Discovering One's Purpose in God's Plan and Destiny
Discovering one's purpose within God's plan and destiny involves understanding God's overarching will and seeking to align one's life with it. The Bible indicates that God has an eternal, unchangeable purpose that governs all events [7]. This divine purpose, often referred to as God's decrees or predestination, encompasses salvation and is considered one of the "secret things" of God, though partially revealed through His word [4].
Scripture encourages believers to seek wisdom and understanding to discern God's will [5, 6]. For instance, Paul exhorts believers to live lives pleasing to God, who has called them into His kingdom and glory [1]. Similarly, Ephesians 5:10 advises "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord" [3]. This pursuit involves more than just seeking God's blessings; it is about knowing God's nature, character, and the reasons for His actions, as Moses desired when he asked God to "let me know your ways" [11].
God's ultimate purpose is for His people to know Him and share in His holy character, recognizing that He alone is God and reigns over all creation [13]. The Exodus, for example, served to reveal God's grace, power, and holiness, enabling humans to experience His presence [10]. Salvation itself is attributed to God's purpose and appointment [8]. Access to God is granted through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, obtained through faith [9].
For the Christian community, the goal of ministry is to deepen understanding and experience of the faith, leading to a profound knowledge of God's Son and maturity in Christ [12]. The church is intended to demonstrate God's wisdom through its role in the plan of redemption [15]. Believers are called to "seek the Kingdom of God," which means adopting God's value system, pursuing His purpose in the world, and submitting to His authority [14]. This involves a continuous process of seeking God's heart, as expressed in the prayer, "Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts" [2]. The mystery of God's will, including the doctrines of the Gospel, is made known to believers [16].
Sources
- I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 2:12 (BBE) — So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in his kingdom and his glory.”
- Psalms “Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. -- Psalms 139:23”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (NASB) — trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guid”
- Proverbs “to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; -- Proverbs 1:2”
- Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 1:13 (BSB) — And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Salvation — Is of God -- Ps 3:8; 37:39; Jer 3:23. Is of the purpose of God -- 2Ti 1:9. Is of the appointment of God -- 1Th 5:9. God is willing to give -- 1Ti 2:4. Is by Christ -- Isa 63:9; Eph 5:23. Is by Christ alone -- Isa 45:21,22; 59:16; Ac 4:12. Announced after the fall -- Ge 3:15. Of Israel, predicted -- Isa 35:4; 45:17; Zec 9:16; Ro 11:26. Of the Gentiles, predicted -- Isa 45:22; 49:6; 52:10. Revealed in the gospel -- Eph 1:13; 2Ti 1:10. Came to the Gentiles through the fall of the Jews -- Ro 11:11. Christ The Captain of. -- Heb 2:10. The Author of. -- Heb 5:9”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 29:46: 29:46 The purpose of the Exodus was to reveal the grace, power, and holiness of God and to enable humans to experience God’s presence in their lives.”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 33:13: 33:13 let me know your ways: Moses did not merely want God’s blessings; he wanted to know God’s nature and character, as well as the manner of and reasons for his actions. God’s goal of revealing himself was beginning to be realized, at least in one person. • Moses wanted God himself to accompany them, because they were the Lord’s own people.”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:13: 4:13 The goal of ministry is for the whole Christian community to understand and experience the Christian faith more deeply and gain a deeper knowledge of God’s Son. In this way, believers will be mature in the Lord (see 1 Cor 2:6; 14:20; Phil 3:15; Col 1:28; 4:12; cp. Heb 5:14; Jas 1:4; 3:2). The standard of maturity is Christ himself; the Spirit’s transforming work is to make people fully like Christ (Rom 8:29).”
- Joel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Joel 3:17: 3:17 Then you will know: God’s ultimate purpose is that his people should know him and share his holy character. They must learn that he alone is God and that he reigns over all creation from Zion, his holy mountain (see also 2:27). The only true security in the present, and the only hope for the future, comes from God’s presence.”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 12:31: 12:31 Seek the Kingdom of God: Adopt God’s value system, pursue his purpose in the world, and submit to his authority.”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 3:10: 3:10 The church is meant to showcase to the entire universe God’s wisdom in its rich variety, as expressed in his plan of redemption (see Rom 11:33-36). • the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places: See Eph 1:21 and corresponding study note.”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 1:9: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,.... The Gospel, which is a mystery, a hidden mystery, the mystery of God and of Christ, and the mystery of the Gospel; the several doctrines of it are called the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; such as are concerning the trinity of persons in the Godhead, the union of the two natures in Christ, his sonship and incarnation, the saints' union and communion with him, the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, the calling of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, the resurrection of the dead, and the change”