Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.

I capitalized his in bold print to emphasize that your purpose in life may be at odds with God’s purpose for you. Over the years this verse has been used to calm the souls of people who are going through troubling times. “Why, why, why?” We want to know why we have to go through the tough things of this life. Two things are important in receiving the peace of God through the use of this verse. Number one is loving God. Do you love God? The second is His purpose for you. Do you know God’s purpose in your life?

In most of the cases I have witnessed over the years our love for God is severely tested. Satan applies every pressure to separate Christians from Jesus Christ. One of those tests is to find you a purpose in life which is not God’s purpose. That is vanity as I described it for you yesterday. So how do you know if your purpose in this life is God’s purpose for you? There is a way to examine your life and identify God’s purpose for you.

Is God being glorified?

Is it bringing souls before the Lord?

Does it serve the needs of the body of Christ?

Vanity in purpose does just the opposite of these things. Vanity glories in attention. Vanity builds an audience to self-satisfaction, not thinking of others. Vanity serves itself.

Do you know how to glorify God? It is not what most people define as glory.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary on glory Strong’s number 1391 “glory” (from dokeo, “to seem”), primarily signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion. It is used (1) (a) of the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way he reveals Himself in these respects, and particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His “glory” has ever shone forth and ever will do, John 17:5, 24.

Does Jesus Christ reveal Himself in you? If not, then the second and third issues are meaningless.

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

With God the revelation of a secret thing is done with purpose. Here in the Old Testament, it is meant to help them obey the law. It is but a help. This is important.

That is the OT, what is the New Testament equivalent of this passage?

Romans 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

So here in the NT the revelation purpose of the hidden thing is obedience of faith. OT obey the law, NT obey faith. Here once again, it is meant to help, and is not responsible for performance. We on the other hand have the opportunity to get help in obedience.

Allow me for a moment to speak to the inquisitive nature of mankind, we do love a mystery. We love a good puzzle don’t we? We love discovery. We love to be in the know. We love to understand, discover, and uncover things before anyone else. We were given the power to reason.

What is the power of reasoning without revelation with purpose? It is called vanity.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Vexation of spirit here means frustrating the spirit. The spirit will reveal the mysteries of God with purpose but using the power of reasoning in this way frustrates the purposes of God.

That is the true nature of vanity.