I was recently listening to a podcast with Dan Mohler, who came highly recommended because of his teachings on our identity in Christ. Many of you know this is one of my favorite topics, so I was pretty excited as I listened to Dan explain this thought:
Jesus didn’t die because you have sin. He died because you have destiny.
This one thought got me thinking, so let’s look at it. 1 John 3:8-9 says, “When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”
Sin separates you and I from God. And we know Jesus died to take away our sins. But SIN wasn’t His primary goal. “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]…” (Amplified). In other words, God created humans with DESTINY and PURPOSE– but the devil, to get back at God, created a trap called sin.
The Message Bible sums up God’s view of this very well: “The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in Him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity He put us in right standing with Himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where He always wanted us to be. And He did it by means of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:21-24).
Can you say “Hallelujah!“?
We’ve always had our eyes on the sin, but God always had His eye on the DESTINY of man. In other words, God wanted His creation to thrive with the potential, ability, capacity, and power He originally designed for them!
Can you say “That’s me!“?
So here’s a theological term that might make more sense: It’s time to quit running around with a SIN-consciousness. Instead, flip the whole sin-thing around and start having a DESTINY-consciousness. Or, as I’m always telling others, a RIGHTEOUSNESS-consciousness!
Your destiny is wrapped up in God’s righteousness. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Did you catch that? It wasn’t only about sin. Jesus died to restore us to righteousness.
So meditate on these truths today. Get your eyes off of sin (past, present, or future) and begin to see yourself as God sees you–with purpose and destiny!
