The third major theme of prophecy in God’s Word is how and why God deals with individuals and what He has planned for them. This is the most incredible and wonderful understanding in the entire world!

Why did God create people? Do they have a purpose? A future? Is “this life” all there is? Evolutionary theory teaches that there is no Creator. That life is an accident and therefore we have no purpose or reason to exist. Evolution—the idea that life came from nothing and means nothing—is a deceitful theory that many people today accept.

We previously looked at Bible prophecy concerning the world empires, the promises to Abraham and the Davidic covenant. The world-ruling empires are important to understand. From their beginning to their end they are foretold in God’s Word. Also, it is not possible to understand current, past or future events without understanding the incredible and detailed promises that God gave to Abraham and David. They have come to pass in previous times and even today before our eyes. But what about you? What about individuals? What does God have planned for your future?

You’re invited!

We have all at one time received an invitation to attend a wedding, graduation or other event. God also invites—or calls—people to be a part of His family forever. A simple party invitation is easy for us to understand, but most people do not understand how God invites those whom He wants to be in His Church and eventually live forever with Him! 

Jesus used the example of being invited to a wedding to help us understand how we are called. In Matthew 22:2-3 He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son. And he sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding...” Quite plainly, God’s calling is an invitation. In fact, it is an invitation to a real wedding! When the apostle John was exiled on the Island of Patmos he saw a vision of this future event and recorded it for us: “Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God’” (Revelation 19:9). The wedding supper of Jesus Christ and His bride—the resurrected saints of God—will take place shortly after the resurrection. You are called to that wedding.

How does the calling from God happen? Jesus taught His disciples that God the Father begins the process and selects individuals to call. Consider these profound words in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” So The Father begins the calling for the purpose of giving eternal life to the one being called. The person being called then is drawn to the teachings of Jesus and has his or her mind opened to understand truth. Jesus was very clear about this just a few verses later: “It is the Spirit [which] gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). 

Invited, but to what?

The Kingdom of God is a mystery to most of humanity. When the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, He replied, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Think about how awesome it is that you have been given the ability to understand the greatest mysteries of all time! But how does this work—how does God give understanding to some and not to others?

The answer is by the Spirit of God opening your mind to see what the majority of people cannot. The inability to understand Scripture is likened to a veil over one’s eyes. Paul wrote, “Their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains un-lifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart” (2 Corinthians 3: 14-15). How is that veil taken away? Only by God’s calling. 

As David wrote, “Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts” (Psalm 65:4). Speaking of how we learn spiritual truth, Paul said, “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). 

God calls and opens our minds to understand; our response should be to turn to God so the veil can be removed and we can understand the great questions of life. Paul stated it very simply, “…when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16).

Speaking of the Holy Spirit that would be sent after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension back to heaven, He said, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, [which] the Father will send in My name, [it] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). As we learn more about God’s coming Kingdom, His Commandments and the forgiveness made possible by Jesus Christ, we are led to repentance and baptism. It is through the goodness of God that we come to this point (Romans 2:4). 

After the ceremony of baptism we receive God’s Spirit within us by the laying on of hands and prayers of the ministry (Acts 8:18; 2 Timothy 1:6). Although you may not have been baptized and have the Holy Spirit in you at this time in your life, you are surrounded with many members of God’s Church who do, and are willing to help you grow in your understanding! 

The great purpose of life—why you were born—is to be in God’s family with Jesus Christ and live forever as part of the New Jerusalem!

Then what?

From that point forward we have a tremendous responsibility to continue to grow in knowledge and develop character like God’s. We are to use God’s Spirit to overcome sin in our life (Romans 8:13) and live according to the requirements of righteousness in God’s Word (Romans 8:4). Thankfully we are not alone—we are promised help in the face of temptation. The Holy Spirit provides the help needed by dwelling in the individual believers. Paul taught us to be strong in the face of temptation, “. . . God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The life of a Christian is compared to a journey or pilgrimage. Three times in the Bible we are called “pilgrims,” meaning that we are in the process of going to a new country. Speaking of those who have been faithful followers of their calling in past centuries we are told, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. Now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

When Jesus was resurrected He became the “firstborn of many brethren” (Romans 8:29)—meaning that those in the coming first resurrection will be His brethren—members of the family of God. If we have God’s Spirit within us, in His eyes we are already considered His children and in line for an inheritance. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God . . .  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17). 

The great purpose of life—why you were born—is to be in God’s family with Jesus Christ and live forever as part of the New Jerusalem! 

Until then

Between now and then we must live a life of overcoming. John warns us to resist “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Jesus warned about “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19). Our daily goal is to draw closer to God and resist the devil so he will flee from us (James 4:7-8). Doing so gives our life meaning and purpose.

The final reward for heeding our calling and living to please God is beyond anything we can imagine. It is summed up in this incredible promise given to us by Jesus Christ Himself “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:20-21). 

Your future includes sharing the throne of the universe with Jesus Christ. That is why you were born!