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The mystery of human life
by revelation, the mystery was made known to me
the purpose of man's existence
Have you ever asked yourself why you're 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, money cannot satisfy man
Neither can education satisfy man, nor can pleasure satisfy man
Nor can success satisfy man
Why?
Because you have not yet realized 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 [note 2] or dispensation (Ephesian 1:10).
which in original language is oikonomia, referring to God's plan.
God's economy is just God's entire plan for man.
It explains the original destiny of man, as well as the meaning of human existence.
How can you know God's economy?
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 satisfying human life
The first key - God's creation
unlocking the mystery of human existence
Man has God's image
Please read the following verse.
And God said let us make man in our image after our likeness. (Genesis 1:26 a)
God's creation of man is different from His creation of all other things.
He created man in his own image.
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.
Man is a vessel.
Now read the next verse
God should make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, even us. (Romans 9:23 - 24)
We are vessels of God
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.
The part of man
Please continue by reading the next verse
May your spirit, and soul, and body be preserved complete (1st Thessalonians 5:23)
Man is God's vessel
The Bible divides this vessel into three parts
The spirit, the soul, and the body, see diagram below
The body is simply the physical body, belonging to the physiological level,
contacting the things of the material realm and is the most superficial part.
The soul as 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 may see a doctor. For problems of the mind, one may visit a psychiatrist,
yet only God can solve the problems of the spirit.
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
The second key - man's fall
unlocking the mystery of the good and evil nature of man
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 refers to this war as a battle between reason and lust.
Throughout history both in the East and West, those who understand human nature
acknowledged the existence of this evil nature which the Bible calls sin.
Because sin is in man, he is unable to carry out his good intentions
No one likes to be greedy, jealous or murders.
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 (Rom 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 (Rom 7:20)
this is a portrait of man
the fall of man
Sin entered into man and caused him to fall see diagram below
Sin caused man's spirit to be deadened and you, being dead in your offenses and sins (Eph 2:1)
Sin caused man's mind to rebel:
And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by evil works (Col 1:21)
Sin caused man's body to sin
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts (Rom 6:12).
The fallen man is like a damaged and untunable radio which cannot receive and play music,
but rather meaningless noise
He is also like a cup that has fallen into the gutter
still having its original fine form, but now covered with mud
Man cannot save himself
Throughout history, man has tried every possible way to escape sin.
But he has found that:
Good works cannot save him from sin.
Education cannot save him from sin.
Ethics cannot save him from sin.
Chanting cannot save him from sin.
Religion cannot save him from sin.
This picture of man simply depicts the battle between his good nature and his evil nature.
The third key - Christ's Redemption
unlocking the mystery of the life and death of the Godman
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 (Col 2:9)
He's 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's more than a great man. He's more than a moral man
He's more than a holy man. He is the Godman
the death of the Godman
This Godman was nailed to the cross to accomplish the work of redemption
He died with three statuses
first, 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)
Second, 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 the 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
The fourth key - God's dispensing
unlocking the mystery of faith in Christ
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 Cor 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)
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.
The meaning of being a Christian:
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. (Rom 8:13)
Through this, we can be transformed and conformed to the image of Christ
Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. ( Rom 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.
What must you do now?
Now that you have realized God's plan
You should do four things.
First, 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
Your mind was turned away from God.
Now Listen to what the Lord Jesus said
Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt4:17)
Second, 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)
Third, 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 (Rom 10:9)
Fourth, be baptized - testify
Baptism is a testimony before man.
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)
Now please pray
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.