Sunday: Created for Dominion
Someone recently wrote the following about a friend, an avowed atheist who said that she sometimes “wakes in the middle of the night, stressing over a bunch of deep questions: ‘Is this world truly the result of an accidental cosmic big bang? How could there be no design, no grand purpose to our existence and to the universe as a whole? Can it be that every life-including my own, my husband’s, my two children’s-is totally irrelevant and meaningless? Does my life have no meaning and purpose?’ ”
Image © Providence Collection from GoodSalt.com
After the Fall humanity lost so much. We became, as the story of the Fall showed, alienated, not only from God but from each other. Even our relationship toward the earth itself changed. And, as the questions asked by the woman above show, we also struggle with knowing who we are and what the purposes of our lives are, problems that for many are made much worse by the prevailing idea that our existence resulted only from chance, with no foresight or purpose built in by a Creator God.
What do the following texts teach about the purposes for humanity’s creation? Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 8:3-8; Isa. 43:6-7? What does “created for My glory” (Isa. 43:7, NKJV) mean? How does “My [God’s] glory” relate to dominion?
As we can see in the verses in Genesis, whatever other reasons God had for creating Adam and Eve, they were also created in order to have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). Together, reflecting God’s glory and character, the first couple were to be channels through whom He, the One with ultimate glory and dominion (Rev. 1:5-6), would nurture, care for, and administer the rest of His earthly creation. Who knows how God’s glory would have been revealed through them and their dominion over the world were it not for the rise of sin?
Now, though, through faith in Jesus, through surrendering our lives to Him in faith and obedience and cooperation, we can say with David: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me” (Ps. 138:8, ESV). Knowing that God has a purpose for each of us is a cause for confidence and rejoicing, especially when we are surrendered to Him so that His will can be fulfilled in us.
| If someone were to ask you, “OK, so what do you, as a Christian, say that the purpose of your life is?” what would you respond, and why? |
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The purpose of my life is to be of service to others as demonstrated by Jesus when he washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17)- in response to my love of God and from reading my bible and meeting and working with others. It also means my duty is to care for myself as Jesus commanded (Romans 13:9) that is, to love my neighbour as myself.
Godbless us today. Mrs A Stolz
To have mercy from God to be used for his church and church family?
I think my purpose is to serve God and man,and to be the best I can be in service to both.in so doing I must love my neighbour as myself and love God with all my heart, my strength,and will.
Amen without a purpose we would be living meaningless lives but because Jesus is in our lives there's much purpose
That is for us to glorify love and obey God
Share this purpose with others
Hope in our hearts is essential
As in Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth... well not lost our savor for the Lord. .. we'll serve people for Thy kingdom
In matt.5:16 let your light to shine
Before men that they may see your good work and glorify your Father which is in heaven
our purpose to live
I believe we were created to have a beautiful love relationship with God. As we come to know Him and love Him deeply, we are compelled to share his love and beauty with the world.
He is so beautiful. More beautiful than ever we thought. His love for us is so pure and strong. Even the final judgment will be a show of God's love. God's love is as a burning fire. the wicked will be consumed by the fire of His love only because they rejected His love, not because He didn't want them. He longs for us to trust Him. He has done everything including dying the final death for us, to demonstrate that satan's accusations against Him are false. His desire to share His love with us in an intimate way is stronger than death. He longs jealously for us.
My purpose is to love the Lord God with all my heart and soul and be obedient to his commandments. To help take this gospel to all the world and spread the love of God to this sin sick world.
My purpose is to show mankind His glory and goodness that will enable and enlightened them to see the goodness of God that will bring them to repentance.(Christ working in me)
Christ in me the hope of Glory Col 1:27 and Eph 1:18
Since I came to know Jesus Christ at my personal savior, I realized that I have no life except the one that he has given to me. Through his sustaining power and grace, it is my soul desire to point others to know and love him. I must also love every man equally as my brother and also forgive as Christ has forgiven me.
Created for dominion: Let me refer you to my Sabbath blog post. And in addition I do know we were not created to have dominion over women. God does not need us, He uses us, because He knows what is good for us. We take the reins and find out that we make a miserable mess, thus we learn that handing the reins back to Him with total dependence on Him is the best. That's why he uses us, simply to learn of relience on Him. Free will if you will. What a Great God. He share's so much (dominion, etc.), I can at least share my love for Him, and to Him. Better yet, realizing He does not need my love, He wants it.
John, something strikes me, when you say that "we were not created to have dominion over women."
After the fall, God explained to Eve that "he (your husband) shall rule over thee." (Gen 3:16.) The Spirit of Prophecy makes it clear that this was "part of the curse", and that it came about in consequence of sin. (3Testimoines p.484)
But now it strikes me that there are a number of different Hebrew words that are translated "dominion" in the Bible. One of these is Strong's #4910; sometimes translated "dominion", sometimes translated "rule" (as in Genesis 3:16 referred to above). This word definitely contains the idea of "dominion", and it does appear that the husband was [in accordance with God's contingency plan, in the event that sin should enter,] to have a kind of "dominion" over his wife. Obviously that "dominion" or "rule" does not mean arbitrary domination, but in a sense the man was to bear a responsibility for his wife.
I agree with you Curtis. In clairifying, I had before the fall in mind. Don't you believe that now we should have a partnership in decision making. It is good to let the wife be involved 50-50 in the partnership. Less problems arise later.
Thank you John. I agree that the dynamic was necessarily different before the fall. I also agree that the husband and wife should [even today] have a partnership in terms of decision making.
In all things the husband is called to give "honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel..." (1Peter 3:7), but this does not mean that the husband should habitually yield, or submit, to the wishes of the wife when disagreements arise. Sin has made it necessary that one must have the oversight/responsibility. The husband is given a godly "dominion" over his family.
(Some feel that women are worthy of little honor or respect, but of course that is a destructive, anti-Christian, attitude.)
Finding purpose in life is probably the greatest human quest in life. What is pleasing is to know that a child of God does not have to second guess his/her purpose in life. God created us with intent and has plans for us as we learn from Jeremiah 29:11.
My purpose in life as a child of God is to have dominion over Gods creation as well as contribute towards the protection of, caring for and looking after God's creation in a way that generations can also enjoy.
My other goal in life is to glorify God forever all the days of my life and enjoy an intimate relationship with Him and my fellow human beings. We were created for God's glory and to proclaim his praises (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9). I exist to worship and adore God as well as encourage others to do the same.
Further, my purpose in life is to be more like Jesus by being "transformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8: 29). Paul told the Ephesians that the goal is "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13). I also exist for the purpose effecting the Great Commission by teaching others the truths of the Christian faith.
Solomon concludes in Ecclesiastes 12:13 -14 that life is all about honouring God and keeping His comandments "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments......."
The purpose of God creating me is to glorify Him in all that i do or say.
My purpose as a human being is to bring glory to God's name. To show the world that the God ,the enemy wants us to believe is traynical uncaring, unforgiving is a loving , caring, forgiving God who loves us with an everlasting passion.And wants the very best for us.
All good answers to the question - what is the purpose of a
Christian life? I think the predominant answer is a life that focuses on our Creator and Redeemer Jesus Christ. The question that comes to my mind, is Matt.15:8,9. Is this applicable? I hope not and my prayer is Lord help each of us to be sincere in our thoughts and actions, and may His will be accomplished in our lives.
Jesus Christ is God's ultimate messenger (Heb 1:1-3) to humanity. His message informs how His disciples think, speak and live (Lk 6: 40). As the "second Adam" (1 Cor 15:45), His message and living defines "dominion" as God intended for Adam and his descendants (Heb 3:6; Jn 13:13-14). Jesus overturns past and present notions of dominance (Mt 20:25-27; 23:11). Humanity will realize our Creator's rest in surrendering our desire to be served and our fear of being "used", while embracing our restoration to dominance as God intended--His unselfish caregivers (Jn 19:25-27; Gen 2:15; Philippians 2:4-5).
Sometimes I get the idea that we think God wants us to some great task for him. We think that he wants us to do the five-talent job. Some of us only have the skill to handle a one-talent job. Doing that job well is all the dominion we are asked to have. Think small - maybe we are missing something!
Dominion is exercising Godlike attitude of loving care over creation and overcoming obstacles by faith in God's promises.
we are to care for our environment as Adam and Eve were commanded; show compassion and love to fellow humans as God's children just as Christ did. Living life without fear of failure but leaning on Jesus' victory. This for me is having dominion.
I would like to hear comments on How God's glory relates to dominion
Angela, God is the creator/provider. This is both His glory and greatest joy. This is how dominion works in His government. The ruler provides for His subjects who depend on Him for every blessing. This providing is also seen as providing protection from any who would disrupt the peace of His dominion by violating the rights of others. Among God's attributes (as described in Ex 34:6,7 when declaring His glory before Moses), He promises He will not clear the guilty, meaning the wicked will be brought to justice at last, and thus eternal peace will be restored to His dominion.
For providing a propitiation for sin in Christ, the angels sang "glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, to men, good will!" at the Savior's birth. In this God was exercising dominion, again as provider for the great need of His beloved creatures formed in His own image.
I believe man was to exercise dominion as God does, being made in His likeness.
The purpose of my life is to live right and serve god ,put him first in everything .he deserves all the praises