Can you miss God's purpose for your life if you are born again?

[Neostarwcc]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

 

[Pavel Mosko]

I hate that sort of preaching. It leads to so much second guessing of life. I think many people struggle with their purpose in life at some time or another, but especially in their Youth. Discovering our purpose in Life is a Journey, and one that can take some time for some people. Actually this sort of topic has been one that I have been wanting to write or do videos on for some time, because I think it is an important Biblical and Christian theme and is not really covered enough. e.g. People like to cover Christianity as just a bunch of doctrinal beliefs etc. rather than a Spiritual / Existential Journey where we come to know more about ourselves and develop in our relationship and walk with God.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Gods purpose for your life

There is a interesting passage in Ezekiel 9:4,5,6 “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.” And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children, but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple".

We are told that God will destory those who destory the earth (Rev 11:18) Ezekiel seems to be saying that God is going to save those who grieve and mourn. As Jesus says: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew5:4)

 

[SkyWriting]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

God doesn't change His plans. But people can keep their eyes open
and be blessed and grateful for God's gifts,

Or just stomp their way through the flower garden, unaware.
Our choice.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

A lot of preachers preach stuff that is dreamed up out of their own heads. Good preachers preach the Bible. They expand and expound what the Bible actually says. When a pastor preaches on his own pet theories, he is not moving in faith, but in presumption. And God sees presumption is a serious sin because it is a misrepresentation of His word and therefore is a lie and a perversion of His Word.

So, going by your description of what your pastor is preaching, I think he is preaching just a lot of presumptive nonsense instead of the true Word of God.

 

[Aussie Pete]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

For sure you can. God has a plan and purpose for every believer, but it requires our cooperation. God respects our decisions. He will work in our lives to bring us to a place of submission to His will, but not everyone gets there.

Lord Jesus exhorted His followers to be disciples, not just hangers on. He exhorted His followers to carry the cross daily and to deny themselves. One day all Christians will be free of the encumbrance of self will. It is far better to accept God's will and the Lordship of Christ right now. We will do it eventually, either because we must or because we choose. Right now is a good time.

If it were not so, most of the New Testament is pointless. It's not about just not sinning. It is far greater than that. It is positively consigning self to the cross and positively living in resurrection life. We cannot make it happen, that is true. We need to get out of God's way. Ask Lord Jesus to live out His life, in you, through you and in place of what was there before. If you are sincere, it will happen. You will be transformed.

God will put His finger on whatever is most precious to you. For some, it is family, others, job, yet others a career path, a friendship or a relationship. That is the time when we have to make a stark choice. You will know what it is when the time comes. There are many examples and I've had a number of that kind of decision. One the toughest was not to go to my son's sixth birthday. I had very recently separated and going through hell. It was 15 years later before I found out why God said not to go. It would have been a disaster.

Lord Jesus faced the cross with a plea for it to pass Him by. But He said, "Not my will but yours". Lord Jesus did that for us. Whenever I struggle with an issue, I remember what Jesus gave up - and what He gained as a result. It's not as quite as hard these days as I've learned a few lessons. But self is tenacious and does not give up easily. I've also learned not to boast. God has a way of bringing us undone. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Both in this life and the next.

 

[GaveMeJoy]

God doesn't change His plans. But people can keep their eyes open
and be blessed and grateful for God's gifts,

Or just stomp their way through the flower garden, unaware.
Our choice.

I really love how you worded this it’s poignant, poetry, and powerful.

 

[GaveMeJoy]

For sure you can. God has a plan and purpose for every believer, but it requires our cooperation. God respects our decisions. He will work in our lives to bring us to a place of submission to His will, but not everyone gets there.

Lord Jesus exhorted His followers to be disciples, not just hangers on. He exhorted His followers to carry the cross daily and to deny themselves. One day all Christians will be free of the encumbrance of self will. It is far better to accept God's will and the Lordship of Christ right now. We will do it eventually, either because we must or because we choose. Right now is a good time.

If it were not so, most of the New Testament is pointless. It's not about just not sinning. It is far greater than that. It is positively consigning self to the cross and positively living in resurrection life. We cannot make it happen, that is true. We need to get out of God's way. Ask Lord Jesus to live out His life, in you, through you and in place of what was there before. If you are sincere, it will happen. You will be transformed.

God will put His finger on whatever is most precious to you. For some, it is family, others, job, yet others a career path, a friendship or a relationship. That is the time when we have to make a stark choice. You will know what it is when the time comes. There are many examples and I've had a number of that kind of decision. One the toughest was not to go to my son's sixth birthday. I had very recently separated and going through hell. It was 15 years later before I found out why God said not to go. It would have been a disaster.

Lord Jesus faced the cross with a plea for it to pass Him by. But He said, "Not my will but yours". Lord Jesus did that for us. Whenever I struggle with an issue, I remember what Jesus gave up - and what He gained as a result. It's not as quite as hard these days as I've learned a few lessons. But self is tenacious and does not give up easily. I've also learned not to boast. God has a way of bringing us undone. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Both in this life and the next.

I think no matter what we do, as believers, to screw up our lives, God’s plan for our life is what is best for us. Scripture tells us God doesn’t change, his plans aren’t thwarted or halted or stopped. A plan that is not accomplished is not God’s plan because he is sovereign, even over us. just my take


Romans 8:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

[Neostarwcc]

I hate that sort of preaching. It leads to so much second guessing of life. I think many people struggle with their purpose in life at some time or another, but especially in their Youth. Discovering our purpose in Life is a Journey, and one that can take some time for some people. Actually this sort of topic has been one that I have been wanting to write or do videos on for some time, because I think it is an important Biblical and Christian theme and is not really covered enough. e.g. People like to cover Christianity as just a bunch of doctrinal beliefs etc. rather than a Spiritual / Existential Journey where we come to know more about ourselves and develop in our relationship and walk with God.

I agree, such preaching makes us guess whether or not we are living the lives that Christ wanted us to live rather than trusting God that he will take care of it. God promises in the Bible actually to take care of it (see Matthew 6:25-34, Genesis 28:15, Isaiah 41:10 ... the list goes on.) I'm not saying we are robots but God pushes us in many ways to live the lives that he planned for us as chosen children of God. I mean I definitely did NOT choose Christ. Believe me, I had NO intention of coming to Christ. I was perfectly happy living my Christ free life and doing whatever I wanted which included being a generally all around horrible person not only to my parents but to everyone around me and the world. Not to mention stealing, defrauding people ...just you name it. I never would have gone to Christ on my own. Especially as a complacent atheist. Even when I DID come to Christ I still didn't believe in God because foolishly I thought there was no evidence. Ofc, I had no way of knowing that I was coming to and speaking to God himself.

But, Christ chose me I didn't choose Christ (see John 15:16). If my life wasn't already preset by God than why would God automatically command a chosen person of Christ to bear fruit? Mere days after Christ coming to me I started baring fruit and that fruit has grown over the last seven years of me being a Christian.

 

[Neostarwcc]

God doesn't change His plans. But people can keep their eyes open
and be blessed and grateful for God's gifts,

Or just stomp their way through the flower garden, unaware.
Our choice.

That's an interesting way to think about it. I just have one thing to say about it, what about if Noah had never actually built the arc that God wanted him to build to save humanity?

Yes, Noah loved God but he built the arc and obeyed God's every instruction because not only did he believe God, nor because God knew that Noah was going to do it (not necessarily anyway), but because he was pretty much "preprogramed" if you will to obey God. God wanted to save his creation so in order to make that happen, Noah HAD to build the arc. There was no going around it. If he didn't, neither you nor I would exist nor anyone else here would exist, nor anyone else who lived after Noah's life and Christ cannot die for people who don't exist.

What about when Joshua took Jericho? The same thing happened. If Joshua hadn't taken Jericho the first steps to salvation wouldn't have happened.

What if King David never took Jerusalem? The list just goes on and on.

Each and every story of the Old Testament, If it never happened, salvation wouldn't have been possible. Israel wouldn't have ever existed and neither you nor me would be here. How do you think that happened? It wasn't mankind's freewill because mankind's natural instinct is to disobey God. Believe me, I know this more than anyone else. It was because God had a perfect plan for all of them, and they were preprogrammed if you will, to do it. It was already going to happen no matter what because they were chosen by God and God lead them and they trusted God to lead them each and every step of the way. That is the way a saved person walks. If a person "misses" the plan that God had for them, IMO they're not Christian because God already pre planned each and every second of our lives.

I'm not saying that salvation isn't available for all but merely that God knew ahead of time which of his people would be saved and which would not. We were all written down in the book of life and were known about to God WAY before this world was even formed.

 

[Aussie Pete]

I think no matter what we do, as believers, to screw up our lives, God’s plan for our life is what is best for us. Scripture tells us God doesn’t change, his plans aren’t thwarted or halted or stopped. A plan that is not accomplished is not God’s plan because he is sovereign, even over us. just my take


Romans 8:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Sure, God will have His way. We can make it really hard for ourselves or an easier road. We can be fruitful in this lifetime relatively soon after being born again or we can resist God and delay. God is the God of Abraham, the man of faith, Isaac, who was handed everything on a plate, and Jacob, the deceiver. Jacob tried to get God's will done by his own natural strength and resources. He suffered a great deal as a result. Christians cannot accelerate the process of spiritual growth, but they can delay it.

 

[Neostarwcc]

A lot of preachers preach stuff that is dreamed up out of their own heads. Good preachers preach the Bible. They expand and expound what the Bible actually says. When a pastor preaches on his own pet theories, he is not moving in faith, but in presumption. And God sees presumption is a serious sin because it is a misrepresentation of His word and therefore is a lie and a perversion of His Word.

So, going by your description of what your pastor is preaching, I think he is preaching just a lot of presumptive nonsense instead of the true Word of God.

I would say so yes, he said that if we asked Christ to lead us each and every step of the way and then if we trusted God to lead us and followed him without question than it would be impossible to miss God's purpose for our lives because God would lead us. But if we went and did whatever we wanted and had pride to not listen to him than it is possible to miss it.

I just don't agree. I agree with him to a point that we have to trust God's leading but what Christian doesn't trust God? We already trust him to save us, why not trust him to lead our lives you know? How is it possible to not listen to the Holy Spirit's leading? See my previous post for some points of what I'm talking about. Each and every second of our world's history was already pre planned and preset by God and if they never happened, salvation wouldn't have been possible. One major event though that I forgot to put and talk about was when Christ came to the earth to die for us. Had THAT never happened we DEFINITELY wouldn't have been able to be saved. All preplanned and preset by God the Father.

The Bible says over and over again that Christ was lead by the Holy Spirit about what to do, what to say, how to act... everything. it was impossible for Christ to miss his mission because he had the Holy Spirit. It was impossible for him to miss it because it was God's plan and God's will for him to succeed. And he was God himself but lets not get into that.

Now, if you didn't have the Holy Spirit and were not one of God's children then I'd tend to agree that it's possible to miss his plan. God technically planned to save all of humanity. THAT would be pride getting in the way but do you honestly think the Holy Spirit makes mistakes? No, he's a part of God. He is perfect in each and every way. How can he possibly "screw up" so to speak?

 

[Neostarwcc]

For sure you can. God has a plan and purpose for every believer, but it requires our cooperation. God respects our decisions. He will work in our lives to bring us to a place of submission to His will, but not everyone gets there.

Lord Jesus exhorted His followers to be disciples, not just hangers on. He exhorted His followers to carry the cross daily and to deny themselves. One day all Christians will be free of the encumbrance of self will. It is far better to accept God's will and the Lordship of Christ right now. We will do it eventually, either because we must or because we choose. Right now is a good time.

If it were not so, most of the New Testament is pointless. It's not about just not sinning. It is far greater than that. It is positively consigning self to the cross and positively living in resurrection life. We cannot make it happen, that is true. We need to get out of God's way. Ask Lord Jesus to live out His life, in you, through you and in place of what was there before. If you are sincere, it will happen. You will be transformed.

God will put His finger on whatever is most precious to you. For some, it is family, others, job, yet others a career path, a friendship or a relationship. That is the time when we have to make a stark choice. You will know what it is when the time comes. There are many examples and I've had a number of that kind of decision. One the toughest was not to go to my son's sixth birthday. I had very recently separated and going through hell. It was 15 years later before I found out why God said not to go. It would have been a disaster.

Lord Jesus faced the cross with a plea for it to pass Him by. But He said, "Not my will but yours". Lord Jesus did that for us. Whenever I struggle with an issue, I remember what Jesus gave up - and what He gained as a result. It's not as quite as hard these days as I've learned a few lessons. But self is tenacious and does not give up easily. I've also learned not to boast. God has a way of bringing us undone. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Both in this life and the next.

See the posts I made in posts #10 and #12. I think they describe what I was talking about in the OP the best.

 

[GaveMeJoy]

Sure, God will have His way. We can make it really hard for ourselves or an easier road. We can be fruitful in this lifetime relatively soon after being born again or we can resist God and delay. God is the God of Abraham, the man of faith, Isaac, who was handed everything on a plate, and Jacob, the deceiver. Jacob tried to get God's will done by his own natural strength and resources. He suffered a great deal as a result. Christians cannot accelerate the process of spiritual growth, but they can delay it.

And even as we delay our growth, God’s perfect plan is accomplished in full, with no compromise or delay.

 

[Neostarwcc]

And even as we delay our growth, God’s perfect plan is accomplished in full, with no compromise or delay.

I'm reminded of what Paul says in Philippians 1:6. To me, that just kind of trumps the argument that Christians can miss God's plan. Even Paul believed that we will all accomplish it in the end. Because God chose us, ordained us, and planned for us before the foundation of the world. Wasn't even Paul who believed that either Peter did as well (see Ephesians 1:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2-5). Even Christ himself said that he chose us and we didn't choose him and we will bear good fruit (John 15:16).

I also like what John has to say on this subject too in 1 John 2:3-5 and 1 John 5:4. A true Christian would naturally bear fruit anyway and would obey God's commands out of love. Even Christ says in John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commands." So, how can a true Christian or Chosen one of God before Christ come fail to fulfill God's plan? Especially when God's plan for our lives from Adam and Eve until the last day are perfect and complete?

No, we fulfill what God wants from us at the exact moment and the exact time that it is to come to be. My marriage happened at just the right time, as did meeting my wife. I met her when I was 27 years old and she was 21. Had I met her at any other time she would have been too young and I would have been too immature, sadistic, and cruel for her to love me. Plus. I didn't plan to meet her nor did we ever know we would be together but, God did. And that's just one example of God's plan for my life being fulfilled.

That's kind of like saying that God's children can be lost. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that they can be lost, in fact it says the exact opposite. Yet, that's a common teaching in the world today because Satan loves to spread confusion, doubt ...etc into the world. He wants to stop God's plans from happening but, they never do. He fails every time.

 

[Aussie Pete]

I'm reminded of what Paul says in Philippians 1:6. To me, that just kind of trumps the argument that Christians can miss God's plan. Even Paul believed that we will all accomplish it in the end. Because God chose us, ordained us, and planned for us before the foundation of the world. Wasn't even Paul who believed that either Peter did as well (see Ephesians 1:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2-5). Even Christ himself said that he chose us and we didn't choose him and we will bear good fruit (John 15:16).

I also like what John has to say on this subject too in 1 John 2:3-5 and 1 John 5:4. A true Christian would naturally bear fruit anyway and would obey God's commands out of love. Even Christ says in John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commands." So, how can a true Christian or Chosen one of God before Christ come fail to fulfill God's plan? Especially when God's plan for our lives from Adam and Eve until the last day are perfect and complete?

No, we fulfill what God wants from us at the exact moment and the exact time that it is to come to be. My marriage happened at just the right time, as did meeting my wife. I met her when I was 27 years old and she was 21. Had I met her at any other time she would have been too young and I would have been too immature, sadistic, and cruel for her to love me. Plus. I didn't plan to meet her nor did we ever know we would be together but, God did. And that's just one example of God's plan for my life being fulfilled.

That's kind of like saying that God's children can be lost. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that they can be lost, in fact it says the exact opposite. Yet, that's a common teaching in the world today because Satan loves to spread confusion, doubt ...etc into the world. He wants to stop God's plans from happening but, they never do. He fails every time.

I was introduced to the woman I married by a Christian woman I knew and respected. The first time we met it was "hi and bye". I ran into her again at an evangelistic rally. So we started dating. Quite soon we were married. 9 years later, it was over. For most of that 9 years my Christian life was stalled. It took me several more years to get free of the effects of the divorce. I did not see my two children for 15 years. Yes, God has worked it for my good - eventually. But I made some really bad choices and suffered a great deal unnecessarily. My kids have suffered too.
No one who is born again will be in hell. It is possible to miss God's best. Do you know where Ephesus is? Sardis? Thyatira? Laodicea? The seven churches in the book of Revelation no longer exist. Their ruins are in modern day Turkey, mute testament to the danger of not taking God seriously.

 

[LiquidCat]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

Yea you can really destroy it , not like God didnt know you would do it he will accomplish what he wanted to but he would give you option and since you did not choose to do X then you would not get reward from doing X , while God always knew you wouldn't do X so he assigned somebody else to do it but he gave you choice and if you were to choose you would be rewarded.

If he didnt give you the choice he wouldnt be able to separate people and give them different rewards for what they did.

 

[paul1149]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

Your question presupposes that one always hears God accuracy and obey adequately. That is not the case. There is a reason why the Bible is filled with admonitions, exhortations, and encouragements. We easily miss it. We need to continually examine ourselves and go to the well to renew and replenish grace. God has good plans for us, but it is up to us to follow closely and obey, or we can forfeit our reward.

 

[bling]

I've seen pastors over and over again describing about missing Gods purpose for your life but can you really miss out on it if it's already written? (See Psalm 139:16). Also if the Holy Spirit is guiding each and every step of your life and your life is already planned and preordained by God how can you miss it? Everytime you sin the Holy Spirit convicts you to apologize and try not to do it again. Everytime you make a bad decision in your life you recognize it as a bad decision, even our own salvation is predestined and chosen by God so how can a person who has the Holy Spirit and who's life is already recorded miss out on what God already decided their lives will be? Am I missing something?

How could you sin, if the Holy Spirit is guiding your every step?
How can you make a "bad decision"?
Would you of your own free will not have to quench the indwelling Holy Spirit before going it alone and thus sin?

 

[GaveMeJoy]

I was introduced to the woman I married by a Christian woman I knew and respected. The first time we met it was "hi and bye". I ran into her again at an evangelistic rally. So we started dating. Quite soon we were married. 9 years later, it was over. For most of that 9 years my Christian life was stalled. It took me several more years to get free of the effects of the divorce. I did not see my two children for 15 years. Yes, God has worked it for my good - eventually. But I made some really bad choices and suffered a great deal unnecessarily. My kids have suffered too.
No one who is born again will be in hell. It is possible to miss God's best. Do you know where Ephesus is? Sardis? Thyatira? Laodicea? The seven churches in the book of Revelation no longer exist. Their ruins are in modern day Turkey, mute testament to the danger of not taking God seriously.

your story is similar to mine brother, and yes our sin has hurt others and our families, our divorces were painful. But I would argue we didn’t miss God’s best. Only God knows what would have happened if we didn’t go through that struggle. I believe that if my wife hadn’t walked away from God and left me I would have gone to hell when I die. God’s best was bringing me closer to him. It I would have married a better person who loved Jesus more and didn’t cheat on and abandon me, I may never have been truly born again, and just kept going on missions trips and going to church thinking I was saved when I wasn’t in obedience