; all his days are full of trouble and difficulty, and most pitiable of all, he has no one to rely on, to trust in and to help him. Have you made your choice? Are you willing to trust Him? All things are from Him, through Him, and to Him. Do not lose this precious opportunity, turn to Him now!