Following the Maker’s Design

ZChurch Message for June 22, 2024 (full service:    • Following the Maker’s Design  )

In previous lessons on “Knowing the Truth About Sin,” Elder Bob Peck has taught us that we are forgiven
of sin, that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, and that the Old Testament law system
has been abolished. If you have understood those lessons correctly, it should leave you asking “Then why
not sin?” If your only goal is to miss hell and make heaven, then abstinence from sin is no longer
required. On the other hand, if you want to prosper and have success in this life, then observing and
following your maker’s design for your life is essential to avoiding a breakdown that leaves you stranded
on the side of the road of life.
Review

1. In Part 1 we learned that Christ offered one sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12) that so thoroughly atoned
   for all sins forever that there is no longer anything that can condemn anyone who is in Christ
   (Romans 8:1).
2. In Part 2 we learned that the old covenant has been made obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), it’s
   handwriting wiped out when God nailed it to the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14). For those in
   Christ, there is no longer a performance based system of do’s and don’ts to be judged by or
   condemned under.
3. In Part 3 we learned that for the New Testament believer, sin is no longer the state of being
   without a share in the divine nature. For the New Testament believer, sin is no longer the act of
   violating the rules of a performance based system. For the New Testament believer, sin is the act
   of missing the mark and there’s no law against that and therefore no condemnation for it.
   For the New Testament believer:
    Sin is missing the mark.
    The mark is conformity to Christ: Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to
   be conformed to the image of His Son…”
    If we know what God knows, see what He sees, think what He thinks, speak what He speaks, do
   what He does and/or designed us for, then we’ll hit the mark of confirmity to His Son. All else
   misses the mark.
    Under the new covenant, there’s no law against missing the mark: 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All
   things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all
   things edify.”
   Then why not just go ahead and sin?
   If your only objective is to miss hell and make heaven, then there’s no reason not to sin, i.e. miss the
   mark. Salvation is a free gift – there’s nothing you can do to earn it and nothing you can do to lose it.
   However, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. You’re free to jump off a bridge
   and not be condemned, but you will suffer the consequences.
   A reason to not sin
   Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and
   night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
   prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
   The carnal mind thinks this is about works and earning God’s blessing.
   This verse is about learning what God knows, sees, thinks, speaks, does, and doing likewise. When we do
   things according to the maker’s design, then they work.

God is an intelligent designer who made all things by intelligent design. We only prosper and have
success when we learn and follow the design.
Your car owner’s manual is not a system of works to appease the manufacturer but instructions which if
followed will result in a happy motoring experience.
God has an intelligent design for all things – marriage, family, finance, church, government, etc.
Matthew 6:31-33
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The carnal mind will think this is about being righteousness enough to earn things from God.
This is about learning to know, see, think, speak, and do the kingdom way which aligns us with the way
all things were designed to work.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
God made man in His image and likeness so we could be like Him and walk together with Him in His
ways of knowing, seeing, thinking, speaking, and doing. These are the good works He prepared for us.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Natural and Spiritual
We are spirit and flesh. Both are made by intelligent design and need to be operated according to the
maker’s design for success.
Natural-Moral – The intelligent designer has a design for everything in the physical creation, from health,
to marriage, to social order and civil government. If we would seek and follow his design we would
“prosper and have good success” instead of having heart break, dysfunctional families, oppressive
governments, etc.

Spiritual – Spiritually, we are made in God’s image and likeness, to be like him and to function together
with him in his right ways. When we deviate from his spiritual ways and from the ways he designed the
spiritual realm to operate, we become spiritually dysfunctional and things start to break down.
The carnal mind is more conscious of moral error but spirit things have more impact.

Summation
 For the New Testament believer, all things are lawful.
 For the New Testament believer, sin is the act of missing the mark and there’s no law against it.
 For the New Testament believer, missing the mark of knowing what God knows, seeing what He
sees, thinking what He thinks, speaking what He speaks, and doing what He does and what He
designed you for will throw a monkey wrench into the machinery of life.
 God isn’t condemning you for sin but sin that misses the mark condemns you to futility.