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THE
BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?
EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?
GOD
- MAN
Is Jesus really God?
RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?
SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?
TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.
SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.
FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?
GUIDANCE
How does God guide?
REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.
BORN
AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?
SAVING
FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven
ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?
TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?
MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.
THE
CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the
new millennium.
PURPOSE
How
can I find a great purpose for living?
IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of
God.
SELF-ESTEEM
How
can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.
LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.
THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.
Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.
A purpose that fits with reality
One thing is certain. If this God is really there and is indeed a God of such goodness and love as the Bible describes, and if he created you and me for a purpose, then we will find the greatest satisfaction in life if we find out what that purpose is and make it our own. I am not likely to find true satisfaction and joy in life if I continually rebel against that purpose for which I was created. So a necessary starting point to finding this purpose is to accept the reality of this living God and of all that he intended for me as a created human being. If Christianity is true at these points, then to look for a true purpose for living anywhere else will be to continually knock my head against the proverbial brick wall. Ultimately, I can only be a loser.
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"If
this God is really there and is indeed a God of such goodness and
love as the Bible describesÉthen we will find the greatest satisfaction
in life if we find out what that purpose is and make it our own"
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So let's take a moment to look at God's ultimate purpose for human beings. The Bible declares that humans were created with God-like qualities ("in the likeness of God"—Genesis 5:1) that distinguished them from the rest of creation. This implies a number of things. We were given intelligence, a moral conscience, a certain autonomy—the freedom to make choices. Above all, however, we were given a spiritual side to our nature which enables us to enjoy a relationship with the God who planned our existence. Sadly, we abused this relationship; a story, with its consequences, that is spelled out vividly in the opening chapters of the Bible.
The Bible uses a number of different terms and metaphors to describe the results of our choosing to live independently of God. We are "dead" in our "transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). That is, we are spiritually insensitive to the reality of God, cut off from the source of true life. Though created to live in loving relationships with God and others, we have become centred on ourselves, "ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds" (Ephesians 2:3). Though created with a great purpose and destiny, we have become "lost" (Luke 19:10), groping around in spiritual darkness (Ephesians 4:8). Though created with great mental abilities, our ability to think clearly and see the truth has become distorted by our prejudices and self-centredness. "Their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21).
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"The
whole Bible is the glorious story of what God has done to bring
humans back into a loving relationship with himself"
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However, that is not the end of the story. The whole Bible is the glorious story of what God has done to bring humans back into a loving relationship with himself. It focuses on the coming of Jesus, the Old Testament looking forward to his coming and the New Testament describing it. In his great love he took the full consequences of our sins and rebellion by bearing those sins himself on the cross."Christ died once for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Having overcome the twin enemies of sin and death,*he now reigns as the Living Lord, offering forgiveness and reconciliation to all who will put their trust in him. When we come in repentance and faith to Jesus, accept him as our Saviour and submit our lives to him as our Lord, then we can begin to fulfil that true destiny for which we were created. Jesus comes in the person of the Holy Spirit to live within us **and we begin a new life of partnership with him.
One result of this new beginning will be that my goals in life will begin to change. More and more, as I begin to experience his love and become aware of all that he has achieved for me in paying for my sins, and all that he has planned for me in the future, I will desire to love him in return. My desire will be to please him and fulfil his purposes for me rather than to live for my own selfish ends. Instead of being focused on myself, I will become more and more focused on God, using whatever gifts he may have given me in service to him and to others. Paul puts it like this: "We are ruled by Christ's love for usÉHe died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us" (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). John Calvin, in his catechism, summed it up as follows: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever."
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"The
Bible speaks clearly and often of the certainty that God will one
day judge humankind, and do so justly"
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Having received forgiveness, and being loved with an infinite love by the greatest lover in the universe, I now find it easier to accept the reality of who I am as a flawed but forgiven human being. I no longer need cringe at the thought of having to deal with the reality of God. I can enjoy his companionship and delight in his greatness and love "because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:5). I no longer need avoid the reality of the evil and suffering I see in the world around me. The Bible story gives me adequate reason for the reality of such things; the presence of God gives strength to cope with them; and the promises of God give hope of the final victory of good and the time when "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4). Neither do I have to avoid the reality of judgement. The Bible speaks clearly and often of the certainty that God will one day judge humankind, and do so justly. But I am assured that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Living for Jesus is a purpose that fits the reality of things as they are.
* For the evidence for, and the implications of, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, see the booklet in this series Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
**I have described the nature of God as a Trinity of Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—how this makes sense and how we can experience the reality of this triune God in our lives, in the two booklets Understanding the Trinity and God's Vision for His Family, the Church.
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How can I find a great purpose for living?
A purpose that fits with reality
A purpose that satisfies the deepest longing of the heart
A purpose that enables us to face life's greatest difficulties
A purpose with lasting consequences
A purpose that involves a choice
This article is not available
as a printed booklet.
BUY
RESOURCE MATERIAL
