The 20/20 ExperienceSample

"The Goal Of The Christian Faith"

Goals. We all have them. We’ve all set them. We’ve all achieved some and failed to achieve many. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “goals” person, you have them subconsciously. Seeking to earn a degree is a goal. Fighting to get an internship is a goal. Goals give us something to pursue and help us refocus on what’s most important. Without them, we wander through life aimlessly, void of any purpose.

So here’s an interesting question: What is the goal of the Christian faith? If you had to boil it down to just one thing, what would you say? Maybe you’ve thought the goal was to hold on to faith until the end so that you’ll get to heaven. Maybe in your mind the goal of the Christian faith is to be a really good person. Or maybe you’ve thought it’s to live in such a way as to gain favor and blessings from God.

The apostle Paul tells us exactly what the goal of the Christian faith is in his letter to the Romans—to conform to the likeness of Christ. In verse 28, Paul uses the word “purpose,” which means “God’s plan.” That plan is spelled out in verse 29—to look more like Jesus every day until the day of Christ’s return, when sin and its effects are wiped away from the earth once and for all.

So, as a believer, what’s your goal each day? To take one more step toward Jesus and to love God and love people more than you did yesterday. And you never need to worry about failing to reach this goal. God doesn’t expect perfection. If he did, he would have never sent Jesus to be perfect for us.