Did you know that salvation is the family business for the children of God? When we were born again, God left us on earth for a reason – the salvation of others. He didn’t immediately whisk us up to heaven because our work can’t be done in heaven. Everyone in heaven is already saved.
In this article, you will learn:
1. How important the family business is to the heart of God.
2. How God precisely placed us in time and place
3. How our Heavenly Father prepares us for the family business.
4. How God equipped us to do the family business.
What Is The Heart Of God?
Salvation is the very heart of God because of Who He is. The Apostle John tells us in his first letter, “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 CSB) God is love. That’s Who God is.
We know love is the overarching characteristic of God. Everything He does is based on love. Who does He love? The world. All the people in the world that have ever existed, do exist, and will ever exist.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17 CSB)
Love For People Motivates God In Everything He Does
God’s love motivates Him. He created the universe from His heart of love. The prophet Isaiah said, “I made the earth, and created humans on it.” (Isaiah 45:12a CSB)
But then God gave the earth away. Psalm 115:16 tells us, “The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth he has given to the human race.” (CSB)
God made the earth with the intention to give it to man. He made this clear when He declared over man, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 CSB)
Therefore, God created the earth with all the resources man could ever need for life on earth. He provided a tremendous variety of plants and animals. Some plants were intended to be tamed and farmed by people, just as He meant for some animals to be tamed and raised by people.
He placed minerals, metals, and gems for our use. Then, just because He loves us, God put beauty on the earth for us to enjoy.
How Do I Know Salvation Is The Family Business?
We already know God is love. Because of that love, He sent His Son to provide salvation for everyone in the world – past, present, and future.
What is the desire of God’s heart? The Apostle Paul tells us in his first letter to Timothy.
“Who (God) wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4 CSB).
Salvation of the world is God’s purpose for sending His Son to be a sacrifice for our sin. Salvation of the world is why He leaves us on earth after we are born again. Angels are not allowed to preach the Gospel in this dispensation.
Since only people can preach the Gospel, it is important each one of us takes the “family business” seriously. If we don’t do it, who will? If I don’t do it, who will?
There are places I go where I am the only image of Jesus. I am sure it is the same with you.
You might also like my article, Do You Know How to be a Fearless Witness for Jesus?
God Placed Us Precisely In Time And Place
It is not often preached that God purposely placed us to live in this particular time and place. We are told in Acts 17:26, “From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.” (CSB)
First, God chose this time in history for you and me to live. Why did He choose this particular time for us to be alive? Why not some other time in the past or future?
Because He knows this time in history is when you and I will be most effective in the “family business”. God created us for this time in history to be a light in the world. Stop wondering if you can handle the events that are happening.
For God knew what would happen and created you with the ability, along with His ability, to handle what is happening in this period of time.
God Placed Us Precisely Geographically
Second, not only did God precisely place you in time, He also precisely placed you in a particular geographic area. He chose where you will grow up and He chose where you will live during your life.
God chose where you would be born, because this is where the needed talents, abilities, and desires are instilled within you.
Then He chose the place where you will live out your life. This is the place where you will be most effective for the Kingdom. Wherever in the world God chose you to live is where you will find your success and prosperity.
We are created for such a time and place as this!
God Placed In Us Everything We Need To Work In The “Family Business”
“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 CSB)
First, I want you to note this is in the past tense: “… has given us…” So, God has already done this. But when did He do this for us? At the time of the new birth, or as many say, “When God saved you.”
We know this from Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God…” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a CSB)
When our spirit became a new creation, God placed in us everything we need for life and godliness. He placed all nine fruit of the spirit in us. We got our measure of faith from Him. He even placed His spirit in us so we can communicate with Him and have the power to succeed.
We Are Equipped For Life And Godliness
At our new birth, God has placed in us everything we need to not only survive on earth, but to thrive here. So, how do we activate what we need for life and godliness? “… through the knowledge of him…” (2 Peter 1:3 CSB)
We activate everything God deposited in us by knowing more about Him. It is through the knowledge of God that we learn what the nine fruit of the spirit are. For instance, we know what true love is because God is love.
If we study in His Word how He loves us, we then learn how to love others His way. It is the same for all the fruit of the spirit. We learn about each of them through our knowledge of Him. This is the reason Bible study is so important.
What do we do with our measure of faith? Through the knowledge of God, we learn how to use our faith to affect our life on earth and our godliness.
We do this with everything God gave us at the new birth.
How God Prepares Us For The “Family Business”
God molds us to conform to His image so we can work in the “family business”. This starts first by us observing how He operates in the family business and copying what He does. Human fathers can see their children copy them in many ways.
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.” (Ephesians 5:1 CSB)
It is the same for our Heavenly Father. We first learn the “family business” by imitating Him. As we learn more about the CEO of our “family business”, the Holy Spirit shows us how to conform to His image.
In this way, we become more and more effective in the harvest of people for the Kingdom of God. Our love grows. Our patience becomes more steadfast. We exhibit more joy and peace to those around us.
This is how we gain the interest of those that don’t know Jesus as Lord. They are drawn to God when they see His love exhibited through our life. All we have to be is salt and light in the world. (see Matthew 5:13-15)
How God Equips Us For the “Family Business”
Not only does God prepare us for the “family business”, He also equips us to work in the family business. At the moment we are born again, God fills us with His Holy Spirit. What does this do for us?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8 CSB)
The Holy Spirit provides us with the power to be witnesses. That is what we are in the “family business” – a witness. It is the power to be salt and light in the world. This Holy Spirit empowerment is the foundation for who we are as a child of God.
It not only supplies the power for us to be a witness, it also empowers us to live the holy life God called for us to live. We can do what God says for us to do because He is living in us and enabling us.
You might also like my article, 7 Easy Ways to Boldly Evangelize Your City
God Supplied Us With His Faith
“…as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.” (Romans 12:3b CSB)
The measure of faith each one of us received is God’s own faith. We have a measure of God’s faith. How do I know this?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God…” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a CSB)
The instant we were born again, we are a new creation. Everything God deposited in us at that moment is of Him. That includes our faith. Our measure of faith is from God.
He gave us this faith to use. It is powerful. God used faith to create the universe. (see Hebrews 11:3) With faith, we can accomplish all that God prepared us to do.
God Provides Nine Spiritual Gifts
“To one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 CSB)
The gifts are distributed as the Holy Spirit wills. They are from God and provided for us as we need them. Why does God supply us with the nine spiritual gifts? He supplies them so we can be effective in the “family business”. These gifts are for us to use for the benefit of others.
Working In The “Family Business”
Now we know how important the “family business” is to the heart of God. We also know God has placed us, prepared us, and equipped us to be effective and successful in the “family business”.
We must do the “family business”. Time is shorter than it has ever been. We are closer to the return of Jesus than at any other time. Each of us needs to accomplish the tasks God has prepared us to do.
The Challenge
Purposely start each day by asking God for your assignment in the “family business” for that day. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the one person you are to share the Gospel with on that day.
Make it a priority to pray for the salvation of others.
Determine that you will not rest that night until you have shared the Gospel with at least one person.
Salvation is the “family business” for the children of God.
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