What is our purpose?

[Not_Now.Soon]

In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons for being alive is to find God, be close to Him, and follow Him. But from there it gets muddied from how to follow God, and muddied more from trying to live life in general. So I have a question for anyone intreasted. I'll give my thoughts too, but don't let those be the only direction of the post. If you have a different answer please say it.

What is our purpose in being a Christian. What is our drive and our direction in following God? Or if there is a different reason for being alive besides finding God, what is the purpose of being alive?

In my opinion, biblically we were first put here to care for the world. On the sixth day God made Man to tend to the earth, and in a few parables Jesus refers to people being tenants on another man's land, with the job of taking care of the land. But on the other hand Jesus has said that we are more important then the birds in the sky, or the flowers in the field. He's said to love one another, and to serve one another. The second part of that is to care for eachother. Bring others to God, share in each others sorrows to help them or comfort them, and be glad in each other's joys. Show kindness, mercy, and even when telling another of their sin do so to win them back, for their benfit. I think a a purpose in following God is to care for the world we live in, care for the people in it, and in everything we do try and make it all better.

Just one purpose. Hope if you're reading this, you can share one too.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I think our purpose is a personal relationship with God. Which doesn't disagree with what you're saying, because that ends up all being part of it, too.
What we don't really know is why God allowed sin into the world in the first place. That, I don't think anyone knows.

 

[Eugene]

Dear Brother Not_Now.Soon, I’ll just give my synopsis of our Father’s purpose concerning us which no one agrees with since everyone thinks the entire Church is the bride of Christ; take it or leave it.

I’ll first draw your attention to 1 Cor 10:11 concerning things we read in the Old Testament. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (Analogies): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Next go to Genesis 24:4 where we read of Abraham (Figure of our Father) sending his eldest servant (The Holy Spirit) to his kindred (The Church) to take a wife (Rebekah, the bride) for his son Isaac (Type of Jesus).
Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

There is preparation according to Paul.
2 Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Will all partake? We read of the bride making herself ready by her works of righteousness in Rev 19:7-8. There are others of God’s kindred that come out of great tribulation in Rev 7:14. Back in Genesis Chapter Twenty-four only Rebekah qualified to be Isaac’s bride of all Abraham’s kindred. I’ll attempt to go further with this if it’s making any sense to you.

Blessings in Christ Jesus.

 

[Ph8th]

I read years ago The chief end of man was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever(AW Tozer). This has set well in the spirit that dwells in me. I find that knowing God does not need me/man but desires me/man is the greatest love story ever told. Had we not been given choice(where we sinned) we could never reciprocate. God desires us to desire Him.

I raise my voice to heaven
To sing praise to You
I am in awe
From all the things You do
Your creation is witness
Of Your greatness
There is nothing greater
Than You
Universe is a word I ponder
When I look into a star lit sky
You spoke all into being
One verse spoken from
You my God
Created all I am seeing
Nothing is above You
All is subject to You
All was created by You
All exist within You
My tries to grasp
Your infinitude
Leave me confused
You have no beginning
Nor end
Never less never more
You are an endless ocean
A sea without a shore
You are my God​

peter

 

[jocor]

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man.
​

We were created to fear our Creator. That includes having a relationship with Him, a reverence for Him and obedience to Him all stemming from a love for Him.

 

[jocor]

After meditating on your opening question, I think it is important to define "our". My reply above understands "our" as referring to mankind. If, by "our", you mean believers in Messiah Yeshua, then my reply would be different.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

What is our purpose in being a Christian. What is our drive and our direction in following God? Or if there is a different reason for being alive besides finding God, what is the purpose of being alive?

God's purpose in humanity is "to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14 NASB).

What we don't really know is why God allowed sin into the world in the first place.

Our experience with sin is the furnace from which God draws out and purifies those that will be his possession, zealous for good deeds:

20 "(T)he LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession" (Deuteronomy 4:20 NASB)

10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10 NASB)

"(I)n the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,'" (Jeremiah 11:4 NASB)


Sin is also a wilderness experience of sorts where those who will be his are tried and proven:

2 "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NASB)

 

[Blake]

You're preachin' the word this morning brother Jethro.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

You're preachin' the word this morning brother Jethro.

"2 Let (God's) teaching fall like rain and (his) words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." (Deuteronomy 32:2 NIV)

Let's soak it up, bro.
.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I think our purpose is a personal relationship with God. Which doesn't disagree with what you're saying, because that ends up all being part of it, too.
What we don't really know is why God allowed sin into the world in the first place. That, I don't think anyone knows.

I agree. There's a lot in life, but God is the reason to be here. Why sin exists though? I have a theory that we are allowed to know wrong, but not nessassarily how to conquer wrong, or sometimes even to tell which is right and which is wrong, even if we're aware of the options being different. It's just a theory though. As much as we're loved by God, He may have allowed our world to fall so much as a way to save the rest of the universe. So that it can be seen the outcomes of turning away from God, and what a world would look like that didn't know Him. It's just a theory though. The only way to make sense of it in my understanding from sins that seem small, to sins on a national level and great wars, genocides, ongoing poverty neighboring wealthy estates, and all the suffering great and small, only makes sense to me if we're not the only concern in the mix. Just a theory though, and only based on what I currently understand. If I knew more and understood better, I might have a better conclusion.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Dear Brother Not_Now.Soon, I’ll just give my synopsis of our Father’s purpose concerning us which no one agrees with since everyone thinks the entire Church is the bride of Christ; take it or leave it.

I’ll first draw your attention to 1 Cor 10:11 concerning things we read in the Old Testament. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (Analogies): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Next go to Genesis 24:4 where we read of Abraham (Figure of our Father) sending his eldest servant (The Holy Spirit) to his kindred (The Church) to take a wife (Rebekah, the bride) for his son Isaac (Type of Jesus).
Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

There is preparation according to Paul.
2 Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Will all partake? We read of the bride making herself ready by her works of righteousness in Rev 19:7-8. There are others of God’s kindred that come out of great tribulation in Rev 7:14. Back in Genesis Chapter Twenty-four only Rebekah qualified to be Isaac’s bride of all Abraham’s kindred. I’ll attempt to go further with this if it’s making any sense to you.

Blessings in Christ Jesus.

I think I understand what your saying. Our purpose for why we were created was so that God could find His perfect bride. Not nessassarily any of us, but a specific person to be that bride of God's. I don't know what to say about the conclusion yet though. So if you'd like to go into more detail, that'd be ok with me.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man.
​

We were created to fear our Creator. That includes having a relationship with Him, a reverence for Him and obedience to Him all stemming from a love for Him.

I think obeying God, following Him, and keeping His commands are all tied together or even all the same thing. And so I agree that that is a big part of it. Speaking from a perspective of all of mankind and indivually anyone of mankind. But I think your next comment is what I was trying to get at a bit too.

After meditating on your opening question, I think it is important to define "our". My reply above understands "our" as referring to mankind. If, by "our", you mean believers in Messiah Yeshua, then my reply would be different.

Our purpose is first as mankind, and then as after accepting And finding God, I wanted to know what it looked like to take part in that purpose. So yeah after we believe in Jesus, what does it look like to be a Christian, follow God, and be close to Him?

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I read years ago The chief end of man was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever(AW Tozer). This has set well in the spirit that dwells in me. I find that knowing God does not need me/man but desires me/man is the greatest love story ever told. Had we not been given choice(where we sinned) we could never reciprocate. God desires us to desire Him.

I raise my voice to heaven
To sing praise to You
I am in awe
From all the things You do
Your creation is witness
Of Your greatness
There is nothing greater
Than You
Universe is a word I ponder
When I look into a star lit sky
You spoke all into being
One verse spoken from
You my God
Created all I am seeing
Nothing is above You
All is subject to You
All was created by You
All exist within You
My tries to grasp
Your infinitude
Leave me confused
You have no beginning
Nor end
Never less never more
You are an endless ocean
A sea without a shore
You are my God​

peter

That sits right in my understandings too Peter. Our desire to Know God, I think is one of our greatest desires. And it is so in us, that even if a people don't find God, they need to find something, or at least an explaination to the spiritual sides of life, and explainations concerning the world in general. It's better if we find God. But it doesn't seem wrong that in every region of the world there are dominant thoughts of different religions seeking to give a path and an explaination, because even if we miss the mark and don't find God, the desire is still there very much so.

Great poem by the way.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

God's purpose in humanity is "to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14 NASB).


Our experience with sin is the furnace from which God draws out and purifies those that will be his possession, zealous for good deeds:

20 "(T)he LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession" (Deuteronomy 4:20 NASB)

10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10 NASB)

"(I)n the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,'" (Jeremiah 11:4 NASB)


Sin is also a wilderness experience of sorts where those who will be his are tried and proven:

2 "You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NASB)

So our purpose is to be God's, and our sins and suffering is to make us more drawn to God? I think your right about that. The times the bible talks about God's reaction to sin has either been to actively bring calamity like He did when He brought the nation's to turn against Isreal in the Old Testament when their sins amounted too high, or to passively let the person go so they learn in their own sins that God is the only right path to take.

I like the way you put that. Our purpose is to be God's possession.

 

[Eugene]

I think I understand what your saying. Our purpose for why we were created was so that God could find His perfect bride. Not nessassarily any of us, but a specific person to be that bride of God's. I don't know what to say about the conclusion yet though. So if you'd like to go into more detail, that'd be ok with me.

The bride will be with Jesus as joint-heirs (Rom 8:17, 2 Tim 2:12), and it will be according to the ongoing judgment of the Church we read of in Revelation Chapters Two & Three. The qualifications in Rev 2:10 represent all who die before that glorious day that remain faithful unto death, and those that remain until Jesus ' coming in the air for us are them of Rev 3:10 that patiently keep the word of God and will be kept from the temptation to come upon all the world.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

The bride will be with Jesus as joint-heirs (Rom 8:17, 2 Tim 2:12), and it will be according to the ongoing judgment of the Church we read of in Revelation Chapters Two & Three. The qualifications in Rev 2:10 represent all who die before that glorious day that remain faithful unto death, and those that remain until Jesus ' coming in the air for us are them of Rev 3:10 that patiently keep the word of God and will be kept from the temptation to come upon all the world.

Alright, now I think you lost me. Sorry. The context you had before was about the Bride, and you said it in a way to seem like you didn't mean the church. So I figured you meant a singular person would be the bride. But now you're talking about those who will be faithful to the end. Which I've heard under different labels as being the true Christians, the true body of Jesus, or the true church (body of believers). The distinction between church and true church is something I don't think we should try and find the lines. If that's what you were saying I mean. If not, then I think you've got me confused. Perhaps try again with the beginning. What do you think is our purpose. Either as Christians, as mankind, or as the world pot being stirred for a certain recipe, such as making the ingredients for the Bride. Honestly I think ya lost me, so I'm sorry for being easily lost.

 

[Eugene]

Alright, now I think you lost me. Sorry. The context you had before was about the Bride, and you said it in a way to seem like you didn't mean the church. So I figured you meant a singular person would be the bride. But now you're talking about those who will be faithful to the end. Which I've heard under different labels as being the true Christians, the true body of Jesus, or the true church (body of believers). The distinction between church and true church is something I don't think we should try and find the lines. If that's what you were saying I mean. If not, then I think you've got me confused. Perhaps try again with the beginning. What do you think is our purpose. Either as Christians, as mankind, or as the world pot being stirred for a certain recipe, such as making the ingredients for the Bride. Honestly I think ya lost me, so I'm sorry for being easily lost.

Sorry brother, but the bride is made up of Jesus' body; not an individual, and yet all in heaven will not be the bride. The purpose of God's search is seeking one to be the bride of His son just as in Genesis Chapter Twenty-four. There are many of the seven churches described in Revelation that are not ready when Jesus comes for His bride, and are caught up at a later time.

You can read of those with Jesus before the tribulation round about the throne (Rev 4:4), and in the midst of the throne (Rev 4:6), but then there is the Great Multitude who become servants (Rev 7:15), and the 144,000 later in mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 14:1).
The following study "Preparation of the Bride" may help clear up some of the things for you concerning the bride, or make it more confusing.
http://www.gracegod.com/pamphlet_and_articles/pamphlets/Preparation of the Bride.pdf

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Sorry brother, but the bride is made up of Jesus' body; not an individual, and yet all in heaven will not be the bride. The purpose of God's search is seeking one to be the bride of His son just as in Genesis Chapter Twenty-four. There are many of the seven churches described in Revelation that are not ready when Jesus comes for His bride, and are caught up at a later time.

You can read of those with Jesus before the tribulation round about the throne (Rev 4:4), and in the midst of the throne (Rev 4:6), but then there is the Great Multitude who become servants (Rev 7:15), and the 144,000 later in mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 14:1).
The following study "Preparation of the Bride" may help clear up some of the things for you concerning the bride, or make it more confusing.
http://www.gracegod.com/pamphlet_and_articles/pamphlets/Preparation of the Bride.pdf

Thanks for the link, I don't think I would have understood your meaning without it. So first there's the church. Everyone saved. Then there is the Bride, a portion of the church that is truely elect in the devotion to Jesus. So in your view our purpose as Christians is to be among the city that is to be Jesus's Bride. Is that about right?

Still going to take some time to mull it over and descide if I agree with that idea or not, but I want to know if I have the idea right also. If it is right, then here are my two opening thoughts. I think that sometimes some people have a higher degree of following Jesus then others. Really special people. On the other hand though, so many people want to say they are apart of that group and the idea is twisted to turn Christian against Christian. Not a true Christian unless you do this and that and this. Or even those that are like this are not real Christians because they fell into a large church, fell into the wrong doctrine, or fell in some other manner.

Because of these two parts of it, I don't want to jump ahead to say I agree with you or not. But none the less, regardless of my thoughts on the idea, I applaud you for striving to be the best Christian that you can be, and to be among those who are the Bride of Jesus. Wish you the best in that. Hope I can be a good Christian too.

 

[Eugene]

Dear Brother Not_Now.Soon , I think you’re saying it right. Like Abraham’s kindred, the Church is many, and in this case the bride is one part of it. The judgment of the church has seven divisions, only two are commended, and that is Smyrna and Philadelphia; the remaining five are told to repent.

Again, Paul sought to win Christ; not just be saved. (Php 3:8)
1 Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Heb 12:1 . . . let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Is there purpose?

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

[Rob Cuse]

Interesting thread. I've pondered something like this before. In my humble opinion there is an eternal purpose to rid sin, which is rebellion, from all of creation forevermore. God has not revealed all things in its entirety as at this moment our finite minds would not be able to bear such eternal truths. Rebellion started with Lucifer. Lucifer was cast out and was the prince of this realm. We are his judgment. God is a just God giving all free will. Choice by choice we obey or rebel. We are not slaves but heirs to a Kingdom. We will commune and serve our God in truth and in spirit, forever. Until such things are fulfilled, we are here. In this time period God is dealing with us through grace by faith. We must choose salvation, which is our reconciliation to our Heavenly Father. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us. My suggestion to you is test my words through the Holy Spirit. If you are born again and have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, ask God. He will answer.