Finding Purpose in Christ
How Jesus Redeems Our Purpose
With the start of a new year, many people will set New Year’s resolutions. But how often do we stop to consider the bigger picture, our purpose? From creation, God provided a purpose for mankind. The greater challenge for us now is to remember our purpose in Christ and seek after it.
Jesus reminds us of our identity.
What is the meaning of life? is a question scholars, poets, and politicians have sought to answer for centuries. We can see this question echoing in song lyrics, at the foundation of high-profile court cases, and filling entire self-help sections of libraries. The more complicated life gets, the more insistent this question becomes.
Life with Christ, however, calls us to simplify our priorities. In response to a complicated question in the early Church, Paul, too offers a simple response in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Thousands of years later, the Westminster Shorter Catechism agreed with Paul’s invitation in its very first question. “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” We hear this sentiment ringing in John 10:10 when Jesus says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” We are made for the glory of God, and as beloved creations, God’s glory is our joy.
Jesus asks us to listen.
My parents used to tell me, God gave us one mouth and two ears. In John 18:37, Jesus talks about his own purpose, and why listening is so important: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Jesus establishes another simple but challenging dynamic: God speaks, and we listen. While a simple act, listening requires humility and attention. When we focus on someone else, we must put aside our own thoughts and consider something outside of ourselves.
One compelling reason to listen before leaping can be found in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” God’s knowledge is greater than our knowledge, so it makes sense that God’s purpose is more trustworthy than any we come up with ourselves.
Jesus calls us to action.
Don’t be fooled. Listening does not end with hearing. When we hear without doing, we’re fooling ourselves. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus declares, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Note: this bold statement does not counter the grace we have through Christ. It merely shows us that to listen well requires response. James agrees when he encourages us to make “doing” a continuation of “hearing” (1:22) God’s Word.
What Jesus Meant by “Salt of the Earth”
One of the most prominent metaphors Jesus used to describe our purpose can be found in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:13-14. He says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
Outside of religious spaces, the phrase “salt of the earth” has come to mean an honest, reliable person. From the pulpit, I’ve considered its meaning as a seasoning for cooking and a tool for preservation. Maybe Jesus meant to define his followers as enlivening or a conduit for Jesus’ mission to seek and to save the lost. In an article for Christianity Today, Anthony B. Bradley proposes another reading of our “salty” purpose in Christ: fertilizer.
This might seem counterintuitive. What are we to make of the phrase “salting the earth,” another biblically inspired phrase from Judges 9:45? This vengeful ritual involved spreading salt over an enemy’s land after killing its inhabitants and destroying its buildings and crops. More akin to a curse than a blessing.
As Bradley dug deeper, he discovered that salt has been used as a fertilizer in Palestine for centuries! He writes,
These salts were unlike the modern table salt (sodium chloride) in our kitchens. The salts in Jesus’ day were mixtures of chlorides of sodium, magnesium, and potassium, with very small amounts of calcium sulfate (gypsum). Some of these would dissolve more quickly than others, while some were better able to withstand the elements. These hardier, “saltier” salts were generally more valuable in an agricultural context because that meant their benefits would last longer.
So, this understanding of “salt of the earth” redefines Christian purpose as enriching the places and people God has entrusted to us. But how can we hold onto this in our daily lives?
Holding On to Our Purpose in Christ
Once we affirm our purpose in Christ, a question naturally follows: what next? A mission statement as simple and lovely as “glorify God” or “enrich the world with God’s love” can lend itself to all sorts of lifestyles. The next step is to make your purpose personal and keep it close at hand.
Next, we’ll look at two different ways men of God have made their purpose into a life-long practice. Each week on The Redeemed Man podcast, Nathan Dewberry sits down with guests from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences as they discuss what redemption has meant for them. Naturally, living into our purpose in Christ is a common theme. While guests work different jobs and live different lives, one thing they agree on is that God’s purpose for them has blessed their lives.
Finding Satisfaction in Christ
In the wake of a Superbowl win with the Seattle Seahawks, Ben Malcolmson, assistant to Head Coach Pete Caroll, recalled a staff meeting the day after: “Every person in the room said the same thing, ‘Man, I thought this was going to feel better.’” Rather than a disappointment, Malcolmson described that moment as liberating. He said, “The things of the world do not fill the holes in our hearts like the things of God do.” For Malcolmson, purpose and identity are linked. And, when we can rightfully base our identity in our unchanging God, our purpose—and the satisfaction that comes from pursuing it—becomes clear.
Helping Others Find their Purpose
In 2020, Lawrence Scott shares, the Lord showed him his purpose, to help believers become kingdom citizens. Inspired by his favorite verse, Proverbs 29:2, Lawrence’s ministry LoSco Speaks works to unite people with their God-given purpose. As Lawrence said, “When the righteous know who they are, when they know what they’re here for…the world rejoices.”
In his senior year, while playing football at the U.S. Military Academy, Lawrence was injured, and his football playing years came abruptly to an end. In that time, Lawrence felt the Holy Spirit redefining his perspective with one sentence, “You’re still their teammate.” This moment set a new trajectory for Lawrence. His new purpose was to help others rise to meet theirs.
Conclusion
Finding and pursuing our purpose in Christ is a life-long practice. As we seek to glorify God, listen and obey, and make our purpose part of daily life, God takes our efforts and multiplies them. Like the fertilizing salt, God’s presence in our lives can become something that seeps into the soil of our communities and creates redeeming change. Because that’s the secret, our purpose in Christ is a shared one, unified by our Creator and Redeemer.
If you’re looking for a place to discern your purpose, check out The Redeemed’s small groups. These weekly online gatherings provide a place to connect with fellow believers and find accountability on your way.
- With the Man Qs group, you’ll engage weekly with Scripture, bring your questions, and walk together through core themes of God’s Word.
- The Pain, Passion, and Purpose small group offers a safe space to explore how pain shapes us, equips us to comfort others, and fuels our purpose in Christ.
Connect with The Redeemed Community
If you’re inspired to explore the transformative power of spiritual freedom and would like to journey alongside like-minded believers, consider joining one of The Redeemed’s small groups. Whether you prefer meeting in person or connecting online, our community is here to support and grow with you.
Join us and discover how surrendering together can lead us into greater freedom.
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