God’s Blessing vs. God’s Purpose

Matt WatsonBlog, MinistryUpdate

I recently listened to a message from a professor I had my first semester in seminary.  The first time I heard him teach on this subject it really opened my eyes to a broader calling than I originally realized we all have as followers of Christ.  Hearing him teach on this subject has always inspired and compelled me to follow Christ more fully, so I wanted to share it with you. [Full disclosure, the main points, and in some cases verbatim quotes, are credited to David Platt. You can link to a video of this message below.]  

A Recurring Theme

There is a powerful, recurring theme that threads its way through the entirety of scripture. It’s the relationship between God’s blessing and God’s purpose.  When we understand this connection, it helps us to see how and why God works in our lives.  

Psalm 67:1-2 (ESV): May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah  2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

Throughout scripture we see examples of how God desires to bless us with his grace (unmerited favor).  Every other major religion teaches that God’s blessing is earned by what we do for him. The Bible teaches that God’s blessing is not based on who we are or what we’ve done, but on who he is and what he has done. So we know that God desires to bless us, but why? Is there a purpose behind God’s blessing? Verse two answers this question: “that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”

The Old and New Testaments paint a cohesive picture of how God blesses His people for His purpose:

  • Genesis 1:26-28 God created man in his image, blessed them, and gave them the task of spreading his glory, made known by his image, throughout the world.
  • Genesis 12:1-3 God tells Abram (later renamed Abraham), “I will bless you, and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing…And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed”.
  • Genesis 26:4, 28:14 God reiterated this “blessed to bless the nations” theme with Abraham’s son Isaac and then again with his grandson Jacob.
  • Ezekiel 36:22-23 God acts to preserve the nation of Israel, not for their sake, but so “the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God”

In the New Testament Jesus comes into the picture in a way that fulfills many of God’s earlier promises, and the theme continues:

  • Matthew 28:18-20 In the Great Commission Jesus commands his followers, including you and me, to make disciples of all the nations.
  • Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
  • Acts 1:8 As followers of Jesus we are blessed with his spirit in us to make his glory known, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The ultimate goal:

Revelation 7:9-10  That all nations would worship him together: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

A Greater Purpose

It’s clear throughout scripture that God blesses his people so that they might make his name known among the nations.  When we look at the church today, in light of this biblical truth, it prompts the question: 

Have we disconnected the blessing of God from the purpose of God?  

Here’s another question that helps highlight part of the problem in how we think: What is the essence of biblical Christianity? For many, the answer goes something like this: “God loves ME and sent Jesus to die for ME”.  In that response, who is the object of Christianity? It’s me, my plans, my comfort, my dreams, and my preferences. This view literally turns things upside down and elevates personal preference and comfort above God’s purpose and plan.  In contrast, Biblical Christianity says “God loves me so that HIS grace, HIS way, HIS power, HIS glory can be known among all the nations.” Christianity isn’t about US, it’s about HIM, and making HIS name known among all the nations.

This is God’s motive for blessing us. It’s seen all throughout scripture. Now, to some, it might seem like God is a little self focussed or self serving. If it bothers you a little that God exists to get glory for himself, ask yourself who you would rather him exalt. You? As soon as the focus of that exaltation changes from God to something else, he ceases to be God.

This self focus doesn’t take away from the love he shows to you and me.  In fact, it enhances that love, because he’s called us to be a part of a much greater purpose than most of us realize and/or embrace. God has been gracious to us, and to our nation, so that we can make his ways, his salvation, and his glory known among all nations. 

A Global Calling

“The Bible clearly teaches that every follower of Christ, has been created, called, and blessed by God for one all consuming, all captivating, and all encompassing purpose: to live, give, pray, go, send, and sacrifice for the spread of God’s glory among all the nations.”

Many of us miss this global understanding of our role as Christians. Part of the problem is that we see the primary purpose of God limited to a ministry in the church (missions or evangelism), rather than elevated as the primary command for the church (Matthew 28:18-20)! Don’t hear me wrong, I’m not suggesting we focus on global at the expense of local, but all too often the reverse is true. It’s not an either/or, it’s a both/and (Acts 1.8).

When you begin to see this bigger picture truth in scripture it opens your eyes to a greater sense of calling. It changes the way you look at your life, your family, your job, your resources, and your church.  Everything you’ve been blessed with, all the resources you have at your disposal, are gifts given to you for the benefit of others, to spread his glory among the nations.  

“Each of us has a choice.  We can coast through this life in a nice comfortable Christian spin on the American dream and totally miss the purpose for why we are here, or we can lay down our lives compelled by the blessing of God for the glory of God among the nations.”

Embracing this truth requires a paradigm shift in your life, but engaging this broader understanding of mission invites you into a life of greater purpose and impact. It is a calling worthy of giving our lives to, and one we will not regret. This calling will not play out the same in each of our lives, but do not underestimate for a second the role God has for you to play in the spread of his glory among the nations.

Source: You can hear a longer version of this message from David Platt at https://www.mcleanbible.org/sermons/taking-world