God Has Purposes for the Creation
One of the greatest battles being fought today in the hearts and minds of humanity is the battle of who determines purposes. According to the philosophy of existentialism that dominates today’s cultural thought, no purposes are inherent in any existing thing, and all purposes are generated by human beings. The implication of this philosophy is that there are no wrong choices, and a person can be whatever he or she desires to be. If a healthy adult male of forty-five years wants to identify as a sickly seven-year-old girl, this philosophy supports this bizarre and abnormal behavior because one is culturally permitted to establish whatever purposes one desires for one’s life. Many more examples could be given.
Man does not define his own purpose
In contrast to this cultural philosophy, there is the teaching of the Bible that God has purposes and He has placed those purposes into His creation. As we read through Genesis chapter one, it is clear that God intended His creation to act according to His purposes. In other words, it is not humanity that defines purposes, but God. As we read through the Bible, we are introduced to many of these purposes. For example, in Genesis 1:29, God says to Adam and Eve, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” The general purpose of plants is for food/nutrition. The Bible teaches that there is a purpose for the creation, a purpose for humanity, a purpose for marriage, a purpose for men, a purpose for women, etc. To best live life, we must known God’s purposes and act according to them.