What is man’s nature and purpose?

It is not uncommon for cultures to embrace beliefs and customs central to their way of life. Whether it is personal and internal or social and external, they serve as a basis for their way of life. With this in mind, what is the nature and purpose of man?

What does God say our goal in life should be?

The Bible teaches us several things about our goal in life and our focus on how to live our lives to achieve that goal:

1. Our goal in life is to please God

2 Corinthians 5:5-10. “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight🙂 ⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.⁹ Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

2.  We please God by becoming like Jesus

Matthew 3:13-17. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴ But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵ And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. ¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷ And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.“

Romans 8:28-30. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

3. We become like Jesus by studying God’s Word

Ephesians 4:17-24. “his I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ; ²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

2 Peter 3:17-18. “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

2 Timothy 2:14-16. “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. ¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¹⁶ But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

What changes in our nature and purpose should we seek?

When it comes to seeking God’s help to change our nature and purpose in life there are five areas. God told these five to Moses as He created a new set of tablets containing the commandments of the law. (These replaced the first set of tablets destroyed by Moses when he saw Israelites’ demonic worship as he came down off Mt. Sinai in Exodus 32:7-19).  Moses received God’s hand-written law this second time to put into the Ark of the Covenant before the Israelites entered the Promised land as follows:

Deuteronomy 10:11-13. “And the LORD said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them. ¹² And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, ¹³ To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”

The five areas God wants us to focus:

1. Fear the Lord thy God (Deuteronomy 10:12) 

• Recognize how our sinful nature affects us
  • Psalms 36:1-4. ​”The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. ² For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. ³ The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. ⁴ He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

• Seek God’s Wisdom and perfect Nature
  • James 1:2-8. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

2. Walk in all of God’s ways (Deuteronomy 10:12)

• Recognize man’s sinful ways
  • Proverbs 12:15. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
  • Proverbs 21:2. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”

• Walk in God’s Holy ways
  • Romans 8:1-10. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

3.  Love God (Deuteronomy 10:12)

• Recognize man’s fleshly love of self above others
  • 2 Timothy 3:1-5. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

• Seek God’s sacrificial love and share it with others:
  • Matthew 22:36-40. “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

4. Serve the Lord thy God (Deuteronomy 10:12)

• Recognize man’s struggle to respect and serve others
  • Titus 3:1-3. ​”Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, ² To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. ³ For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
• Seek God’s motivation to respect and serve others
  • Romans 12:9-21. “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; ¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; ¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. ¹⁵ Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. ¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

5. Keep the commandments (Deuteronomy 10:13)

• Recognize man’s vain philosophies and traditions
  • Colossians 2:8. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ”
• Seek God’s love to motivate us for good
  • Mark 12:28-33. “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. ³² And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: ³³ And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
  • Acts 17:29-30 “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. ³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

How do we make these changes?

Love is our motivator

All of these things come down to a motivation that serves as a basis for our change. That motivation is love. That love comes from the realization that our nature and purpose is not perfect, nor what God wants it to be. Therefore, in order to live in the perfect presence of God, where there is no death, nor pain, nor sorrow, nor any other things not perfect, we must choose to let God change our nature and purpose. The changes He seeks for us is based on the perfect nature and purpose of Jesus and motivates us by His love for us.

How do we use love?

Because of the love of God, it gives us motivation. That motivating love comes from realizing that God loved us so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for all of our imperfections. Jesus did this by dying on the cross as a living Sacrifice under the law for our sins. Jesus could do this because He had no sins of His own that He had to die for. Then as the Son of God, He was able to apply His perfect eternal sacrifice as a payment for our sins.

Will we accept God’s love?

The question then becomes, are we willing to accept God’s love because of what He did for us? The moment we realize in our heart of hearts that He loved us so much that He did this for us, we can react one of two ways. First, we can admit in our own hearts that we are not deserving of what He did for us nor worthy to live in His perfect Paradise. Or second, we can reject it and suffer the eternal consequences. If we accept in our hearts what He did for us, then at that moment, the eternal payment for sins by Jesus is applied to our sins. At the same time, God also gives us His Holy Spirit that seals us forever and gives us a new life and mind. Then we can begin study and understand His Wisdom in how to live a better life on this earth with a new nature and purpose.

How does God’s love motivate us?

Because God first loved us it changes us and motivates us to seek His truth and learn how it applies to our lives and the lives of others we encounter as follows:

1 John 4:17-21. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us. ²⁰ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? ²¹ And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

We are not talking about a religion. We are talking about a relationship in the same way we are born into a family relationship that grows and becomes stronger in love. We are being born again into God’s family where we can grow and become stronger in love too. If you would like to learn more about these things and get started in learning more, please see the following:

Got Jesus?    How God saves us and gives us a new nature and purpose

How to Study the Bible Video Course    How to grow in our new nature and purpose

Final Thoughts

As we have learned about man’s nature and purpose, we see that as we allow God to change our nature, He involves us in many purposeful things. It starts in our own life and affects the lives of those close to us. Then it expands to positively influence the lives of others we meet every day. We develop a new way of seeing the world and others. God shows us our new purpose and motivates us through our new nature to serve others using our personal gifts and talents. When we embrace our new nature and purpose, by our love and serving others we help them understand their own nature and purpose and how to receive God’s nature and purpose as we did. Then, at the end of time, all that have accepted God’s gift of salvation will live in a perfect world together for ever.

May God bless us and keep us until that day comes to be with Him together.

Dr. Michael L. Williams, Head of Ministry Operations and Technology at Christianity Every Day, is a Christ-centered Author, Educator, Biblical Counselor and Advisor. He is ordained in Pastoral Ministry and formerly the founding Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, a church started along with his wife, Pamela Rose, after several years of pastoral experience and training in Biblical Counseling. Selah Mountain provided Biblical counseling and education to the public on how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects – often referred to as mental illnesses. To learn more about Dr. Mike visit the About page.

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