We read in Genesis 6:6, And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (ESV)
God’s divine plan when He first created man was unfathomable, until man disobeyed, and went against this awesome purpose which God ordained. Not only did this leave God with regret, it also grieved His heart that He had created man. The truth that we are going to ponder on today is the fact that God has a divine plan for every human being whom He has created on this earth. I hope that by the end of this message each one of us who are in doubt about this, will receive some sort of clarification based on the word of God.
Why did God create man?
We read in Genesis 1:27-28, “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (ASV)
The first point to note is that unlike all other created beings, God created man uniquely in His own image and likeness. God also created them as male and female. Secondly, when God blessed man, He entrusted them with the authority to rule over and subdue all of creation. Part of the evidence of God’s image in mankind is therefore, this ability to have dominion over all other created beings. This is God’s will for mankind. God also created us in His image, so that we reveal the characteristics of God to those around us.
However, Satan who entered that Garden of Eden craftily, deceived Adam and Eve to go against the will of God. Satan allured them into sin, and brought about great confusion to all of mankind. This is where the question arises as to why we as human beings exist on this earth. There are many people who have no purpose in life, and hence find no reason to live. It is the Holy Bible, the word of God that I believe can help a person truly understand the purpose for which God has created them. Broadly, we understand that God’s overall purpose for mankind is that as those made in His image, we should reflect His attributes to those around us.
If a person does not fully comprehend this purpose, they will sometimes try to find this fulfillment in money, and therefore labor hard towards increasing their wealth. There are also those who make their life’s purpose to gain more popularity, have a better position, enjoy all life’s pleasures or gain more knowledge. In order to achieve this they will be constantly running and striving to attain their goal. There are those who have also reached the pinnacle of fame, but woefully they would end up feeling exactly as King Solomon did as described in the verse below.
Everything is useless and fleeting
In Ecclesiastes 1:14, he says, I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind. (GNB)
The writer of this verse above is King Solomon, who was the wisest man who ever lived on the earth. He was a king who had everything at his disposal, unimaginable wealth, gold, silver, horses, armies and people, added to wisdom and knowledge as well. Nonetheless, he realized that everything was useless, and a mere chasing after the wind.
The whole duty of man
However, listen to King Solomon’s summary at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, as we read in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.” (GNB)
Solomon concluded after all his extensive experiences in every area of life that the sole responsibility of human beings was to fear God, and keep His commandments. It is only when we do so can one fully comprehend the purpose of why they were created, and can fulfill the same. To fear God implies that we are aware of His presence, and are mindful that He is watching over us. Moreover, to obey His commandments would mean that it is only when we live in submission to God’s commandments, will be able to comprehend fully the meaning and purpose of our lives as well.
Let me give you an illustration from everyday life. When we purchase a new equipment like a mobile phone for instance, the instrument usually comes along with a little instruction manual. In our excitement to use the phone, we are so keen to immediately charge it, and often do not take time to even go through any of the instructions. However, we must realize that to make the best use of the mobile phone, one would need to go through the manual, as each model has its own unique features. Sometimes, a little mistake on our part can mess up the mobile phone, and make it lose its proper functioning.
So also, when human beings forget the purpose for which they were created, they would end up with myriads of struggles and failures. Sadly, they will also go through life with this unanswered question as to the very purpose of their existence.
As in the days of Noah
The days of Noah were so much like the ones that we are living in right now. A majority of people lived according to their own whims and fancies. They had no thought about God, and did not care to find out His purposes for their lives.
We read about these people in Genesis 6:5, “When the LORD saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil their thoughts were all the time,” (GNB)
God took note of two things in that generation that lived during Noah’s days. Firstly, their every thought was wicked, and secondly all their deeds were wicked too. This reminds us that God is mindful of our thoughts, as well as our actions. The image of God was tarnished, and not even to be seen in the people God had created. God commanded man to rule and subdue, but instead they had become slaves to so many habits.
Think about our present day scenario. If we wished to watch television with our young children, oftentimes we cannot even be sure if we can watch news channels along with them. Most of these broadcasts are about violence and atrocities that are not beneficial to young viewers. The commercial breaks are more adverse, and as a whole, most of the media are content to telecast bad news. The media people justify themselves that if they do not telecast such hyper news, they will not get the needed coverage that they desire.
In days gone by, when the news was read on the television or radio, it was very calm and composed. Nowadays, there is such a pressure or hype created even with the music that is played in the background just to grab our attention. And if one were to be hooked on to news channels most of the day, one can be sure that they will come under tremendous stress. None of this information will benefit us, but rather create a sense of fear and panic in our hearts. These are days when we have to take time to stop and analyze the present day scenario, so we can make the necessary changes. It is time to stop ourselves before getting caught in this
rat-race, where at the end of our lives, we have no clue as to the reason we strived so hard, in the first place.
Noah too lived in the midst of a perverse generation, but this is the testimony that we read about him.
Noah lived a godly life
We read in Genesis 6:9, “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”(ESV)
What an amazing testimony of a man who lived among a people who were utterly wicked. Noah was righteous, blameless and walked with God. He had his mind set on God, and walked in the fear of God in spite of the fact that the society he lived in was corrupt beyond measure.
Noah’s life reminds us that even in the midst of those who are walking in rebellion and disobedience to God, we can still choose to live a godly life as Noah did, though the majority are living otherwise.
When God beheld this wicked generation, He could tolerate them no longer and decided to act in justice.
God decided to bring judgment
We read in Genesis 6:13, “So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!” (NLT)
The people forgot why God created them in the first place, were living purposeless lives, filled with wickedness, and God saw that there was no way out, except to destroy all of His creation. God took this extreme step because He perceived that if left unpunished, things would only become worse, and would become detrimental for the entire earth.
Let’s say a person purchases a car for their family. They use it for a good number of years, and then decide to sell it to someone else. This goes on for some years until the car comes to a place where it cannot be used any longer because of the years of usage, and also because sometimes spare parts are unavailable. At that point the car is probably only good for the junk yard or to be destroyed, as it can no longer fulfill the purpose for which it was made.
So also the image of God in us is a reflection of how much God loves us. When that image of God is marred, and treated with contempt, the Lord will certainly bring judgement and destruction, because God is a God of justice. It is also true that God is gracious, that is why He asked Noah to build an ark that would save Noah and his family from the impending destruction. As long as the ark was under construction, it was a warning to the people in Noah’s days that there was a judgement, and a warning that God’s anger that was fast approaching. The ark was also a sign to remind them that if they repented they could enter the ark and be saved from the judgement call of God. Sadly, the people of Noah’s days ignored the warning, and did not seem to bother about the sign that was right in front of their eyes.
Many people are running around just as in the days of Noah, with no thought about why they were created by God. The holy bible clearly teaches us that we were created in God’s image with the sole purpose to reflect the attributes and the character of God in our lives. To have the same authority to rule and subdue that God has in Himself God had entrusted to man to enjoy over His creation. God placed man and woman in the beautiful Garden of Eden to tend it, and make it flourish even more. Adam failed when he and Eve allowed Satan to deceive them with his lies. Satan came in to destroy the marvelous plan that God had, when He first created Adam and Eve.
Jesus was our greatest example
God is a gracious God, and that is why He sent His only begotten son Jesus into the world two thousand years ago to save mankind from their sin. When Jesus was here on earth, the devils trembled at His presence. They declared that Jesus was indeed the son of God. Every sick person on whom Jesus laid His hands on were healed. Jesus had authority over all creation, and He was the exact representation of the first Adam, and how he was initially created to be.
We must check our lives to find out if we have discovered this purpose of God in our lives. Are we reflection of God’s love, patience, long-suffering, justice and holiness? The way the Lord Jesus lived on the earth was an example to each one of us as to the way we are expected to live while we are here on earth. That is why even today the history of the world is divided as BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini or the year of the Lord), with Jesus Christ as the central focus, the man who made history. Jesus had a purpose for coming down to this world. He who was the sinless Son of man took upon Himself the sins of the all mankind.
There are some people who are aware of their sinful state, and are desperate to get rid of their sins. In order to do so, they choose to live in a state of abstinence from certain sinful habits for forty days. It is quite evident that they are dissatisfied with their lives, and hence venture into this discipline. Woefully, at the end of those forty days, they will revert back to their previous lifestyle, and end up doing all those things that they tried so hard to give up earlier. There are others who are running around, visiting various places, under-taking all sorts of penances hoping that they could be delivered of their sins.
There is forgiveness of sins only through Jesus
We read in Acts 10:43, “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (ESV)
Forgiveness of sins cannot be obtained by any of our absolutions, our alms giving or good deeds. That is the reason why God sent His son Jesus into the world, who lived a sinless life, and took our place on the cross, which was a symbol of curse. He died and was buried, but because Jesus lived a sinless life, death could not have a hold on Him. Jesus was resurrected on the third day, showed Himself to His disciples and many others for forty days, and was taken up into the heavens. Jesus has promised that He will come again one day as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Nonetheless, one can receive forgiveness of sins only when they believe in their heart that Jesus died for their sins, and confess their sins with their mouth that Jesus is indeed their Lord. The word of God is crystal clear that there is simply no other way by which one can be forgiven and set free from their sins, except through Jesus, and the precious blood that He shed on the cross for us.
Man was given authority to rule
Man at the beginning of creation also enjoyed the authority to rule and reign over all God’s creation, which he also lost because of disobedience and sin.
We also read in John 1:12, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (ESV)
We will be able to experience this power and authority that God has entrusted to us, only when we become His children. This happens when we have our sins forgiven, and accept Jesus as the Lord of our lives as individuals. We must also believe that Jesus paid in full the ransom for our sins and therefore, there is nothing that is left for us to do for us to do to be delivered from our sins and curses that entangle us. To those who make Jesus the Lord of their lives, God gives us the prominent position of being called the sons and daughters of the most High God. We are given the privilege to call the God of heaven and earth our Father, and along with that He gives us all that we have forfeited earlier. Only then can one understand the purpose for which they were created. When we have this thought foremost in our minds, we will behave and act like the children of the Most High God.
A child who has his earthly father in high position will walk with his head held high because his or her father holds a place of prominence. How much more, we who have become the children of God, should reflect the Lord and His characteristics in and through our lives.
The early apostles knew and fulfilled God’s purpose
The disciples of Jesus after His ascension got a clear understanding of who Jesus really was. Their lives were so transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit that the attributes of God became so evident in all of them. All the blessings and freedom from bondage that Jesus brought into their lives, they went forth to share freely and widely to everyone, everywhere to the very ends of the earth.
One of the most transformed apostle was Paul, who was earlier called Saul. Before Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he did not believe in Jesus, and used to persecute those who believed in Jesus, and even had them thrown in prison. As prayers were rendered for Paul, he met Jesus in a dramatic encounter which totally transformed his life.
Let me conclude with the words of Paul as found in 2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (ESV) This was Paul’s testimony at the end of his life, knowing that he had indeed fulfilled God’s purposes for his life to the fullest.
Every one of us who are here on earth have been created by God with a specific purpose. If you have not made Jesus the Lord of your life, believe in Him, confess your sins to Him, and you too will become sons and daughters of the most High God. God will reveal His plans for your life, and you will able to lead a life of meaning and purpose that is filled with unimaginable peace and a great blessing to others.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
