God’s Purpose for You

WILLS POINT, TX – K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) shares on the purpose of God for believers’ lives, the body of Christ, to carry out His desires and will.

Contrary to the popular thinking in much of Christianity today, the Lord did not reach down and save us from sin and death so that we might be merely happy, healthy and wealthy. Those who teach this have invented another version of the Good News and portray a false christ—the god of this age rather than the God of the Bible. Without the cross, the Good News is not good news at all. Like our Lord, each of us also must carry our cross while we walk on earth. One day in eternity, we will rule with the One who created all things for Himself. In the meantime, He’s given us a purpose to fulfill on earth—to be His hands and feet. 

We Are the Hands and Feet of Jesus in this Present World

Colossians 1:18 says, “And He is the head of the body, the church.” All who believe and have been baptized into Christ are the Church. Now we know that our head, Jesus Christ, is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. But the Bible says His body is somewhere else. His body is us. We are left here on earth to carry out His desires and will. Christ paid the ultimate price, that this world of corruption could be reconciled unto Him—now it’s up to us to pay the “delivery charge,” that others would have the opportunity to hear His name.

The purpose of the body is to fulfill the commands, desires and wishes of the head. We are attached to the head so that we might manifest the mind of Christ and do His will on earth.

God has so ordered the world that, right now, we are His primary means of redemption to humanity. Our hands are His hands; our feet are His feet; our tongues are His tongue. This means that the basic way God expresses His limitless love today is through the Church. We are the ones who must come alongside the hurting and the helpless as Jesus did, welcoming into the Holy Church those who would love Him.

Living as He Is

In 1 John 4:17 we read, “As he is, so are we in this world.” I love the way Moffatt translates this in his classic version of the English New Testament. It reads, “. . . since in this world we are living as He is.” This makes it abundantly clear that a believer’s life ought to so represent Christ that the world can once again see Jesus. Day by day He gives us grace to live His life, become more like Him, and follow Him in such a way that others can taste again the presence of Jesus walking and living among them.

The only way that Christ is presently incarnated to a dying world is through us—we are carrying on and extending His presence, His Word and His works to a new generation. When Jesus walked the shores of Galilee, He revealed the image of the Father to wandering, sinful men. This glorious ministry is now ours as we are as Christ to those around us.

We are Christ’s representatives in this present world. As Jesus prepared to leave this world and return to His Father, He called the disciples together. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,” He declared. “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Matthew 28:18; John 20:21).

In what ways have people in your life represented Christ to you? How did that affect you? Share with us in the comments below!

KP Yohannan, founder and director of GFA World (Gospel for Asia), has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

GFA World (Gospel for Asia) has been serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. GFA World national workers serve as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. GFA World is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through GFA World’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.