OV4 – God’s primary purpose?

What was God’s purpose in creating everything? This is a vital, crucial question. If God’s purpose is unclear to us, then what has been and is happening in the world – and in the unknown future – would seem to lack direction and meaning.

Unfortunately it is common for people to get the impression that God had to change His purposes due to the way things actually worked out. The notion is that God’s original “plan A” was for a perfect world as depicted by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. But this was ruined by Satan’s intrusion and resulted in them sinning by disobeying God (the “Fall”). So to try and salvage the resulting mess, God almost totally destroyed “plan A” with the Flood and then implemented “plan B” (the nation of Israel in the Old Testament). But even this basically failed.

So the coming of Christ, “plan C”, was implemented. Yet in view of subsequent world history this also doesn’t seem to be working too well either. So a doomsday “plan D” has been predicted when the world will be totally destroyed. Then God will go back to the perfection of heaven along with only those people who had responded to Him along the way!

Such a demeaning view of God and failure of His purposes must be confronted, rejected and condemned! The best way to do this is to make clear what God’s primary purpose really was, is and always will be Psalm 33:11.

My analysis of Genesis chapter 1 [see 1A3] and also in Era 5 [see 5A3] has resulted in the following definition of God’s primary purpose in all of His creation:

To express His own glorious nature forever, beginning especially on Earth by making Himself known to people worldwide, and through them as they respond to Him

This highlights first of all that God’s primary purpose is proactive, NOT a reaction to human sin and failure.

At first reading, this definition may seem to imply that God is “self-centred”. But that is the whole point. God is entirely good and this motivates all that He does. So the more His nature is expressed, the better it is for everyone and everything in all of His creation!

As history flowed on, God’s primary purpose was being accomplished in many ways. For example, He was revealing aspects of His glorious nature TO people through His creation Psalm 19:1-3,4-5,6 and in His laws for Israel Psalm 19:7-8,9-10,11.

Yet the responses to all this by people were either positive or negative, depending on their attitudes to God. Despite His statements of His own nature, all people struggled and needed God’s help to respond well to His glorious self-revelation Psalm 19:12-13,14.

Eventually God’s primary purpose was accomplished by the coming of Jesus Christ to Earth Eph 3:10-11. Initially the profound meaning of this was revealed by the Holy Spirit to some individuals chosen by God Eph 3:4-5. They then explained to others this “good news from God” (the “gospel”) Eph 3:6,7,8,9.

God had finally made a way for people to be OK with Him and freely approach and communicate with Him Eph 3:12. They could now overcome all their struggles and respond to Him adequately Eph 3:16-17. He could indeed make Himself understandable and known TO them Eph 3:18,19.

Then He would continue accomplishing His primary purpose, expressing His own glorious nature, THROUGH His people, the church, forever! Eph 3:20-21.

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