Sunday, September 15, 2013

What Is Your Purpose?


You were created with a profound purpose:  To be a part of the family of God as sons of God and as the bride of Christ.  God, who is perfect and has no need, created humanity because of desire. He had no need but He wanted. Within the fellowship of the Trinity, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Gen.1:26) When we study God’s interaction with the first man He ever created, we see our purpose with greater clarity.  God made man for fellowship and communion with Himself, for the work of tending the garden and taking dominion over creation and for fellowship and community with others.  God made us for love. At the end of the day the purpose of all of our lives is love. 

The Bible begins and ends with a wedding.  In the book of Genesis we see the first Adam marry his bride, Eve.  In the book of Revelation we see the second Adam, Jesus Christ, marry His bride, the church.  In Ephesians 5 Paul refers to this marriage, the joining of a husband and wife in one flesh (Gen 2:24; Eph. 5:31), as “a great mystery… concerning Christ and the church.” Not only are we the bride of Christ, we are also sons of God.  In Romans 8:15-17 it says that we have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Our Father loves us incredibly.  He sent His only Son to the earth to die that we might live.  The Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance and adoption, cries out, “Abba Father” from within us!  God needed nothing but desired to have you and I as His beloved children at the costly price of His only begotten Son.  We have been chosen, predestined, accepted and adopted into the family of God.

With this as our foundational identity, we were created to do good works.  As Adam was given the job of cultivating and tending the Garden of Eden, so the Father has created us for good works, which He has prepared for us beforehand (Ephesians 2:10).  We were created to think, relate, create, have dominion, be fruitful and multiply, have fellowship with others, love, serve, commune with God and worship Him forever.  He has given us unique gifts and talents to bring Him glory.

We were created with the profound purpose of being loved by God, loving Him in return and taking dominion in the earth through communion with God by love and obedience.  The Father created us because of His desire and for His glory.  We were created to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strengths and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  In all that we do, if we do not have love, we have nothing (1 Corinthians 13).  We were made to love like God loves - sacrificially, wholeheartedly and unreservedly –for the sake of love and for His glory.

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