Q3. (Ephesians 1:11-12) According to verses 11 and 12, what is God's purpose for our lives? What do we need to do to fulfill this purpose? How does this purpose relate to Matthew 5:13-16?
God's purpose for our lives is to praise Him. We need to live our lives as the hands and feet of Jesus. It is our responsibility to study His Word, learn all we can about Him and His will for us, so that we can become more Christ-like. The more like Him we become, the more the world will notice that we are set apart, different, redeemed. In that way, along without being bold about sharing our faith, we can draw more people to Him, now and forever.
It's not enough to walk the walk or talk the talk. We have to do both all the time. Faith without works is dead. And works without faith are dead. We need to live lives that clearly set us apart. We need to shine. It's not possible for us to be without blemish, but when we fail, or fall short, or hurt someone, we need to confess our sins to the person we've effected and to the Lord. We need to put others before ourselves, live servant lives, as Jesus did. In a "me first" society, living for others can have a huge impact. And that's what we're called to do: impact the world for Jesus.