God's General Purpose for Our Lives as Revealed in the Bible

by Richard Brown, (last revised on 6 January 2008)

The purpose of any created thing is determined by the one who creates it. According to the Bible, God created mankind, and he created them "in his image." That is, he created man and woman with some of his attributes, so that they could have a special, personal relationship with him. For example, he created mankind with an awareness of God, with the freedom to make moral choices, with the capacity to love God and others, with the ability to name things and communicate linguistically, and with a responsibility to manage the earth well:

"So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. God blessed them and told them, 'Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals.'"

(Genesis 1:27-28 NLT*)

"He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name."

(Genesis 2:19 NIV)

God not only created mankind with the freedom, ability, and responsibility to make moral choices, he gave them an opportunity to exercise that choice:

"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'"

(Genesis 2:16-17 NIV)

But instead of trusting God, mankind made immoral choices and introduced evil, death, and futility into the world:

"When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."

(Romans 5:12 NLT)

"I have seen everything that is done under the sun: how futile it all is, mere chasing after the wind....for what does [a person] gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun--since his days are full of sorrow, his work is full of stress and even at night he has no peace of mind? This is futile too."

(Ecclesiastes 1:14; 2:22-23 NJB)

Yet even this fit God’s plan, which was to call a people out of the corruption of the world to be his own people--his children:

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God."

(Romans 8:20-21 NASB)

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

(Acts 17:26-27 NIV)

"For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation."

(2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT)

In his love, God called us to be his children and to share his goodness and glory.

"You are the children of the Lord your God....[he] has chosen you to be his treasured possession."

(Deuteronomy 14:1-2 NIV)

"You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession.   This is so you can show others the goodness of God...."

(1 Peter 2:9 NLT)

"They are my people I created each of them to bring honor to me....I made them my own nation, so they would praise me."

(Isaiah 43:7,21 CEV)

God plans to create a future world where his people will delight in his love and glory and all that he has for them.

"And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our  Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

(2 Peter 1:11 NIV)

"We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised,  a world where everyone is right with God."

(2 Peter 3:13 NLT)

"And we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory."

(Romans 5:2 NLT)

Living close to God is the ultimate good, and it will fill his people with joy.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good."

(Psalms 34:8 NIV)

"The nearness of God is my good."

(Psalms 73:28 CEV)

"You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

(Psalms 16:11 NLT)

In fact, God himself is the only true good, and he is the source of all good things.

"You are good and do only good."

(Psalms 119:68 NLT)

"Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above."

(James 1:17 NLT)

"Only God is truly good."

(Luke 18:19 NLT)

So God’s chief end for his relationship with mankind is summarized in the last chapter of the Bible.

"Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He them will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain."

(Revelation 21:3-4 NLT)

"In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

(Ephesians 2:7 NIV)

God made a plan to achieve these ends.

"Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kind-ness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son.  He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kind-ness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.  God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure.  And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-- everything in heaven and on earth."

(Ephesians 1:4-10 NLT)

"For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death."

(1 Corinthians 15:25-26 NLT)

"He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities."

(Colossians 2:14-15 NLT)

"God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free."

(Colossians 1:13-14 CEV)

"He has made us his Kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father."

(Revelation 1:6 NLT)

"Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father."

(1 Corinthians 15: 24 CEV)

"Then God will mean everything to everyone."

(1 Corinthians 15:28 CEV)

The more we live in harmony with God, the closer we can come to him, and the more we can enjoy his presence.

[Jesus said,] "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."

(John 10:10 NLT)

"Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you."

(James 4:8 NLT)

"God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God."

(Matthew 5:8 NLT)

"You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy."

(Ephesians 4:24 CEV)

"Without holiness no one will see the Lord."

(Hebrews 12:14 NIV)

So God's plan for his people in this world is to make them holy and loving like him, so they can have a full life in his kingdom.

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right."

(Titus 2:11-14 NLT)

God also provided many means to help his people grow. He gave us the Bible to guide us and train us in righteousness.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right."

(2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

God gave us the example of Jesus, who lived a holy life in harmony with God.

"Jesus replied, "I assure you, the Son ... does only what he sees the Father doing."

(John 5:19 NLT)

"I do nothing on my own, but I speak what the Father taught me."

(John 8:28 NLT)

"I do nothing without consulting the Father." 

(John 5:30 NLT)

"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

(John 14:9)

And God calls on us to follow the example of Christ.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus."

(Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

"Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps.  He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone."

(1 Peter 2:21 NLT)    

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."

(1 Peter 4:11 NIV)

God makes his Holy Spirit available to assist all who respond to him by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

[Jesus said to his followers,] "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth."

(John 14:16 NLT)

"Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

(Acts 2:38 NLT)

God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us see things from his perspective.

"And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us....But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means."

(1 Corinthians 2:12, 14 NLT)

God gives us his Spirit to help produce in us his holy qualities.

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

(Galatians 5:22 NLT)

"And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more."

(2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT)

God orchestrates events in the lives of his people to provide challenging opportunities for serious spiritual growth.

"God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

(Romans 8:28 NIV)

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-- they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

(Romans 5:3-5 NLT)

"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

(Hebrews 12:10 NIV)

The Holy Spirit develops godly love and goodness in us, especially as we draw on God's love in the face of enmity and indifference:

"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked."

(Luke 6:35 NLT)

The Holy Spirit produces godly peace and joy in us, especially as we draw on his strength in contexts of trouble and persecution:

"Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy."

(James 1:2)

"I am leaving you with a gift-- peace of mind and heart....So don't be troubled or afraid."

(John 14:27 NLT)

God’s Spirit develops godly patience in us, especially in the face of suffering and frustration:

"For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord."

(James 5:10 NLT)

The Holy Spirit develops godly self-control in us, especially in the context of desires and aggravations:

"Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you."

(Ephesians 4:26)

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts."

(Romans 6:12)

"But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires."

(Romans 13:14)

The Spirit develops godly humility in us, especially as we realize our hopeless sinfulness and God’s loving strength and forgiveness:

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

(Romans 5:8)

"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls."

(James 1:21 NLT)

The Holy Spirit develops in us a humble reliance on God in the face of our weaknesses and inadequacies:

[The Apostle Paul wrote,] "I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.' ... Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

(2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT)

God’s Spirit develops faithfulness in us, especially as we rely on him for strength to resist temptation and remain steadfast in persecution:

"These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure....So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

(1 Peter 1:7 NLT)

"We had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead."

(2 Corinthians 1:9 NASB)

So the challenges of this life, both our human limitations and our difficult circumstances, provide opportunities for spiritual growth, if we engage them with trust in God. A human coach makes his athletes do what they want to do, so that they can become what they want to be. The coach may train athletes by letting them wear weights on their ankles or by harnessing them to a heavy sled, as in the illustration below. In the same God uses the challenges of this life to train us for the next life. In some cases people are born with handicaps and "disadvantages" that provide opportunities for greater spiritual growth, if they bear them with trust in God and love for others.

In other words, God uses the challenges of this present world to build a holy character in his people to prepare them for a richer life in heaven and the new world to come.

"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later."

(Romans 8:18 NLT)

"Be glad, because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world."

(1 Peter 4:13 NLT)

"For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!"

(2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT)

Paul lists some examples of his "small troubles," which he said are "nothing" in comparison with their eternal outcomes.

"I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded river and from robbers....I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm."

(2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

Jesus told his followers that their trials were blessings in disguise that would lead to a greater reward in heaven.

"God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for the time will come when you will laugh with joy. God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man. When that happens, rejoice!  Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven."

(Luke 6:20-23 NLT)

The world is full of natural evils, moral evils, and temptations to evil, but God protects us and limits the severity of the challenges he allows us face.

When God's people die, they are welcomed into his kingdom in heaven. There they are freed from the challenges of this world, and they discover the qualities that the Holy Spirit produced in their souls while they were living on earth. They are like athletes who have been freed from their weights and can now run like the wind---or soar like an eagle! 

"You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it."

(1 Corinthians 10:13 NJB)

"The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment."

(2 Peter 2:9 NLT)

Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

(2 Peter 1:11 NLT)

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(2 Timothy 4:18 NIV)

Jesus taught us a daily prayer of dedication to God, through which we can seek his provision, his forgiveness, and his protection, both for ourselves and for one another.

"Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

(Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)

When someone faces a serious trial, it is a trial for all of God's people.

"But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit....If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

(1 Cor. 12:13, 26 NLT; see Heb. 13:13.)

"Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

(Galatians 6:2 NLT)

"Love one another"

(John 15:12 NASB)

Perfect love is the epitome of holiness.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

(1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

"Love satisfies all of God's requirements."

(Romans 13:10 NLT)

Perfect love is founded on complete trust in God’s goodness and love.

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them....Perfect love expels all fear."

(1 John 4:16, 18 NLT)

"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

(1 Corinthians 13: NLT)

This is because perfect love hopes and trusts that ...

   God is good,
   God alone is good, and
   God works all things together for
       the eternal good of his people.

So God’s primary purpose for his people in this life is for them to learn to love and trust him fully.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it:
Love your neighbor as yourself."

(Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

God’s primary purpose for his people in his future kingdom is for them to glorify him (i.e., realize how awesomely wonderful he is), rejoice with pure hearts in his presence, and delight in his love, goodness and glory forever.

"And it was only right that God--who made everything and for whom everything was made--should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation."

(Hebrews 2:10 NLT)

"And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy."

(Jude 1:24 NLT)

In Ephesians, Paul models a prayer that God's purposes for us will be fulfilled in each of His people.

"We pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources God will give us mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And we pray that Christ will be more and more at home in our hearts as we trust in him. May our roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may we have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May we experience the love of Christ, though it is so great we will never fully understand it. Then we will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope."

 (Eph. 3:16-20 NLT, ‘I’ & ‘you’ changed to ‘we’)