EXEGESIS
By Rev. Thomas Bristow,
Maranatha Tabernacle
Church of God in Christ

     Have you ever wondered about your purpose? The reason that we find so many things out of order and dysfunctional within our lives, communities, and local churches, is because so many folk have been deceived into forgetting their purpose. Those that are not “Born-Again” cannot know their purpose, because they haven’t been reconciled with the “Giver of Purpose”, who is God. We find people searching and spending thousands of dollars going to Conferences, Spas, Seminars, Therapists, and Psychics to find who they are. Others have made millions of dollars writing books and giving talks about it. And unfortunately, many folk have been duped into believing that it is found in a title, occupation, or social status. All this misinformation about purpose has created a race of people that look more like their environment than the God who made them.

     In the Garden, Eve was deceived into believing that if she disobeyed God, she would find her purpose [(be like a god) (Genesis 3:5)]. When we focus on what we don’t have, we will lose value for what we do have. When we compare ourselves to others and see who we are not, and what we can’t do, we lose value for whom and what God has made us to be. How much time and money is spent on convincing us to be someone else? [Advertisement agencies] Finding our purpose is so simple. In fact it’s so easy that many folk miss it. The whole purpose of man has been to have relationship with an almighty, all knowing, all present, God (Genesis 1:26-27). Everything that God has created in this world and every act of God has been to that end. God made man in His image and in His likeness; He then breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Out of man He made woman to demonstrate a physical representation of a perfect relationship. Out of the union of man and woman, God reproduces more likenesses of Himself. That’s why Fornication, Adultery, Abortion, and Homosexuality are abominations. They are abuses (abnormal uses) of our original purpose. In order for us to find and know our purpose we must first come in unity (agreement) with God. This is only done through the salvation that was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Jesus came to earth to show us that our purpose has always been to look, think, and act like God. It’s in man’s makeup to rule, but Sin causes us to be blinded to who we really are, therefore we abuse authority (James 4:1-6); Salvation opens our eyes and reveals the character of God’s Love and His awesome power in us (Ephesians 3:14-21, Galatians 2:20).

     Our purpose is revealed in the expressed image of God (Hebrews 1:2-3). Jesus came to remind us of our origin, heritage, destiny, and purpose. He was born of a Virgin by the Holy Ghost; this made Him both man and God. As a man He suffered and endured all the physical and emotional challenges that we would have to face. As God, He showed us what we must believe, how we are to live, and what we should look like. For thirty-three and a half years He walked, talked, and demonstrated the purpose of God in man. His final act of sacrifice culminated His purpose (…it is finished). Our purpose is easily found in the Holy Scriptures. That’s why we are admonished in 2 Timothy 2:15 to study who we are. It is again reinforced in 2 Timothy 3:14-17. When we are “born-again”, we are born of the Spirit of God (John 3:2-8). The Holy Ghost empowers us to be who we are in Christ Jesus (Acts 1:8, 1 John 3:2-3). When Jesus returns for His church (body), He expects us to look and act like Him (Ephesians 5:27). He will reject anyone that doesn’t look, sound, and act like His Father (Matthew 7:21-23). Will you be ready?