The Purpose of Life

 

Part I

 

by Mihran Kulhanjian

 

Dear Friends,

It is possible that every human being who has ever lived has asked the question of the purpose of life or what am I here for?   Many people believe the purpose of life is to have fun and enjoy themselves, to grab as much as they can before they go.  Others believe it is to care for and serve others (the less fortunate), to help one another through the difficulties in life. And yet, I am sure many believe that there is no purpose for life. That man crawled out from the water as a fish without purpose. What is the truth? Why were we, and specifically you, created?  There is only one reason you were created and you have a specific purpose in this world. You may not believe you have a predestined purpose, but you do. What is this purpose?  God reveals His purpose for you when you seek God.  God will only reveal the truth to His children; yet many of His children do not know the purpose of life because many do not seriously seek God, or the knowledge of God. Thus, many, including professing believers, remain spiritually distant from God.  If you want the knowledge of God then you must seek Him.  You seek God through His Word [the Bible], in prayer and even in spiritual fasting.

 

What is the purpose of life? The purpose of  life is to glorify God and have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. The purpose of life is to have fellowship with God, to love Him, recognize and appreciated Him as the only God and Creator, to be in alignment with Him, and to enjoy Him. With this we have communion with Him, our Creator. We glorify God by doing the things that please Him and bring glory to His name.  To glorify God we must know God. We get to know God by His Word.  The Word is Jesus Christ and He is revealed in God's Word, the Holy Bible.  The Bible is infallible. It is  inerrant, the Word of God, authored by God through holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. By reading and studying the Bible, praising, worshiping, praying and by obeying Him we get closer to God. God wants us near Him and to get near to God we must earnestly and with conviction, seek God. And as we get near to God, He reveals His will to us and our purpose in this life. If you want God near and His blessings, then seek Him. He reveals Himself to those who seek with a pure heart.

 

On a side note, let's briefly look at God's blessings to His children, obedient children.  God's blessings are noted in Deuteronomy 28 where Moses declares them to the Israelite's:

 

Blessings on Obedience

 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
“The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.  Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.  The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.  So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

 

But what is God? How is God defined and what does He want from us, His creation?  “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”  This definition of God is summed up from the Westminster Shorter Catechism from scripture.  I would add that God is also love as the Apostle John said (1 John 4:8,16) and wrath [justice for the wicked] which we must not overlook. God is a judge; and God judges. Jesus has all authority, given by God to judge all  in Heaven and earth. God wants us to know Him, to love Him and to love others as we love ourselves. God wants us to obey His commandment as children obey their father, for He is the Father of those who call Him Lord.

 

The purpose of life is not to be independent of God, but to know God.  It is not be we rich or happy or free to do your will. The purpose of life is not to take, but to give. The purpose of life is to humble oneself to the one and only God, Creator of everything good, to have fellowship with Him, to believe and obey the Lord Jesus Christ and to do all things that bring glory to Him.  We were created to have fellowship, communion with God for He is our Creator and created us out of love. Just as Adam and Eve had a personal relationship with God in the Garden of Eden, we are created to receive God with love, humility, respect and fear. 

 

In the Lord's great prayer Jesus exclaimed to the Father, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" [John 17:3].  God created each human being with a purpose.  But few will find this purpose, because few seek God.  If you want to know your true purpose in life, seek God. Receive Him in humility and soften your heart. Jesus said "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" [Matthew 7:7;  Luke 11:9].  Do you believe this?  I do.  And you should too.  If you lack faith, then follow the Word of God "Faith comes by hearing and fearing by the word of God" [Romans 10:17].  Immerse yourself and meditate on the Word of God until you have faith.  Open your Bible and read through the New Testament. If you are serious, you will receive the faith you need.  Two questions remains:  Do you believe?  Are you serious and do you really want to find God's purpose for your life or do you want to live a worldly life without God?  If you are serious and you are diligent, God will reveal His purpose to you.  Seek and you shall find. David sought the Lord in thankfulness, praise and worship evidenced in Psalm 63:1-11, when he was in the wilderness of Judah:

"O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
 
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
 
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.
But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped

(Psalms 63:1-11)

 

In David's great loneliness he thirsted for a great comforter, a great friend. He turned to God and God satisfied his despair. God is faithful. He will lift you up when life knocks you down. Seek Him.

 

Knowing God is to have a personal relationship with Him. It is not having an intellectual, theological or an understanding of knowledge of God.  Our knowledge of God must be a very personal relationship, built with intimacy, respect, love, and honor. Knowing God takes commitment. You make a covenant with Him to know Him.  This is serious business. But if you want to know your purpose you must know God intimately; there must be a union and a union can only come in the way of a serious commitment.

 

Part II

God's Will for Your Life

Coming soon