"BY REVELATION THE MYSTERY WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME."
(Ephesians 3:3)
1. THE PURPOSE OF MAN'S EXISTENCE
Have you ever asked yourself why you are living in this world and what the purpose of human life is? No matter what type of person you are or what your profession is, there are a few things which you, like most people, would agree with, that is:
Because you have not yet realized:
2. GOD'S PLAN
God has a plan. This plan has everything to do with man. In
the Bible, this plan is called God's economy (Or, dispensation (Ephesians
1:10), which in the original language is oikonomia, referring
to God's plan.).
God's economy is just God's entire plan for man. It explains
the origin and destiny of man as well as the meaning of human existence.
3. THE FOUR KEYS
God has prepared four keys for you to
unlock God's economy. These four keys are recorded in the Bible.
Each of these four keys is equally important and indispensable.
Please open your heart right now to quietly and carefully
read through this booklet; you will then grasp these four keys,
understand God's economy, realize the purpose of man, and
begin a satisfied human life.
UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
1. MAN HAS GOD'S IMAGE
Please read the following verse: God's creation of man is different
from His creation of all other things. He created man in His own image. 2. MAN IS A VESSEL
Now read the next verse: We are vessels of God.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness..."(Genesis 1:26a)
A glove is created according to the likeness of a hand
with the purpose of containing the hand.
Likewise, man was created in the image of God with the
purpose of containing God.
God "should make known the riches of His glory upon
vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory."(Romans 9:23-24)
God wants to be our content.
As bottles are made to contain water, we are made to contain God.
It is no wonder that knowledge, wealth, pleasure and
accomplishment can never satisfy you, for you were created to contain God!
3. THE PARTS OF MAN
Please continue by reading the next verse:
"May your spirit and soul and body be preserved
complete."(1 Thes. 5:23)
Man is God's vessel. The Bible
divides this vessel into three parts - the spirit, the soul, and
the body.
The BODY is simply the physical body, belonging to the
psysiological level, contacting the things of the material realm,
and is the most superficial part.
The SOUL is the mental faculty, belonging to the
psychological level, contacting the things of the mental realm,
and is a deeper part.
The SPIRIT is the deepest part of man, belonging to the
spiritual level, and contacts the things of God.
For problems of the body one man see a doctor.
For problems of the mind one may visit a psychiatrist.
Yet only God can solve the problems of the spirit.
4. GOD'S ECONOMY
God wants to enter into man's spirit,
to become his content and his satisfaction.
This is the purpose of human existence! You are not
merely created to contain food in your stomach, or to contain
knowledge in your mind, but you are created to contain God in
your spirit.
UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF THE GOOD AND EVIL NATURES OF MAN
1. THE TWO NATURES OF MAN
Since man was made in the image of God,
he possesses a good nature that matches God's nature, with
virtues such as truthfulness, goodness, loveliness, wisdom,
kindness, and valor.
However, there is also an evil nature in man
which wars against his good nature. The Chinese metaphysicists
refer to this war as a battle between reason and lust.
Throughout history, both in the East an dWest, those who understand
human nature acknowledge the existence of this evil nature
which the Bible calls:
2. SIN
3. THE FALL OF MAN
Sin entered into man and caused him to fall.
(See diagram below)
Because sin is in man, he is unable to carry out his
good intentions. No one likes to be greedy, jealous, or murderous.
No one likes to be boastful, arrogant, or deceitful. No one likes
to be irritable, licentious, or lustful. No one likes to murmur,
complain, or curse.
Nevertheless, man cannot escape his evil nature.
Please read the following verses:
"For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing
good dwells; for to will is present with me, but to do the good is not."
(Romans 7:18)
"But if what I do not will, this I do,
it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me."
(Romans 7:20)
This is a portrait of man.
Sin caused man's spirit to be deadened: "And you, being dead in your offenses and sins." (Ephesians 2:1)
Sin caused man's mind to rebel: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by evil works." (Colossians 1:21)
Sin caused man's body to sin: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts." (Romans 6:12)
A damaged and untunable radio which cannot receive and play music, but rather meaningless noise.
A cup that has fallen into the gutter, of excellent form but covered with mud.
4. MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF
Throughout history, man has tried every possible way to
escape sin, but he has found that:
This picture of man simply depicts the battle between his good nature and his evil nature.
UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE GOD-MAN
1. WHO IS CHRIST?
Christ is the Savior sent from God to the
world to solve the problems of human life.
He is the embodiment of the Triune God.
"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily."(Colossians 2:9)
He is also God incarnated:
"The Word was God...the Word became flesh and
tabernacled among us...full of grace and reality."(John 1:1,14)
Therefore, He is both the complete God and the perfect
man.
(See the following diagram)
He is more than a good man!
He is more than a great man!
He is more than a moral man!
He is more than a holy man!
He is a God-man!
2. THE DEATH OF THE GOD-MAN
This God-man was nailed to the cross
to accomplish the work of redemption. He died with three statuses:
As the Lamb of God, He died to take away man's sin:
"...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world."(John 1:29)
As the brass serpent that had
been lifted up, he died to crush the old serpent, Satan, and to
deal with the serpent's poison within man - his sinful nature:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of Man be lifted up."(John 3:14)
As a grain of wheat, He died
to release the divine life:
"...a grain of wheat...dies, it
bears much fruit."(John 12:24)
NOW:
His death has taken away the sin which man has but should not have!
His death imparts into man the life which he needs but does not have!
UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF FAITH IN CHRIST
1. THE TWO BECOMINGS OF CHRIST
God became flesh, born as a man
called Jesus. Please read the following verse:
"The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us."
(John 1:14)
The Lord became the Spirit called
the life-giving Spirit by His resurrection from the dead. Read
the following verse:
"The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit."
(1 Corinthians 15:45)
Since this Spirit is the life-giving
Spirit, He dispenses God with His life into His believers.
Hence, the Bible says:
"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not
have the Son of God does not have the life."(1 John 5:12)
2. REGENERATING MAN
In his first birth, man obtains a physical life.
When man receives God's life through Christ, he experiences
a second birth, which the Bible calls regeneration.
"God...has regenerated us... through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from among the dead."(1 Peter 1:3)
Jesus said, "Unless a man is born anew,
he cannot see the kingdom of God."(John 3:3)
A pig cannot participate in the sheep's
kingdom and live a sheep's life by education, improvement, or
regulation; it must possess the life of a sheep.
Similarly, man cannot participate in God's kingdom and
live a divine life by education, improvement, or regulation; he
must receive the life of God!
A Christian is one who receives God's dispensing. God
first dispenses Himself into our spirit and then spreads from our
spirit into our soul. Finally, He fills and saturates our spirit,
soul, and body with Himself. The Bible calls this final stage
glorification.
"And whom He predestinated, these He also called;
and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified,
these He also glorified."(Romans 8:30)
Through this, we can be conformed to the
image of Christ: "Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son."(Romans 8:29)
This is the purpose of human life!
This is the meaning of being a Christian!
This is what God has planned for you!
Now that you have realized God's
plan, you should do four things:
1. TURN YOUR HEART TO GOD - REPENT
Repentance is not to be remorseful.
Repentance is neither to turn over a new leaf.
Repentance is to have a change in mind.
Previously you had your back towards God. Whether you
were doing good or evil, you were turned away from God. Now listen
to what the Lord Jesus said:
"Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn
near."(Matthew 4:17)
2. BELIEVE - RECEIVE
To believe is not to nod your head, nor to agree, nor
merely to be appreciative.
If someone gives you a watch, it is not enough for you
just to nod your head in agreement and admire the watch. you need
to receive it. Believing is just receiving. Read the following verse:
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority
to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."
(John 1:12)
3. CONFESS - CALL
Being a Christian is an open matter. God requires that
your heart believe and that your mouth confess.
If your heart does not believe, you cannot be saved.
If your mouth does not confess, neither can you be saved. But:
"...if you confess with your mouth, Lord Jesus, and
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from among the dead,
you shall be saved."(Romans 10:9)
4. BE BAPTIZED - TESTIFY
Baptism is a testimony before men. All believers should
be baptized in order to be saved not only before God, but
also before men.
The Lord Jesus said:
"He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who
does not believe shall be condemned."
(Mark 16:16)
Through baptism, God transfers us from the kingdom of
Satan into the kingdom of God. For this reason, the Lord Jesus said:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
(John 3:5)
"Lord Jesus! I am a sinner. I need You. Come into my
spirit. Take away my sin. Fill me that I may have the life of God.
I receive You right now as my Savior and life. I give myself to
You. I ask this in Your name, Amen!"
Now you are clear about the mystery of human life! May
the Lord bless you and cause you to continue living in God's plan!
If you would like to learn more about God's economy and
gain a deeper experience of the salvation of Christ, do contact
us for more discussion.
