A Purpose in Life

Is it to become the next millionaire? Is it to be a dedicated and devoted spouse? Is it to be a disciplined employee? Is it to be the best parent to your children that you can be? If we spend time, though, thinking about what our purpose in this life is - we might struggle a little with what our response might be. Our more experienced members may look back on impacts they had, our younger members may look forward at what lies ahead.

A young woman brought her fiancee to meet her parents. After dinner, her father asked the young man into his study for a chat. “So, what are your plans?” he began. “I’m a theology scholar,” the young man replied. “Admirable!” the father said, “But what will you do to provide a nice home for my daughter?” “I will study and God will provide,” he explained. “And how will you afford to raise children?” “God will provide.” The men left the study and the mother asked her husband, “How did it go?” “He has no money or employment plans,” the father said. “But on the other hand, he thinks I’m God.”

Many of us go through life wondering if there is a purpose or plan for our lives. Yesterday, as I was sitting in the Animal Science arena with Emilee I was taken aback that there was only one student that wasn’t for sure what they wanted to do in their career - they still had an open mind. Now, for many of us we get an idea of a career path and with follow that. Others, may work open ended jobs and be satisfied with constant change. Many, though, are just trying to find themselves and what purpose they have in life.

Why is purpose important? A 2017 research article published by Harvard School of Public Health finds that having a purpose in life can make us more likely to remain healthy and physically strong as we grow older.

Early in his career, Thomas Edison invented a vote-recording machine for use in legislative chambers. By moving a switch to the right or left, an official could vote for or against a proposal without leaving his desk. The machine would replace the tedious business of marking ballots, counting them, etc. Elated with the prospects, Edison obtained a patent -- his first -- and headed for Washington. Eagerly he demonstrated his machine to the Chairman of Congressional Committees. This gentleman, while complimenting Edison on his ingenuity, promptly turned it down. "Filibustering and delay in the tabulation of votes are often the only means we have for defeating bad or improper legislation." he told Edison.

The young inventor was stunned. The invention was good; he knew it and the chairman knew it. Still, it wasn't wanted. Said Edison later: "There and then I made a vow that I would never again invent anything which was not wanted."

But what is our true purpose in life? To live a life with meaning for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“God knew salvation was not only wanted, but was NECESSARY for mankind. Therefore He created the greatest invention and offered in to us - His Son.”

We Are A Created Being

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

While God created everything in the earth; starting from the division of heavens and earth, a creation of light, the division of firm ground and separation from water, vegetation, the distribution of stars, the sun and moon, creation of creatures in the water, in the air, and on land. After each creation, God found it to be good. But in this instance, there is a different approach by God - the completion of creation. The ruler and protector of all other created things - man. One thing we can know for sure is that man was not an afterthought, man was a creature whom God planned and had a specific purpose for long before the earth was ever started. We have similarities in other created things, in that God’s spoken word created man.

God held a conference - a divine counsel - let us make man in our image and after our likeness. Plural - The Father convened a meeting with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Being created in the likeness of God, we too have a trinitarian likeness: the body, the spirit, and the soul. We bear the very image of God Himself. However, we have a couple of differences from other created things: We were created in the image and likeness of God, received a blessing from God, and received three assignments from God. While mankind may be a created being, a mammal like other animals that inhabit the earth, we are a special being, distinct from all other creation, formed in the mind of God. Not only created and formed in and by the mind of God, but receiving the breath of life from God - and the spirit from God. We are a combination of both flesh and spirit together, representing both heaven and earth - leading to God’s last thoughts, and it was very good.

We have a purpose in life - unlike other animals that occupy the earth, we possess the spirit of God, we commune with God, and if we accept Jesus as our personal savior, we possess the power of immortality. Man is not only a living and breathing soul like animals made for this earth, man was created with a spirit - an immortal being made for this earth and eternity. We are created with a purpose.

Not Only Created, But With A Purpose

Isaiah 43:7 ESV

7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

For those who read this verse, we need to also look at the contest. From verses 5-9

Isaiah 43:5–9 ESV

5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! 9 All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true.

we see this focuses on the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. God delivered His people, and returned them to the promised land. Today, we (as Christians, those who have asked for God’s restoring forgiveness) can also see this as a parallel for our lives. We are living in exile - but we have the promise of returning to our promised land - heaven. But again, I want to emphasize, just as the return to Jerusalem was for God’s chosen people - the Jews - heaven is reserved for God’s chosen people. Those who choose to restore their relationship with Him. As we have studied in Ezra and Nehemiah, a majority of Jews stayed in Babylon with all the pleasures it offered, and only a few true believers returned to the promises God had given them.

We have a purpose - to be restored back into our relationship with God so that we can glorify Him for eternity. But with that restoration comes a meaning for our lives.

Our Purpose Has Meaning

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Before ascending back to heaven, Christ gave his disciples a commission - instructions - for what they were to do. Jesus reaffirmed His power, all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. The authority to rule and reign, to receive worship from created man, to govern and direct all created things (including mankind), but most importantly He possesses the authority to forgive sins, receive and reject men, and save man from eternal death.

Jesus gave comfort, but also strength to His disciples to overcome the doubts they had after His resurrection. What doubts might they have had? Could they continue after Jesus death? Did He truly resurrect? Did they truly have what it took? Christ removed all doubt before giving His disciples the charge to His disciples to face this sinful world. God had not yet revealed His Son’s absolute supremacy. By not revealing Jesus’ true power until the end, God allowed Him to be seen as the Savior of the world. He wants as many people as possible to be saved before He ends the world and begins His sovereign reign upon earth.

As disciples of Christ, we have been tasked with carrying this commission - these directions - until that time. You (Christian) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Teaching and baptizing on its own is not good enough to reach the world for Christ. While both are important, and commissions both, something else must also be done - discipleship. What does discipleship mean? To initiate or instruct a student in the ways or teachings of Christ. Who are we to instruct and teach? The whole world. How are we to reach them? In the same manner as Christ - to seek and save those who are lost. Jesus went out searching for those lost and willing to commit their lives to Him. When He found them, He attached to them, mentored them, and began to mold and make them into His image. Christ made disciples of men by attaching Himself to them - and we should invest in the lost in the same way. Discipleship involves investing in others for the long run so that they, too, learn to make disciple of others.

When we realize the meaning of our purpose, then we realize the promise of our future.

Not Only A Purpose, But A Promised Future

1 John 5:11–13 ESV

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

A new birth, or regeneration means a spiritual birth, a renewed soul, a regenerated and revived spirit. When one has accepted Christ as Savior, the transformation is so radical it changes a person’s life so they can only be described as “born again”. A spiritual birth that is radical, life-changing, and wonderful that it can only be known to come from God Himself.

Without this new birth, a person will never see or enter heaven. This new birth is not just a reformation of our old lifestyle, it is a new spiritual birth within. It is a definite and real experience by believing Jesus is the Son of God, by hearing the gospel shared by other believers, and by hearing the Word of God (scripture).

Through believing in Jesus, we are given the promise of Eternal Life in heaven. Since the Son possesses eternal life, we (who possess the Son) possesses eternal life.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Because God is perfect, only a perfect person can stand before Him. This is the reason man must approach God through Jesus Christ - He alone is the perfect sacrifice that can stand before God representing us. There is no other righteousness acceptable to God.

We are given the promise of an eternal life in heaven for eternity if we follow the purpose God has for our lives.

Closing

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,