GODS WILL FOR MANKIND

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GOD’S WILL FOR MANAs Christians we sometimes find ourselves asking the question “what is God’s will for my life” and many times we have no idea of where to look in order to answer this question.                   In fact as mankind faces many of the injustices and afflictions of life, we even as Christians find ourselves sometimes asking “what is God’s will for mankind.”                   Maybe we can better understand God’s will for us individually if we can understand His will for us as a whole. As I was asking God what I should say to you this morning, He instructed me to talk about His will for mankind. I responded, Lord that is a big topic. Where do I start? He responded, “there is only one place to start; with the creation of man.                   For my will for mankind is recorded in the creation of man. So turn with me to Genesis Chapter 1. For the sake of time, I will only be looking at selected verses from Genesis 1, 2, and 3.                   Also as we are looking at God’s will for us as seen in the creation, I hope to show how God’s will then is still God’s will now.GENESIS 1:26-31  God’s will for mankind was for mankind to rule over his environment. Adam and Eve were given dominion over ever living thing on earth. In fact they were to rule over all of the earth.                   The environment was set up to please Adam and Eve.                   The temperature was never too cold or to hot. They ran around naked, needing no clothes to warm their bodies or to protect them from the sun. They lived among lions and bears. In fact all of the animals were brought to Adam to receive their names. Adam’s Eden was perfectly designed for him and he and Eve were to rule over it. Romans 8:22-23 – All of creation is waiting to be put back in its proper order, and we are assured that the day will come when Jesus and God will restore proper order to earth. 2 Tim. 2:12 says, “If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with him”. Rev. 20:6 – In Bible study on Thursday we talked a little about this second death. The first resurrection begins with the rapture of the dead in Christ and the church and ends right before the Battle of Armageddon. All saved people are included in this resurrection.                   All who die without having accepted Christ as personal savior will not be in the first resurrection, but rather will find themselves facing the lake of fire which is the second death. The point here is, that God’s initial plan for mankind to rule and have dominion has not changed. Those who love God will one day rule. God’s will for mankind was a fruitful life – Genesis 1:28 Man’s life was not only to be fruitful by reproducing himself, but man was also to have a happy life. God put him in a beautiful home, suited for all of his need, where he had no worries and no dangers to contend with. He was to enjoy life. Today man spends two-thirds of his day focusing on the concerns of life and the other third resting us so that he can have enough strength to face more concerns the next day. This is not the life that God intended for us.                   In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief (the Devil) comes, to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that mankind might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. God’s will for man was and still is a good life, an abundant life, and one day Jesus will restore that life again to us. Genesis 2:16-17 – God’s will for mankind was and obedient life. God gave Adam a command. He told him not to do this one thing, and He wanted Adam to obey him so he told him what the penalty for disobedience would be. Was death God’s will for man? No life was God’s will for man. But a life of obedience. Obedience born not out of fear, but out of love.                   God want Adam and Eve to choose to obey because they loved and trusted Him. So he gave the free will, a right to choose. But though God has given mankind the right to choose, His desire, His will is that man will choose to follow God and the ways of God. His desire is that we would choose to obey out of love, trust and reverence. However, should man choose not to obey, God will not force him into obedience.                   He will simply execute the punishment that has already been stated. God does not hide the punishment for sin from man and then latter demand payment.                   He warns man in advance, giving man ample opportunity to choose and holds man accountable for his choices. God wanted a life of obedience for Adam and Eve and He still wants an obedience life from us. Heb. 5:8-9 – Though Jesus was God’s son, the scriptures say that he learned obedience through the things he suffered.                   He suffered because it was required not because it was desired. He had to suffer to fulfill God’s plan. He allowed the will and desire of God to carry more weight with him than his own desires did. As a reward, Jesus is the author of salvation to all who will now obey him.                   Jesus obeyed God the Father and now our salvation lies in obeying Jesus. Genesis 2:18 – God’s will for mankind was a life of sharing. God did not want Adam to be alone.                   Though Adam was surrounded by life, there was no one like himself. God recognized that Adam could not be happy without a mate, someone like himself. So God created another human being, a woman, a helper for Adam. Within all of us there is still that desire for human companionship. Sometimes it gets twisted and distorted and leads us to sin. Sometimes we get so hurt in life that we try to deny the existence of a need for others. But when we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we need one another.                   We draw strength from one another.                   We bring out the best in one another and often the worse too. In Hebrews 10:25 we are told, “Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together; but rather exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”                   God recognizes that we need help, and encouragement to continue in this Christian race.                   He tells us to come together because there is strength in unity. God’s will for mankind was a life of fellowshipping with God – Gen. 3:8-9 God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. They talked face to face. God gave them instructions. He brought the animals to Adam to name them.                   God knew Adam and Adam knew God.                   God and Adam were close and God still wants to be close to man. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” I Peter 3:18 –God went through great expense to re-establish true fellowship with man. He gave his own son so that the relationship between God and mankind could be mended.                   He has demonstrated his love for us and his desire to be with us, by giving of himself to pay for our sins.                   He has bought mankind back from the clutches of sin and death and has bridged the gap that lay between He and man.                   That bridge is Jesus and who will cross the bridge He will gladly accept back into fellowship with Him. God’s will for mankind was eternal life. Had Adam and Eve not sinned they and their descendants would have lived forever in there beautiful home with God there to guide them, to fellowship with them, to love and care for them. John 17:3 – Eternal life is not just living forever, but it is knowing God. Not knowing about God, but knowing God personally for yourself. It is living with God, fellowshipping with God, knowing God and being known by God. It is intimate relationship with God that brings about eternal life. It is forever being connected to the source of life.                   And this eternal life is still offer to ever man through the sacrificial death of Jesus. John 3:16-17  What is God’s will for mankind? It is a fruitful and obedient life; a life of ruling over environment and sharing that rule one with another. It is a life of choosing God and desiring to fellowship with God.                   It is an abundant, beautiful, peaceful, free from worry or strife life. That was God’s initial will for man and it is still God’s will for us. I John 3:8 Man has lost all that God desired for us for the time being. It was stolen by the Devil. But God does not give up easily. His will for mankind has not changed and we will one day see the will of God performed on this earth