Our Unique Destiny

“… we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

This scripture speaks of the unique destiny God has prepared for each of his children.  My destiny is not yours, yours is not mine. It’s an awesome fact of the diversity of God’s creative power that no two human destinies are exactly the same. God has been at work throughout our lives moving each one into his or her own destiny. No, not just during our lifetime but from the beginning of time. Remember, he chose us before the creation of the world.  He chose the period in human history when we would be born. He chose our parents. He chose all the circumstantial influences he would be using throughout our lives as instruments to mold us. As he was knitting us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), he built into us natural talents that would be useful later as we started to do the good works he was preparing for us.  But alas!  We were born in iniquity, spiritually dead because of a congenital disease. We inherited a sin nature!

Then God called us. The time, place, and circumstances of that call differ for each of us, but it was our common destiny to be called. “Those he predestined he also called” (Romans 8:30). When you and I responded to that call, drawn by his irresistible grace, our choice to follow Christ simply reaffirmed the choice God had made long ago. Our common destiny was fulfilled. We became alive “in Christ.”  We began to move into the unique destiny God had planned for each of us. We began to bear fruit.  But that was only the beginning!  God isn’t finished with us yet. So much more lies ahead. God’s prophet says “… I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Next time I will have more to say about those plans for the future, and “the fruit that will last.”

Our Common Destiny

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.Ephesians1:3-4

What an awesome thought! Our heavenly Father had you and me (if you are a believer) in mind when he created the world. Our destiny from the very beginning was to be holy and blameless in the Father’s sight. But wait a minute…I have sinned! I don’t know about you but I am not holy and blameless! How can this be? How can weak, limited, mortal humans mess up the plans of almighty, all-knowing, immortal God?

The answer is, “We can’t!” That’s why the apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that God chose us “in him” before the creation of the world. God knew we would sin even before it happened, and in His infinite wisdom put in place his plan to redeem his chosen ones by sending his Son into that fallen world. The only way anyone can be holy and blameless in the Father’s sight is to be “in Christ,” clothed in his righteousness.

When, in due time, Christ appeared he revealed God’s plan, formerly shrouded in mystery, to his chosen people. He told his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last…” John 15:16.

This meditation has been about the common destiny of all God’s people…in love he predestined us to become his children. But our destiny does not end there. My next meditation will be about fruit bearing. God demonstrates the exquisite diversity of his creative power as he prepares each of his children for their very own unique destiny.