What is Jesus Really After?

To answer that question we must go to the end. And what is the end. The final step and result of everything in connection to His purpose in creating man is that He may be all in all.

There is no other vision greater than this for Him, that's the end.

Of course the question then arises: How do we get there?

The answer is through a lifetime of God bringing us through circumstances that deal with our selfishness. I could call it the old man, the flesh ... but in the end, it's just another way of saying self, selfishness, self-centeredness and caring only about yourself.

Those looking for something far better than the man-created religious systems of our day, will never be able to bring forth something better, if the self isn't dealt with. The only way self is dealt with is by embracing willingly the inner work of the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is one of the reason so many things, even in the over 30 years I've been outside the religious system, and fellowshipping with those on a similar journey, who are looking - like Abraham, for a city whose builder and maker is God, have fallen by the wayside.

It doesn't take long amongst a group of people who have to face the reality of living close together, to find out they aren't very lovable. God doesn't love us because we're lovable, but because He's love.

One of the reasons so many people resist moving into what they instinctually know is the way of God, is because they understand there will be a great cost if they do.

The reason those who do go out and make the attempt fail, is because of their self life.

Self is so strong, it takes the extraordinary weakening through the work of the cross to become a human being of the type the Lord is looking for, not through our work of effort, but from taking everything that comes our way as from the hand of God Himself.

The Lion from the tribe of Judah overcame not because he was a lion, but because He was the lamb of God. It's the lamb that overcomes. It's the work of the cross within us that will eventually bring forth the life and image of Christ.

We must ask Him to help us hold to Him and keep our hearts open before Him as He does His work within us. We aren't even able to do that. We are totally and completely dependent on Jesus and we need to ask Him for his grace and mercy in order to walk on the path He has set before us.

The weaker we become in our self life, the stronger he'll become within us, and the more we'll be able to walk in the fellowship and extraordinary life He as also planned for us in Him. When we are weakest, He is the strongest. We need Him to be strong, not ourselves.

All that He wants for Himself in us will never happen if these things aren't part of our lives.

Selfish Ambition

One of the great enemies of the purpose of God is selfish ambition. To put it simply: selfish ambition is that which doesn’t look out for what is of importance to God.  

It is very stylish today to talk about God having a purpose for the individual’s life. While there is some truth to that, it is far from God’s heart.  God does have a purpose, but it is His purpose. It existed in Him before the world was conceived. It is a purpose that is eternal. It originates in Him and from Him. Jesus Christ embodies and is the firstfruits of that purpose.  

Selfish ambition is basically something centered only in the individual. It asked only, “What can I get out of this?” It looks at the people of God as some type of means to ones personal ends.  

The church of Jesus Christ wouldn’t and couldn’t be what it is today, if it weren’t for this deceptive way of life. 

One of the most important things that Jesus dealt with concerning the twelve was that they were not to be over one another; that they weren’t to be like the world was - lording it over each other. They were a family – brethren. They were to serve one another, not as some type of specialized ministry, but as members of an extended, spiritual family.  

Each one was to give something of Christ that all could be built up and profit in the Lord from. Men of ambition could never fit into this humble lifestyle.  
Those of us who see what it is that God is after, need to check themselves in His light, to see if the motives of our hearts are pure in Him.  

Jesus didn’t raise Himself up or proclaim Himself as anything, except as the Father spoke or revealed to Him. Without the Father He said that He could do nothing. How much should it also be for us?  
There have been so many in the name of Jesus that have went out on their own and built their own kingdoms. They have done more harm than they could imagine. We need to be much better than that.  

God honors those who will walk humbly with Him. Doing things to try to impress the world or others will never work. You can’t out-world the world. The great majority of Christians today can’t see past their self-centered desires to even know that there is such a thing as an eternal purpose that has existed in God before there was a creation and time.  

Remember: God reveals Himself to the humble and poor in spirit.