Many young men struggle with a sense of purpose. Why am I here? What am I doing?
What is our purpose?
Westminster Catechism
Man’s Chief End is to Glorify God, and enjoy Him Forever
Does this mean we should all be ministers?
Does this mean we need to spend all of our time singing praise songs?
The Western Church spent a lot of the last 100 years telling people that the highest calling is as a pastor or missionary.
Or, the purpose of a “secular” career is as an avenue to share the gospel with your coworkers and make money to give to the church.
These are all good but it is a narrow view of our purpose.
It has resulted in a lot of guilt
Romans 8:29-30: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Image
Genesis 1:26
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Image - צֶלֶם - tzelem
God Created man as His tzelem
Here, and later in Genesis
Man Created gold statues as Baal’s tzelem
2 Chronicles 23:17 - “Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces,”
To be the image is to be the representative.
צֶלֶם refers to the image as a representation of the deity.
Graven Images were forbidden because they were human attempts to create things to take the place of God
We use printed images to show what we represent
Status comes with being the image.
Genesis 9:6 - “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own tzelem”
Humanity is deserving of mercy because it is the image of God.
Genesis 1:26 “And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Humanity is given dominion over the earth because it is the image of God.
One theologian said:
To be the image-bearer of God is like being the ambassador of a kingdom. When you carry the image, seal, or crest of the king, you are acting as the agent of the king, with all the authority that comes with it.
Glory
Paul ties together the image of God and the Glory of God,
Romans 8
Romans 1:23 - Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
Paul mirrors Genesis 1
but what does Glory even mean?
Kavod
כָּבוֹד
Psa. 19:1 - “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Psa. 72:18-19 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!”
Genesis 33:18-23 - “Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Comes from a word for Weight
Kings also had Kavod
Entering a throne room, you would see the glory of his rule, reign, and wealth
A king’s procession represented his Glory
The Glory of God is the weight of His status
His status as creator
His glory is represented in the heavens
His glory is represented in the storms
His glory is represented in all of Creation
His status as savior
His glory is represented in the wonderful things he has done for Israel.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt”
His status as provider
His glory is represented in the new building
Important: We do not add to God’s glory
Our praise does not make His glory greater
Our Praise represents His glory and makes it known
We sing of the wonderful ways He provides
We sing of the incredible majesty evident in creation
We sing of His glorious act of salvation
Romans 8:29-30:
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Those whom he Justified, he also glorified.
This idea shows up in multiple places in scripture
John 5:43-44
I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Psalms 8:4-5
What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
God gives glory and places mankind in a position of Honor
It was never because of anything that we did, it was because He decided it.
Roman Patronage - an example of God’s honor
Patrons and Clients
Patrons would sponsor those with less status and resources than themselves
A client’s status would increase because of the patron
Status would reflect the status of the patron
Having a governor - or Caesar - as a patron was incredibly valuable
Gifts and counter-gifts would be given, not out of debt or repayment, but out of gratitude
It was not the glory or honor of the Client that established his position, but the glory and honor of the patron. The patron extended his status to someone else, and so they were given honor and glory.
Purpose
Why does it matter? We’re supposed to Glorify God, not gain glory.
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
This is a Mirror of Genesis 1
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God has created man with position and glory over the earth.
Romans 8:30: Those he justified, he also glorified.
Our purpose is to live as the image - the representative - of God.
These are all people using their God-given talents to better the world around them
It is not just through standing and singing praise songs.
The new building is a perfect representation of dominion over the earth
If we are to live as representatives of God, having been given dominion over the earth, so, we should live with excellence! “Be Great” is a really good motivational quip.
We’ve been given this position, but we don’t get it right.
Adam and Eve Didn’t get it right
Adam and Eve were not satisfied with the glory they were given, so they tried to become like God.
We do not trust God will honor us, so we take it for ourselves
Cain’s descendants, the children of Lamech, created tools and plowshares, and those plowshares were used to kill other image-bearers. Genesis 4 - “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.
We use violence to protect our own honor.
Genesis 11 - Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
We use our talents and our crafts to make a name for ourselves
David didn’t get it right
The one who wrote Psalms 8
He saw a woman bathing, so he used his power to sleep with her and then when she got pregnant he murdered her husband
Romans 1:21-23
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
Parallel Genesis 1:26
Given the image of God,
Traded the glory of God
Given dominion over birds and animals and creeping things
Wanted images of man and birds and animals and creeping things
Adam could not live up to the Glory that David described in Romans 8. David himself could not live up to it.
Hebrews 2
For it was not to angels that God subjected (gave glory and dominion over) the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
CHRIST IS WHAT ADAM, AND DAVID, AND YOU AND I COULD NOT BE
Paul recognizes this
Colossians 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Christ is the full image of God, and He has the full authority of God
Everything that comes with being the image of God, all the glory and honor and authority, was given to Christ.
Where do we fit into this?
Romans 8:29-30: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brothers (Us). And those whom he predestined (Us) he also called, and those whom he called (Us) he also justified, and those whom he justified (Us) he also glorified.
Romans 8:16-17: The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, (THERE IS POWER) provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
We fulfill our created role by being conformed to the image of Christ
Follow Christ’s example - “we suffer with him”
And we will be glorified - “in order that we may also be glorified with him”
Christ’s life was the supreme example of dominion over the earth.
He turned water into wine
He healed lepers
He fed thousands
All of the “small” things he did were to glorify God
Matthew 11:29-31 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
And the biggest thing he did was to glorify God
Philippians 2 - He emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ’s is our example and our image
God is not just glorified when we come to church and sing, or when we tell our coworker the Gospel, or when we donate to the church so that they might use it
We don’t all have to be pastors and worship leaders
The small things are used for God’s glory
The big things are used for God’s glory
It’s as Dr. Erickson said a few weeks ago
We cannot do everything Christ can - we are not divine. But when we follow him in faith, our works will reflect that
It won’t be perfect
Paul talks about now, and not yet
“Will be glorified” “Wait for future glory” “We Are Glorified”
“Conformed to the image of the son” “being made like Christ”
When we understand our position as the image, heirs, and representatives of Christ, and we faithfully walk in that, we will give glory to God in everything we do.
When we understand our position of being glorified by God and given a position of authority, and we faithfully walk in that, we will give glory to God in everything we do.
Here is our purpose:
We were created to be the image of God, the earthly example of His Glory, Honor, and Authority. We are invited to participate in his rule over creation, and in doing so we share in His Glory. But we cannot fulfill this of our own power. Christ is the supreme example of God’s image, and in following him, we are being formed to His image. Both now, and not yet.
