Today, I want to speak to you about your destiny and purpose.
First, read Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The word ‘beforehand’ refers to before the foundation of the world. What the apostle Paul is saying in this verse is that before we were ever born, God prepared good works for us to walk in them. God decided that we would be doing certain things.
Listen to that same verse from the Knox Translation. “We are His design. God has created us in Christ Jesus, pledged to such good actions as He has prepared beforehand to be the employment of our lives.” I like that.
Paraphrased…
“You were designed with a unique purpose, and that is what you should be doing with your life.”
In Philippians 3:12, Paul also states, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
The phrase, “I press on” literally means “I pursue.” What is it that Paul states he is pursuing? He is pursuing his purpose!
On that Damascus road, Jesus laid hold of Saul of Tarsus, and He did it for a reason. There was a purpose involved. From the day that Jesus Christ laid hold of him, Paul’s life became a progressive search to lay hold of the answer to the question, “God, why have You laid hold of me? What is my purpose?”
My point? You have a God-designed purpose in life! There is something that YOU are wired up to do as the employment of your life.
Bayless Conley is a pastor and speaker known for his clear presentation of the Gospel and the way he applies the life-changing truth of God's Word to everyday life. It's this same truth that radically turned his life around when a 12-year-old boy shared the Gospel with him many years ago.
Bayless' unique background and remarkable testimony have enabled him to reach a diverse audience of people globally. In 1979, God called Bayless to share His Word on television, and in 1984, the broadcast was launched. Today, the Answers with Bayless Conley broadcast is impacting lives around the world in numerous languages.
Bayless, with his wife Janet, pastors Cottonwood Church, a thriving nondenominational church located in Orange County, California. Bayless is the author of numerous books and booklets including Cast Down But Not Destroyed, Footprints of Faith, How to Pray, Turning Mistakes into Miracles, There Is Always Hope, and a 365-day devotional called Answers for Each Day.