Purpose Driven Life?

Question

I was wondering if anyone has read or is reading the book? If you are or have, then have you realized what your purpose is? Care to share?

Answer 1

the popularity of this book was from a women who was taken hostage and she read the book to him and he repented (turned away ) from his sin and became a Christian. just some interesting trivia.

i listened to it on tape. it was ok but not that interesting to me since i had already come to the conclusions that were in the book and already had a purpose. what i didn't like about the book is that it sort of was along the lines of this new Christian ideology of God wants us to be happy so he is here for us mentality. also i don't think that God has one path that we are suppose to follow. i'm sure many paths that we choose in life would be pleasing to God. like when it comes to what jobs you should have or what hobbies. provided you are following him i don't think that those things matter.

my purpose is: to do the most good for the most amount of people that i can. so i like to volunteer and even help people with their questions on this site.

Answer 2

I'm a Christian and started to read the book when it first came out- but had to stop because the author was quoting several new age people to support his beliefs. It seemed a little off to me. Something is not right about that book. I don't encourage Christians to read that book- but rather to pray, read the word and ask God to show you his purpose for your life. He will.

Answer 3

The conclusion the book draws -- as I recall from 3 years ago when I read through it with my Sunday School class -- is that our purpose on earth is to glorify and serve God.

Personally, I thought the book was a bit generic and made only vague and general points. If you'd like something more specific (a book I liked much better) try CAT AND DOG THEOLOGY by Sjogren. That one hits close to home and is very specific, yet is still lightly written and fun to read. He says that many of us treat God as though He's here to serve us, when we should remember that we're here to serve God. It's an excellent book. You can find it available for purchase online by Googling the title.

Answer 4

Our purpose in life is to live and learn. Its not about us. It is about Gods purpose for mankind. He left us with the divine instructions in His word. Although many have found that it disrupts their life that they want to choose on their own. As it was put, we have the free will, which is right. Although God wants us to believe in Him and what His purpose is. I believe our purpose is to learn that what that purpose is. We have not even touched the surface of what Gods purpose for us is. We can barely get off the planet earth and something else is discovered. We were purposed to live on earth forever and ever. God's mind is so much more superior than ours and always will be. He can think of zillions of things for us to do. For example: When was the last time you visited another country? Well here you go, we did not even want to learn the language, yet we wished we knew how to speak their language. Why because it is sometimes embarassing to always ask what they meant or said. How wonderful it would be to learn all languages in the world we have. Just because they are different colors than we, does not mean they are not humans. They have ideas, talents, and dreams just like we do. How many of them people over there do you think would want to be in our shoes. They are starving, not living in decent homes, do not have decent clothing (that we think is not decent) but it is their clothing and thats the way they dress. Would you not like to be able to teach them something that you think was a good idea, and vise-versa. I think it would be nice to learn a different language as well as their customs, or taste the diference in the way they cook. That is just a small token of what our minds can do. It is discovered that our minds can hold more information than we can ever read in a lifetime. That is a purpose in itself, also how about visiting different parts of the earth that are absolutely gorgeous.

Answer 5

I read it....for me it was just a refresher of what I had already learned. Love, happiness, caring, giving, sharing. It was just a quick way to make money for the author and a book for the desperate seeking answers........yeah me included

Answer 6

I started reading this book, put it down, and picked up the bible (once again). My recommendation would be the same for anyone else....read the bible instead.

Answer 7

while you're Christain, the only factor we would desire to consistently be pushed with the help of is the plans Gods has for us. they're plans of properity, happiness, fulfillment. HE has the suitable plans, and that they far exceed what are pea brains can think of. So he's asserting, dont be pushed with the help of the techniques of the international..

Answer 8

Herd about it but havent read it. But i am still trying to figure out what god wants me to do as far as ministry is concerned. But i know my soul purpose is to win souls for the kingdom.(witness to people)

Answer 9

The greatest purpose of humans is to have unity to God which one can have only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

The sin of our first parents (Adam and Eve) brought about the fallen state of mankind. Humans are sinful because of their iniquity, sins bring curses and both iniquity and curses pass down the generations if they are not cleansed by the blood of Christ. Children are born with defects and suffer unfortunate circumstances because of curses due to their ancestors’ unrepented sins. Hereditary illness is an example of a curse. In the future, God will make a new Heaven and earth, and there will be no more suffering, sickness, sin, evil, old age or death. God’s people (those who accept His Son Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord) will joyfully and peacefully live in this new and perfect earth, with the Lord Jesus Christ as their King forever. See chapter 21 of the Book of Revelation.

Almighty God was, is and will always be triune (one God in three persons, not three gods). God is comprised of the Father, the Son (Lord Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Triune Godhead has a different role. There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6,8; 45:21-22; 46:9; John 17:3; 1 John 5:20-21). The Father is God (1 Peter 1:2; Philippians 2:11), the Lord Jesus Christ is God (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1; 20:28; Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:7-8; 2 Peter 1:1; Titus 2:13) and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; Acts 28:25-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Without God, man’s spirit is unilluminated. This illumination happens at the time one’s spirit is united to the Holy Spirit (which happens only after one has accepted Christ as their Saviour). The Light went out of the spirit after the fall of man. Man had lost communion with God. Christ, the second person of the Triune Godhead made the sacrifice for our sins so the Light could be lit in the spirits of all. There is no redemption or unity to God apart from receiving Christ as one’s Saviour and Lord. The infilling of the Holy Spirit was possible only after Christ’s sacrifice. Before the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit only fell on persons who worshiped and served the true God (Judges 15:14; Ezekiel 11:5). Hebrews 9:6-8 (KJV) tells us that unity to God “the way into the Holiest of all” was also possible only after Christ’s sacrifice which brought an end to the Old Covenant. Christ made the sacrifice for our sins as the spotless lamb (1 Peter 1:9) and took the place of the Jewish high priest and became our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 6:20). The Book of Hebrews explains how the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant.

The blood of Christ was shed so our sins could be paid for and we could have direct unity to God. The Holy Spirit leads us to remain focused on God so we can grow spiritually. God the Father lives within believers (John 14:23), God the Holy Spirit lives within believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and God the Son also lives within believers (2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20). Because Christ lives in us, we are a new being, having our old self with its evil practices stripped off, and we are being renewed and remoulded after the image of God, in order to bring us to a full knowledge of Himself (Colossians 3:9-10). Because He lives in us, we have His peace (John 16:33), we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we have His strength to do all things (Philippians 4:13) and we are a chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation and God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God (Peter 2:9). As Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ is always interceding for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25), He is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:1–3) and He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11).

The truth about Jesus Christ can be found only in the word of God which is the Holy Bible. Three days after the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, He resurrected from the dead (Luke 24:1-8; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4) and 40 days later, He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:3; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11).

1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Jesus Christ is Lord over all:

Philippians 2:9-11
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

False doctrines claim that there are several paths to God. The word of God tells us that THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD AND THIS IS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS ONE’S LORD AND SAVIOUR.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him

Shortly after physical death, humans pass into either Heaven or Hell. Before Christ’s sacrifice, access into Heaven was not possible for human souls. The souls of those who loved and served the true God were kept in the paradise part of a spiritual place within the earth called Sheol, and the other part of Sheol was a prison of torment where the souls of those who rejected God ended up (Luke 16:19-31). There was a spiritual gulf fixed between these two parts so no soul from one side could cross over to the next (Luke 16:26). Access into Heaven was made possible for humans by Christ’s sacrifice and right after He died on the cross He went into the paradise part of Sheol, told the good souls (who were there for thousands of years) what He did and took them up to Heaven (Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:8–10; 1 Peter 3:18–20). The paradise part of Sheol no longer exists but the prison part of Sheol still does. This part of torment is called Hades or Hell. Those who reject God by not receiving Christ or any one of the Triune Godhead (Jeremiah 15:6; Matthew 12:311; Chronicles 28:9; 1 John 2:23) end up there and then go into the Lake of Fire after the Millennium (Revelation 20:15). Earthly fire, Godly fire (the type Jesus baptizes with) and the tormenting fire of the Lake of Fire are three different types of fire. There is also demonic fire which demons can produce.

Reincarnation is a false teaching (Hebrews 9:27). The Lord Jesus said that the human being’s afterlife state whether torment or paradise, will be eternal (Matthew 25:46). In the original text, the Greek word for eternal, aiōnion is used. He didn’t say that we would be born again and again until we got it right and received liberation. He would not have made that huge sacrifice for us if we could have had unity to God another way, and if there was another way, He would have taught that. The Lord said he could have employed legions of angels to prevent His crucifixion (Matthew 26:53), but because of His great and perfect love for humanity, He chose to endure a very painful death so we could be redeemed and united to God.

Salvation, redemption, reception of the Holy Spirit and adoption as God’s own children happen the instant a human being has faith in Christ as their Saviour and Lord and not at some future time in the believer’s life.

People who have not accepted Christ can become better individuals, but only to a certain extent. The Holy Spirit calls out to everyone but only those who have let the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Triune Godhead) into them by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are the ones who are transformed and experience abundant and constant spiritual growth.

Iniquities (tendencies that cause one to sin) pass down the generation line (Numbers 14:18). After one accepts Lord Jesus as their Saviour, God forgives their sins as they truly repent and removes their iniquities (evil tendencies) in the transformation process which makes one more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:12-14). After genuinely accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, ALL sinners (alcoholics, liars, drug addicts, fornicators etc.) will be saved and transformed. Each believer is cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit who renews them.

REDEMPTION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

Because mankind is incapable of meeting God’s standard of perfection necessary to abide in God’s presence (Romans 3:19-20,23), God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the total debt for the believer’s sins and mercifully credits to his account Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-28,5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus’ gracious act of atonement was complete and covers all sin (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). Salvation is not based on good deeds but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:4-5). Believers are justified by faith; it is a gift by God’s grace (Romans 4:3-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). A true, living faith will result in a desire to live a holy, loving life of good works (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26), but failure to be absolutely successful at righteous living does not negate the believer’s justified status.

If you sincerely say this prayer, your sins will be washed away, you will be redeemed to God, be saved from eternal torment and inherit the Kingdom of God:

"Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me and save me by your shed blood. Come into my heart. I want to receive you as my own personal Lord and Savior. Amen"

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