Two Purposes of God--Earth Purpose Heavenly Purpose

In our last article, we discussed that in the first verse of Scripture two spheres are mentioned and that each of these spheres, Heaven and Earth, had attached to it Godly purpose or intent. These two purposes culminate ultimtately in "....God may be all in all" 1 Cor 15:28. In order to achieve this end, God had plans and strategies in mind that were to be implemented. What follows Gen 1:1 is the account of His "earth purpose" and His "Heaven purpose".

The majority of Believers in Christ today have never stopped to consider, and to search and see what their particular calling in Christ may be and to what purpose they have been called. Shortly after God created man, He placed Adam in the garden with the express purpose to "dress and keep it". Note that the word translated keep means to guard, guard against an enemy. It is extremely relevant in our understanding of the purposes of God and our part with them to grasp that an enemy was known by God and that Adam was put on alert in regards to this enemy. As we discussed in the previous article, in the very next chapter of Scripture, the enemy presents himself to the woman and begins his attack on God's Word and upon God's creation, man. Without digging into Scripture, the believer may tend to believe that this was the first appearance in age times of this evil-doer. But a comprehensive study of Scripture will find that prior to this attack on man by the serpent (translated Nachash in Hebrew, meaning "shining one"), this enemy had already willfully chosen to disobey God and his will and had corrupted other beings into following his will rather than God's will. This particular confrontation with God, we discover, took place in the heavens. Man's creation in God's image and God himself taking on the form of Man,

(Phil 2:6 KJV) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(Phil 2:7 KJV) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(Phil 2:8 KJV) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

(Phil 2:9 KJV) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

(Phil 2:10 KJV) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

(Phil 2:11 KJV) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

was God's strategy to be used in the eradication of this enemy and his followers who oppose the will of God.

So we have the entrance of sin into this world in the garden, brought to it and to man by Satan. But we know also that prior to this thrust upon man and this earth, Satan had already opposed God's will in the heavenlies and corrupted many of the spiritual beings who reside there (Isaiah 14,Job 25). So what we have going on now is warfare, not only in the earth but in the heavens also. And man was created by God to play a role, and it must be said NOT apart from God but with Him, in this conflict and in the resolution and riddance of sin and the sinners(those found in judgment to be unrighteous), not only in the earth but the heavens also.

So believer....to what purpose are you called? Earth or Heaven? If you believe the Word of God and you are "studying to show yourself approved", 2Tim 2:15, then I know that you will have the appropriate answer. If not, further study will help you find the answer. There are two Great Commissions given to believers regarding the Two-fold Purposes of God. The first we find in Matthew 28:

(Mat 28:18 KJV) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

(Mat 28:19 KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

(Mat 28:20 KJV) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The second Great Commission is found in Ephesians 3:

(Eph 3:10 KJV) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

(Eph 3:11 KJV) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Both of these Great Commissions are God given and for His purpose--to turn human beings towards the True and Living God and to do likewise unto spiritual beings in the heavenly places. So with which purpose, which commission believer do you associate? Earth or Heaven? Let us search the scriptures to find the answer as to what purpose of "the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit 2:13) you have been called.

More to come.

DLB