Ephesians 2:8-10 - God Has a Purpose and Plan For Your Life

Godhas a plan for your life. He has a purpose for your life. God has a will foryour life. That's what we're looking at here in Ephesians 2:10. “For we areHis workmanship”. We're His poem. We're His masterpiece, “created inChrist Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walkin them”. That we should walk in them. Walk in what? The good works thatGod has prepared for us to walk in beforehand. In eternity past, God chose thatwe should glorify Him by walking in His “good works”. Everyhuman being was made in the image of God. That's why it doesn't matter who youare, where you're from, what your ethnicity is. It doesn't matter what coloryour skin is. My friend, you are of tremendous value to God. God loves you. Godsent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you. It doesn't matter whether you're amurderer or you're the best person in the community. God loves you. God wantsyou to know His will and plan and purpose for your life. That's one of the mostamazing things in all the world. That is that we know and can know the will ofGod, God's plan, purpose for our lives.  Yousay, "How can I know that? How can that take place?" Ephesians 5:17even hints about this very same theme where the apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore,do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." God’swill for our lives is not some mystery. God has prepared it beforehand and thatwe should walk in it. I love Psalm 139 that tells how God created us withpurpose. He created us and He has us in His mind and in His heart always. Heknows everything about us and still yet He still cares for us. The Bible saysHe cares about the sparrow and notices when it falls from the sky. God feedsthe birds of the air, the fowls of the air. God is in charge. God loves Hiscreation.  Butof all of creation, He loves the human beings that He created in His own imagemore than anything else in eternity. The most famous verse in scripture, John 3:16,tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. Thatword world there is every human being that's ever been created and placed onplanet earth. God loves you.  Nowhow do we know that will for our lives? I love Romans 12:1-2, where Paulwrites: “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that youpresent your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God that's onlyyour reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world but betransformed by the renewing of your mind that you may know and prove what isthat good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.  Howdo you find and know the will of God? First, as you read in Ephesians 2:1-3, byrealizing that you're a sinner. You're condemned. You're depraved. You have nohope. Then in verses 4-7, “But God”! God is working for you. He loves you. Hecares for you. He has redeemed you by the blood of His Son. He has forgiven you!God has called you out of the grave clothes to live a changed and exchangedlife. His life living through you. God exalted you to sit in the heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus.  Nowyou can find that will, that perfect plan and will of God for your life. As abeliever the first aspect of the will of God for your life is to live a holylife. It's God's will that we be sanctified, that we be set apart (1Thessalonians 4:3). That we live a life that pleases Him as we yield ourselvestotally to God (Romans 12:1). Then we're not conformed to this world, but welive a life that's different than the world lives because Christ is living inus. Then you will know, you'll prove, you'll understand what the will of God is(Romans 12:2).  Myfriend, when you know what that is, you have purpose in life. You have a planand a mission in life to be on mission with God! How exciting that is! Oh, I'llnever forget the day I began to find and understand God’s purpose and plan formy life and the difference it has made for me. God will do the same for youtoo, if you let Him!