Is There a Purpose for the World?

In our last video we saw that what sets the Bible’s account of creation apart from every other religious view is not so much how the world was created, but who our Creator is. The Creator God of the Bible is eternal and distinct from his creation. The world isn’t a part of his body. Nor is it the result of some divine, cosmic conflict. In the Bible, God simply speaks his creation into existence with the power of his Word.

It’s interesting that in John 1:1, the Apostle John refers to Jesus, the Son of God, as “the Word”. The Greek word he uses is “logos”, which is where our word “logic” comes from. The Greeks believed logic or reason was a divine force or principle hidden somewhere in the cosmos. But the Bible teaches that God himself is the reasoning One. God is the God of reason and order, and so his creation reflects his rational mind.

In Genesis 1 we see that, not only did God speak the world into existence, but he did so with reason and purpose. He didn’t just throw creation together, making it up as he went along. Rather, God created everything according to his eternal plan and intention. In other words, God ordered the world and everything in it for a reason, including you and me. 

In this short video we begin looking at the purpose behind why God created the world as he did. Contrary to our culture’s views, the order and design of the natural world and humanity’s place in it is no accident. Nor is mankind’s existence an impediment or detriment to the world’s flourishing. Rather, properly understood, God intended the world for mankind to rule. But our rule isn’t intended for us. Our rule is intended to represent God’s rule. We are meant to rule and care for God’s creation on his behalf.