Consider this:
When God created the world and placed man in it, He had a
purpose in mind. This
purpose has never been changed. We see the beginnings of this
purpose in
Genesis 1:26 where God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." As I see it, from the very beginning God desired that man reveal the glory of God in the earth.
We find the same to be true in the New Testament when Paul wrote, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate t
o be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (
Rom 8:29)
We find in other scriptures like
Ephesians 3:20 and
2 Corinthians 4:7 that it is in the heart of God to manifest His power and glory through mankind. While God knew that man would sin, it was not in the
purpose of God for man to be separated from Him. However, as we study the Word of God we know that Adam disobeyed the command of God and through that sin death entered this world.
This sin caused Adam to be separated from the Creator, the provider of his power, dominion, and authority. When Adam was separated from God there became a "
need." It is important to note that the "
need" was different from the "
purpose." After this sin, mankind "
needed" a way to come back into a relationship with God that would allow man fulfill God's
purpose.
The term that we use for the
need is salvation. Sin separates us from God and in that state of sin death is operating in our life. The ultimate penalty for death is total separation from God in a place called hell. Mankind
needs salvation! It is an undeniable fact that we have become ministers of reconciliation (
2 Corinthians 5:18) to bring this
need to mankind.
However, if our total focus is on the
need we run the risk of forgetting about the
purpose. Many Christians have come to the saving knowledge of Christ, but they have failed to continue into the
purpose of the
need. The
purpose of the
need is to reveal the glory of God in this earth.
Just as Adam was given power, authority, and dominion in this earth being made in the image of God, we too have been given power, authority, and dominion. The
purpose of God in our life is to manifest this dominion of Christ. Notice what the writer of Hebrews penned (
Heb 2:6-8):
But one has testified somewhere, saying, "What is man, that Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art concerned about him? 7 "Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor,
and hast appointed him over the works of Thy hands; 8
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." For in subjecting all things to him,
He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. (NAS)
What a powerful verse! From the very beginning it was in the heart of God to have His man have His dominion in this earth. When man lost that dominion through sin, God came in the form of man (
John 1:14) and paid the price of sin, the
need, so that we could once again operate in the power, dominion, and authority that God
purposed from the very beginning.
It is our duty to reach out and bring people into the saving knowledge of Christ, but we can't stop there! We must also fulfill the
purpose so that the power of God might be manifested in the earth.
What say you?
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