I’ve been reading, thinking about, meditating on, and studying
Philippians. What a great book! I was reading the CSB translation of
Philippians and a phrase jumped out at me: “intent on one purpose.” It is found
in this verse:
CSB17 Philippians 2:2 make my joy complete by
thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
I think the CSB captures an important part of Paul’s meaning. Some
other translations are very similar:
NAS Philippians
2:2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
NET Philippians
2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being
united in spirit, and having one purpose.
NLT Philippians 2:2 Then make me truly happy
by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Certainly, having “one purpose” is part of what it means to be
like-minded and is a natural (or perhaps we should say, “supernatural”!) result
of Christians all serving the same Lord, worshiping the same God, and being
indwelt by the same Holy Spirit.
Of course, this raises the question: what is our one purpose?
While in a way the question demands a single answer (since it is
ONE purpose), I nevertheless think there are many helpful ways to word
basically the same answer. Different ways of wording the answer will emphasize
different aspects of our one purpose. Here are seven ways to state our God-given
purpose:
#1 To glorify God
To glorify God means to help ourselves and others to see, feel,
and know how wonderful God is. We can’t make God any more powerful, holy, pure,
loving, good, or wise than He already is, but we can grow in seeing his power,
holiness, purity, love, goodness, and wisdom more clearly and fully. As we do this,
we will be moved to love Him more deeply and trust Him more fully. This is
certainly an all-consuming life-purpose. As Paul put it, “whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31 CSB17).
#2 To know Him and to make Him known
“To know Him and to make Him known” was the motto of the Bible
seminary I attended (CIU).
It’s a great motto for a Bible college which is helping students learn about God
and preparing them to help others learn about God. If it is interpreted to include
knowing God personally and gaining such knowledge through many means and not
just academically, the motto becomes a great way to describe our “one purpose.”
#3 To make disciples
After rising from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to
make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Understood broadly and biblically, making
disciples includes teaching people to obey all that Jesus commanded. We teach
by both example and by word. Teaching others to obey requires us to be constantly
growing in obedience ourselves. When we are making disciples, we are glorifying
God and we are making Him known!
#4 To love God and to love one another
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God
and to love one another. When we love God, we will keep His commandments (John
14:15) . Love for one another shows that we are true disciples of Jesus (John
13:35). Thus, we see how closely the two greatest commandments are linked to
making disciples. And of course, the more we know Him, the more we love Him, and
loving God and leading others to love God brings Him glory!
#5 To bear fruit
Another way of stating our “one purpose” is that we are designed
to bear fruit for God. This fruit includes the fruit of the Spirit in our lives
and also includes the fruit of winning others to the Lord and helping them to
grow in Christ. This declaration by Jesus shows how producing fruit, being disciples,
and bringing glory to God are all related:
“My Father is glorified by this: that you
produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8 CSB17).
#6 To be imitators of God
In the very first chapter of the Bible, God makes us in His image.
Being in His image basically means being like Him. We are like Him in many
ways. One of the most important ways in which He wants us to be like Him is in
our character. God wants us to be good, loving, faithful, truthful, courageous,
and holy like Jesus is. We are commanded to “be imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1),
which includes learning to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2). As we reflect God
more fully and clearly, our lives will glorify Him more and we will draw more
people to Christ and make more disciples.
#7 To help more and more people become more and more like Jesus
The first six ways of stating our “one purpose” are either taken directly
from Scripture or from other Christians. I find it helpful to try to paraphrase
the truths I learn from the Bible and from other Christians in my own words,
even if the way I say is not quite as concise, precise, or beautiful. In terms
of stating our one purpose, I came up with “to help more and more people become
more and more like Jesus.” Of course, in order to do this, we must grow in
knowing Him ourselves and set an example by obeying Him. All of this will bring
glory to God.
Concluding Thoughts
I’m sure there are many other ways to word our “one purpose.”
While we have one purpose, there are many aspects to this one purpose. Also,
there are a multitude of specific ways in which we fulfill our purpose.
Depending on our gifts and the circumstances God places us in, we may glorify
God and make Him known in many different ways. I pray that God will give each
of us the holy zeal that the Apostle Paul had for doing His own part in God’s
great, glorious plan:
But I consider my life of no value to myself;
my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord
Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace (Acts 20:24 CSB17).
When we are living for the purpose God made
us for, our current life is no longer the most important thing to us. God calls
us to join Him in fulfilling His glorious purpose for all of creation. And when
we do, we find deep meaning, great joy, and the hope of eternal life.
Some related blog posts for further reading:
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