John B. MacDonald /
Thursday, January 9, 2025
For some, the answer to this question is a reminder.
For many, it will be new.
For all of us, it is a life-changer.
A Conversation
A young person wanted to discuss the future. This could be anyone, but in his case, he was a husband, a new father, and a respected public school teacher who had a decision to make.
An opportunity had presented itself to move to a different region and possibly advance his career. He and his wife were followers of Jesus who had thought through the options prayerfully. There were many considerations: both career positions were full of potential, the new region offered housing affordability, and so forth.
What should they do?
Although it is not my place to make their decisions, I could help them decide within the right context. I asked gently, “What is God’s great purpose for you?”
They knew it was not financial prosperity, career advancement, or any other metric typically used for success in our culture. As important as these issues are, they are not God’s great purpose for us.
So, what is God’s great purpose for you?
A Framework
Let me introduce three biblical texts that sketch the Triune God’s great purpose for you. In turn, there is a focus on the Father in the past, the Son in the future, and the Spirit in the present.
I encourage you to read each of these texts in their broader contexts. You will note that in each text, believers in Christ or Christians are addressed with a view to becoming more and more ‘like Christ.’
I have included a link to an expanded video presentation on this subject at the end of this post.
Predestined in the Past
The first text is Romans 8:28-30:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Here, the term “God” is distinct from “his Son,” and as is Paul’s practice, he usually uses “God” when referring to the Father (cf., Romans 1:1-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6).
Many misunderstand the meaning of “predestined” or “predestination " and confuse it with other concepts such as election or chosen. The word “predestined” translates the Greek word proorizō, which is only used six times in the Bible. A broader description might be a destination or goal determined beforehand.
As an illustration, when a person boards Lufthansa flight LH4269 in Vancouver, Canada—they have entered an aircraft with a predetermined destination or goal. That aircraft is predestined to end up in Frankfurt, Germany.
In the same way, upon receiving or believing in Jesus Christ (i.e., John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; etc.), a person is ‘in Christ.’ For all those ‘in Christ,’ God has a destination or goal determined beforehand—they will be “conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
So, in the past, God, the Father, has predestined or predetermined that all those ‘in Christ’ will be ‘like Christ.’
Realized in the Future
As we read 1 John 3:2-3, we are given a glimpse of the future:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
We do not see Jesus physically now. Yet, there is a day coming when Jesus will appear physically. John does not tell us when this will be, but he does state that “we know” it will happen. At that point, everyone who is ‘in Christ’ shall be like Christ.
So, in the future, there will be an instantaneous transformation of who and what we are—to become “like Jesus Christ” in his perfect humanity.
Transforming in the Present
What is God doing in the present, and what are we asked to do?
Here is what we read in 2 Corinthians 3:18,
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Once again, Paul speaks to those who are ‘in Christ.’
Here are three brief observations of this text:
- A process: In the same way that we mature in life by stages, the process of spiritual maturing is degree by degree.
- A word: “Being transformed” translates the Greek word metamorphoomai, which is the basis for our English word “metamorphosis”—the process by which a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly.
- Some grammar: “Being transformed” is in the Greek middle voice. This means we are called to cooperate or participate in the Spirit’s transforming work.
Paul Barnett, in his commentary on 2nd Corinthians, writes:
Paul makes it clear that we must understand our transformation to be the will of God for us and that we should actively cooperate with him in bringing to reality the eternal destiny for which we were predestined.
So, in the present, God the Spirit is active in the lives of those who are ‘in Christ,’ transforming us degree by degree to be more ‘like Christ’ as we actively cooperate with him in his transforming work.
Some Implications for Life
To discover some of what is involved in actively cooperating with the Spirit, explore the numerous references in the Corinthian letters to the Spirit and spirituality. As a taste, here are some areas of life in which we are instructed to cooperate actively with the Holy Spirit:
This post introduces you to the Triune God’s great purpose for you. It equips us with a radical and transformative vision for life. What can you add?
Click the link for an expanded video presentation: “Living Toward God’s Great Purpose for You” (16:56), and feel free to use this link to write me with your comments and questions.
Photo credit: Depositphotos.com
Dr. John B. MacDonald has served for decades as a lawyer and pastor-teacher. He is an associate with Outreach Canada and focuses on equipping and encouraging others to become more like Jesus Christ and to live all of life with God-honoring competence and joy. You can also find more articles from John on his website, living theology.
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