God created the world to reveal his glory. The revelation of the glory of God is the great goal of the entire universe.
Jesus said the ultimate goal of each Christian is to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). When the kingdom of God is revealed, the glory of God is revealed. When we seek God’s kingdom, we are really seeking the glory of God. In this way our purpose as individuals is intertwined with God’s great goal for the universe of revealing his glory.
There is one organization that God has authorized to manifest the glory of God upon the earth in fullness: his church.
Jesus promised that he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). When the church is completed, it will reveal God’s glory.
In order to fulfill our life purpose, we should dedicate ourselves to working with Jesus in building the church in order to reveal the glory of God.
In the book of Ephesians, there are three different pictures of the church.
1. House
The first picture of the church in Ephesians is a house (Ephesians 2:20-22). A house for God is called a temple.
The house of God is currently being built all over the world. Every Christian who is seeking to obey Jesus and leave behind empty religious traditions is potentially part of this building process.Christians are living stones that are to be built up into God’s house (1 Peter 2:5).
Like any house, there is a standard for the church’s construction. The church must be built according to the word of God. God has not left the construction of his house up to us, to decide how we want it to be built. He wants his house to be built according to the instructions he’s given us in the New Testament.
When a house is built according to the instructions of the owner, then the owner will move into his house. As long as a house is incomplete or not built according to the owner’s instructions, he will not move in. God currently dwells among his people, but not in fullness. He will dwell in his church in fullness when his church is built and completed according to his standard.
In the Old Testament, Moses built a tabernacle for God to dwell in. Moses obeyed God completely in order to build the tabernacle (Exodus 40:16). When the tabernacle was built according to God’s standard, God filled the tabernacle with his glory (Exodus 40:34-35).
Solomon built a temple for God that was according to the standard of God’s word. When this temple was completed, God filled the temple with his glory (1 Kings 8:10-11).
The church isbeing built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). When the church is completed according to the will of God, he will fill the church with his glory.
2. Body
The second symbol of the church in the book of Ephesians is the body (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Each part of the body of Christ is connected to the head, Jesus. Each member can hear from God for themselves, and as they are rightly related to Christ, to church leadership, and to each other, they will find their position in the body and operate their spiritual gifts so the body can grow.
The body is “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
The body is being built up as each member functions.
The goal of the body of Christ is that we “all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
These great goals of unity, “a perfect man,” and the “fullness of Christ” have not yet been attained. This means that the church still needs growth. When the church reaches maturity, then these goals will be reached, and God’s glory will be revealed.
3. Bride
The third picture of the church in the book of Ephesians is a bride.
The church is like a bride that is getting ready for her husband. Jesus is currently waiting for his church to get ready.When the church is ready for her husband, then the wedding supper will happen.
On the wedding night, the husband and the wife become one flesh.
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and thetwo shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:31-32).
The goal of the church is to become a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27), so she can be perfectly united to Christ. This goal has not yet been attained, which means that the bride must still prepare.The bride is currently being prepared by the washing of water by the word (Eph. 5:26). As the word of God washes over the church, she isconformed to his willand cleansed from defilements.
When the bride of Christ is ready, the Spirit of God will fill the church in fullness, and the wedding supper of the lamb will commence (Revelation 19:7). This will cause awesome glory to be revealed into the world.
Conclusion
The great goal of God is that his glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). This goal will be achieved as the presence of God fills the church.
The church is currently being built in order to achieve this goal. This building process is currently going on in the earth, all over the world, wherever God’s people hear his voice and seek to follow his word. This process is specifically manifested in local churches that are ordered according to the word of God and filled with his Holy Spirit. The building of the church will continue until the church is full of God’s presence and radiates his presence into the world.
There is no goal that is more worthy of our time and effort, for upon this grand building project of the church hinges the end of the age.
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