THE QUEST FOR PURPOSE, REDEMPTION AND MEANING BY JOHN GRACE
Down deep, in the recesses of the human heart, there lies a longing to
be redeemed. The Preacher tells us that eternity is written in the very
hearts of men and women (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Pascal tells us that there
is a hole in our hearts which only God Himself can fill. And Augustine
states, in a prayer to God, that "our hearts are restless till they find
their rest in Thee".
Redemption is what every soul longs to experience. To break the damning
cycle of futility and to enter into a life of substance and
significance. We have devised countless ways to experience this,
attaching meaning to our labors, our relationships, our talents, our
science, our religion. And, while these may prove suitable for a time,
they are evanescent hopes at best. They satisfy, but only temporarily.
There is no permanence to them. C.S. Lewis once said, "If we find
ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most
probable explanation is that we were made for another world." This
truth resonates with what we shared at the start. We were made for
something greater, higher, more significant than that which can be
discovered here on earth. The preacher, in his book called Ecclesiastes,
expounds on his quest for significance and substance. He had the means
and the time to try any and all things, and he did just that. He
concluded that it was all vanity and vexation of spirit (1:14). To seek
for redemption and significance, without reference to God, leads to this
end. He saw the unrighteousness enjoying their sinful ways while the
innocent suffered needlessly and without comfort. It all was a "chasing
after the wind'. He took it all in, even as he pursued and observed this
world's offerings. In the end, he came to the same conclusion as these
other men quoted here: that a world without God at the center of it
holds no meaning whatsoever; that true value and significance is found
and possessed only when one abandons this world's "solutions" and draws
near to the heart of God.
There, in the revelatory light of the Creator, we find purpose. Purpose,
redemption, and meaning. If we will but seek God with the entire weight
of our hearts and souls, we shall see the revelation crystallize even
further. We will see unveiled the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ! Upon
that Cross, God Himself suffered, died, and took away all that hindered
us from experiencing redemption and hope. In Christ, no longer is life a
meaningless waste of time. Instead, life is given to us in all of its
fruitful abundance. Our souls have peace, with God and with ourselves.
Even our tribulations and trials possess great meaning, leading to an
unashamed hope (Romans 5:1-5).
If you are among those, trapped in the cycle of hopeless vanity, and
seeking answers in fleeting things, behold the exit. Behold the Cross of
Christ. Come to the Cross and there forsake your hopeless efforts, your
sins, and lay hold of the hope thereupon. Lay hold of true life,
redemption, and ultimate significance. For in Christ (God crucified,
risen, and ascended) is the longing to be redeemed and made significant
satisfied. There is the soul made complete. There we find eternal rest
from our quest for purpose, redemption, and meaning. Selah!
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