What if you could know your purpose in life for certain? Yes, it can be known. The Bible gives us a sure answer which, if followed, will make you completely fulfilled. This purpose will fill you with delight, joy, and peace, and cause you to receive eternal life from God.

In this post then we will explore the question of our purpose in life from a biblical point of view.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

“Neither yield ye your members [of your body] as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin [to evil and wrongdoing]: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [of your body] as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13.

For those who are new to Bible notation, “Romans 6:13” is a reference to the Bible, which is a collection of books. In the Bible, each book consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. The quotation referred to as “Romans 6:13” is taken from the book of Romans in the Bible, the 6^th chapter, and the 13^th verse.

Who is God? God is a Family of three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This Family is known as “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) in the Bible.

The Meaning of our Bible Quotation of Focus

All of humanity is born with a sinful nature which is a disposition to evil and wrongdoing.

And so, God says to those who have met God’s requirements, “You hath he [God] quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses [wickedness] and sins.” Ephesians 2:1.

“For the wages of sin is [eternal] death [annihilation]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Who is Jesus Christ? He is the member of the Godhead called Christ, who was born in human flesh over 2,000 years ago as a baby boy named “Jesus.” Matthew 1:21. Jesus is no longer on earth because He finished the work on earth which God gave Him to do, was murdered, buried, rose from the dead to life again on the third day after His death, and ascended to heaven.

Our Bible quotation of focus, Romans 6:13, speaks then of what should be our purpose in life. This verse means that we should not yield to temptations to sin, but instead, as those whom God has made alive by the gift of the love that was in the heart of Jesus Christ, yield ourselves continually to God so that we live in love.

Our Purpose in Life and Yielding Ourselves to God

You may be asking, What does it look like when we yield ourselves unto God?

To answer this question, we will consider a dream that God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon approximately 2,625 years ago and which is recorded in the Bible.

Now, king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream can be interpreted as depicting future events on earth from his time up to the time when Christ returns to the earth. This is the historical application.

However, there is another application of this same dream which speaks to our purpose in life when we yield ourselves to God. This is the application to our Christian life, where a Christian is a true follower of Jesus Christ, a follower of righteousness.

Note that by having a number of applications for a particular Bible text and by other means, God condenses millions of His thoughts in the few pages of the Bible.

Our Purpose in Life and King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Here is the dream. “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.” Daniel 2:31.

“This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” Daniel 2:32, 33.

“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.” Daniel 2:34.

“Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream.” Daniel 2:35, 36.

For our purpose in this post, we will only be concerned with the description of the image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Our Purpose in Life and the Image’s Head of Gold

The image’s head of gold represents our purpose in life as it relates to our mind.

For God says, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5) that “God is love.” 1 John 4:8.

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2.

“Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.” Romans 12:16.

People of whom these things are true have two natures, “the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) and the sinful nature, which are in constant conflict with each other.

“Wherefore [therefore] gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace [God’s unmerited favour] that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13) when He returns to the earth.

Thus, they can say of themselves in truth, “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God [God’s law of love]; but with the flesh [sinful nature] the law of sin.” Romans 7:25.

For at the time when Christ returns, God will by His grace take away the sinful nature from those who have overcome all temptations to sin, those who have purposed in their mind not to yield to sin.

Our Purpose in Life and the Image’s Breast and Arms of Silver

The image’s breast and arms of silver relates to those “with purpose of heart [that] they would cleave unto the Lord [God].” Acts 11:23. Such people have a heart of devotion to God.

How can we have steadfast love in our hearts for God? We can because “there came a [spiritual] fire out from before the LORD” (Leviticus 9:24) so that “love is strong as death…the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” Song of Solomon 8:6.

It is God who kindles this spiritual fire of fervent love. “Many waters cannot quench [this] love, neither can the floods drown it.” Song of Solomon 8:7.

Such people obey God’s commands, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30, 31.

Of such, God says, “The [spiritual] fire shall ever be burning [in your heart]…it shall never go out.” Leviticus 6:13.

This then is our purpose of life as it relates to our hearts.

Our Purpose in Life and the Image’s Belly and Thighs of Brass

The image’s belly and thighs of brass represent our purpose in life as it relates to our appetite.

For God says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims [on earth], abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11.

“Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man [or woman] given to appetite.” Proverbs 23:2. Be not like those “whose God is their belly” (Philippians 3:19) and “whose end is destruction [annihilation].” Philippians 3:19.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Those people who obey these commands of God can say of themselves in truth, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27.

This then is our purpose in life as it relates to our appetite.

Our Purpose in Life and the Image’s Legs of Iron

The image’s legs of iron represent our purpose in live as it relates to our resolve, the fixedness of our decision to believe in God and to love God.

God says to all true Christians, “Stand fast [steadfast]…in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage [to sin].” Galatians 5:1.

“My beloved…be ye stedfast [steadfast], unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [God].” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” 1 Peter 4:12. “Be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled.” 2 Thessalonians 2:2.

“Greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold [many] temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6, 7) when He returns to the earth.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17), such that we fully reflect God’s character of love.

Such persons who are not turned away from God by trials and tribulation can say of themselves in truth, “But none of these things move [deter] me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel [God’s plan of saving humanity from eternal death (annihilation)] of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24.

This then is our purpose in life as it relates to our steadfastness in our belief in God and our love for God.

Our Purpose in Life and the Image’s Feet of Iron and Clay

The image’s feet of iron and clay represent our purpose in life as it relates to the direction of our life.

God says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him [God], and he [God] shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6.

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5.

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27.

“For as many as are led by the [Holy] Spirit of God, they are the sons [children] of God.” Romans 8:14.

People of whom these things are true will say wholeheartedly, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14. This high calling is to reflect fully God’s character of love.

Our purpose in life then is to be anchored in our being led by God in the direction in life that God would have go.

Conclusion

We have seen that all humanity is called to yield themselves to God and His righteousness.

In order to understand what this looks like in real life, we considered the dream which God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

In interpreting this dream, we saw that it involves our purpose in life as it relates to our mind, our heart, our appetite, our resolve, and our direction in life, so that our life is centred on God.

Of such people, God says, “Even every one that is called by my name…I have created him for my glory [to fully reflect my character of love], I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7.

So then, our purpose in life can indeed be known; it is what God defines it to be. Seek then to accomplish God’s purpose for you in all its aspects so that you may receive eternal from God to live happily with God forever.

How This Blog Teaches Bible Study

My blog posts take one or more Bible verses and unpack what is often the hidden meaning in them, to help you to gain in your understanding of the Bible, and to receive insights into how to study it. For God says, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15. There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).

Further Reading

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