Purpose in Character

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

We may find ourselves asking: What am I doing here? Why do we exist? First, we should understand that God has purpose.

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Why am I here? We believe that the answer to this question leads us to next-level peace in the season of Advent.

We can all find fulfillment as we discover and respond to God’s purpose for humanity. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 To be fully human is to be welcomed into a committed loving relationship with God. In this we can fulfill our purpose at any time on any day.

This focus on God’s purpose may seem to be a strange way to answer such a personal question, “Why am I here?”. It may seem more natural to start by asking, “Who am I?”, before looking to God. Our culture does seem to be searching for a sense of personal identity. In an effort to help our understanding of this, I will be making available a look at how God answers this in a Biblical assessment of self, from one of our elders Lanny Hubbard.

God’s Purpose for Humanity – Genesis 1:26-31

1. Purpose in Relationship – Genesis 3:9

2. Purpose in Character – Genesis 1:26

2. Character

“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” – Genesis 1:26 5:1 9:6

“Let us” – plural -> Trinity

Colossians 1:15-17

“make” – to bring about, give shape, form by putting parts together or combining substances, (make in most occurrences, also commit, offer, prepare, produce) a word of purpose

“man” – human beings plural (applicable to both Adam, Eve and future humans)

Image – likeness, resemblance, …of something greater, closely patterned after the Maker

Likeness – similar, like, manner, fashion

Note: repetition “image/likeness” emphasis of importance

Unique from the description of God creating by simply saying, “Let there be…”. In the case of humanity, God reveals a conversation, a deliberation, about how to create, shape, and give life to human beings.

Our “origins are not in an imperative (chosen vocabulary/grammar). Instead, God deliberated about the best way to bring to life a creation worthy of honor.” – Gregory of Nyssa On the Origen of Man (bishop of Nyssa, a Cappadocian theologian of great originality)

“There is here this deliberation, collaboration, and communion not because God needs advice…but so that the very impact of the language of our creation would show us honor.” – John Chrysostom Sermons on Genesis

“Moses says what was said by God: ‘Let us make man according to our image and likeness.’ God says that. He says ‘Let us make’ to a co-operator, necessarily to Christ. And he says ‘according to the image.” Therefore man is not the image of God, but he is ‘according to the image.’ For Jesus alone is the image of God, but man is ‘according to the image,’ that is, image of the image. But he says, ‘according to our image.” Therefore both Father and Son are on image.” – Marius Victorinus Against Arius

New Testament Christians understood this to be true, as seen in James 3:9b

God communicates planning, purpose, and care in creating humanity (special, more than with any other creation).

“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” Humans are created in God’s image in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. This is unique from anything else described in Scripture. It is also essential to understanding God’s purpose for humanity.

“Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” God gives identity, value, and purpose in this.

What do we learn?

1. God wanted His kids to look like Him on the inside.

God “made them in His image.” “in image and likeness, to bear the family resemblance” We all look different on the outside, but God wants us all to have the same character and moral integrity that He has on the inside.

2. God will go to great lengths to give us opportunities to grow in our character.

As we follow the teaching and life example of Jesus Christ, we will be able to meet these growth opportunities.

“The Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4 Colossians 1:15

Hebrews 1:3 helps us see Jesus Christ as the express image of Father God, representing the character of Father God in person.

“keeping our eyes on Jesus,” – Hebrews 12:2

“Let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 NCV

Following the example of Jesus…person, likeness, values

“All men are made in God’s image; but to be in his likeness is granted only to those who through great love have brought their own freedom into subjection to God. For only when we do not belong to ourselves do we become like him who through love has reconciled us to himself. No one achieves this unless he persuades his soul not to be distracted by the false glitter of this life.” – Diadochus of Photice On Spiritual Perfection (bishop of Epirus Vetus whose work Discourse on the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ exerted influence in both the East and West through its Chalcedonian Christology.)

God’s Passionate Purpose for Humanity …

We are given life, by God, to be with God, to be like God, for God.

What should we do?

1. Remove obstacles to our relationship with God.

2. Receive love from God and respond with wholehearted joyful devotion.

3. Read Genesis 1:26-28 (and today’s Scriptures) and consider what God is communicating about the purpose for humanity.

4. Write, in your own words, truth statements about God’s purpose for giving humanity identity, value, and purpose.

Some thoughts here are sourced from Derrill Corbin’s Made to Move and Ken Malmin’s Portland Bible College PRIME 2 material.

Additional helpful reading on “the image of God” at https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-image-of-god