Why Are We Here ???
Gerald E. Emond

INTRODUCTION

Although I may not have a list of letters and degrees following my name, I have been tremendously blessed of the Lord in my 30 plus years of ministry. I was raise in a Roman Catholic home, my early childhood years until the age of 16 involved the Catholic Church. My parents, at that time, were very staunch Catholics and as such instilled strong moral values in me. In retrospect I truly understand what Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" Eph.1:4-5 (emphasis mine). During my late teens I "defected from the faith" and began searching for, at the time, I knew not what. I eventually met a girl who was not "religious" but was a member of the Baptist faith. That led to my first experience with a Baptist Church. I could go on and share the events that led to my accepting the Lord but suffice it to say that through that relationship in June of 1966 at 11:45 a.m. in the pastor's study, I was introduced to Christ as my Savior. Since that time I have experienced many defining moments including what is referred to as a "backslidden" condition. God, in His mercy, led another to me who was instrumental in directing me back to the Lord. It was at that point that I began my hunger to know God and His word. I became the closest thing to a "hermit" in secluding myself away in the Word. I began building my biblical and reference library. I did not associate myself with any particular local church until I knew for myself God's truth. In 1972 the Lord called me into the ministry and since that time His Word has taught me very much. The one thing I have come to realize over the years, is that the visible church has been in a state of regression rather than progression. I pray you will receive this objectively from this pastor's heart.

I. Why did God Send us His Only Begotten Son?

First, I don't think we will disagree concerning the need for a redeemer. Man had separated himself from God in the very beginning because of his disobedience. That choice led to a broken fellowship, relationship with the Father. God prepared the way to reconciliation. A way that man, of himself, could not accomplish. Reconciliation would come through the obedience of Jesus Christ. His sacrificial life and death cleared the slate (Col.2:14) of man's disobedience and satisfied God's requirements. Through His death, the penalty for man's disobedience was paid. Simply stated, it is what Christ did and not what man can do that renders us accepted and approved of God. Jesus' physical, sacrificial life was God's example of how His children should live, (Rom.12:1). Jesus' resurrection from the dead and His subsequent giving of His Spirit was to enable Christ to live His life through us.

Contrary to countless opinions, God did not send His only begotten Son in order for man to establish another type of religious system. You see, God, Himself, was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. It was man's idea of religion that brought division in the first place and it is man's idea of religion that continues to create division today. Religion not only separates God's people from the world, it separates God's people from God's people. I wonder how long it will take us to realize that. Religion forces man's opinion on man. Religion succeeds in putting God's people in conflict with God's people. As long as that conflict remains, we remain ineffective in our ministry of reconciliation. We have complicated the "simplicity that is in Christ," (Col.2:16-23). Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life�"

II. Why are we here?

1 John 5:12-13 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." Rom 8:9-11 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin,(disobedience) yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

I once saw a movie called "Night of the Living Dead." This movie portrayed people who had died and were walking around in a spaced out zone, "zombies". They had the ability to move about but there was no life in them. They thought they were alive but in fact they were dead.
Eph 2:1-5 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

Not only must we realize that we are transgressors in need of a redeemer, we must also realize that we are dead, just like those zombies. When Christ died, He died for me personally. In other words, His death was my death. He died in my place. In God's eyes and the Holy Law, I was dead. A dead man has no life in him, no personality, no character, no ability to choose or make decisions. In that state of death Christ came to me and because of His resurrection and life, by my acceptance, I now have life. HIS LIFE, not mine. For many years I was a "wilderness Christian" because I wandered around in my own energy, trying to live a "Christian's life" according to man's estimation. I would follow a list of do's and don'ts because man said this is what a Christian is. In essence I became a religious person. I had not come to the knowledge like Paul when he said, "Not I but Christ who lives in me�" I was what John referred to the church at Sardis, "�you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead."

The Father showed me that I was dead and that my life was hid in Christ, I came to understand that being hid means "out of view" and that my life, my likes and dislikes, my opinion were also hid and it was Christ's life that was to be visible. That was when I realized why we are here. It was and should be a personal revelation to each of us. For that reason we are called the "Body of Christ." We are Christ body here on earth. That does not refer to any particular, visible religious group or organization but to all those, universally, who have come to that realization and acceptance.

Christ did all things to please the Father. Christ did nothing of Himself but what the Father said. Listen to what Jesus said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word." (Jo.17:1-6) Jesus was obedient to the Father all the way to His death and we are here to allow Christ continuity in being obedient to the Father, to fulfill His plan and purpose. NOT OURS. For an Old Testament parallel read Joshua chapter 5. Moses had been successful in bringing God's people out of the bondage of Egypt and for 40 years wandered with them in the wilderness. Moses tried and he gave the people of God the law without the land of promise. He was able to bring them out but not able to bring them in because of disobedience. Joshua, on the other hand, was obedient. Joshua trusted God and gave the people of God the land in which to practice the law.

Upon entering the promised place of God several things occurred:

1. The children of Israel needed to be circumcised again. Why? Circumcision was a sign of God that separated God's people from non-believers. It pictured removing the foreskin or uncleanness from the heart. Once the people had been freed from Egypt they were to continue that practice but had not. This new land required a new heart. This reflects the difference between carnal and spiritual living.

2. When this occurred, God said in verse 9, "Today I have rolled away (removed) the reproach of Egypt from you." They went from being disobedient to obedience. The shame of their carnal life was removed as they were now being led by the Spirit.

3. The food they ate in the wilderness, manna, did not satisfy them. They complained continually. Like many today in our carnal state are not satisfied with the "manna from heaven" resulting in bitterness, complaints and division. But once they tasted the food in the land of "milk and honey" they no longer had to eat the "wilderness food." (Psa 119:103-104 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path." ) There was a delight in God's Word.

4. The man with a sword in his hand. Joshua saw a man with a sword drawn and immediatelly asked him who's side he was on. The man replied, "Neither." Simply stated, God does not take sides He takes control. Jericho and the new land was not Joshua's problem, it was God's and God would take care of things. This was and is to be the experience of resurrection life. Allowing Christ to live His life through us. What is not possible for us is possible with Christ. I can't but He can. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. We might say, "More powerful is Christ's life through you than your life in the world."