Blog Post: Purpose-Driven Life

TL;DR:
Galatians 3:14 declares that through Christ, Abraham’s blessing has been extended to the Gentiles. This truth reminds Christians that the gospel is for everyone and calls them to support its proclamation among all nations. Rather than keeping God’s blessings to themselves, believers should be like irrigation canals through which the Water of Life flows to a spiritually dry world.

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• God wants all His people to support and participate in the effort to proclaim the gospel all over the earth.
• We can become channels through which the Water of Life can flow to a dry and parched world.
• "Blessed to be a blessing" includes the idea in Galatians 3:14 that embracing the gospel brings with it a responsibility to pass it on to those who have yet to hear it.

World Missions: The Heart of God

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” — Galatians 3:14

Though written two thousand years ago, do the words of Galatians 3:14 have meaning for us today?

Want to know God's will for your life? Start with Galatians 3:14. Paul originally directed that verse to congregations in what is now central Turkey. The Holy Spirit, however, had a much wider audience in mind. Thus, this divinely inspired letter to the Galatians became part of the written Word through which God speaks to people everywhere in every age.

Read Galatians 3:14 together with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20, the Pentecostal promise in Acts 1:8, and the approximately 200 other world-missions-related Bible verses. That will make it clear that God wants all His people to support and participate in the effort to proclaim the gospel all over the earth (see the brief video below of Dr. James Dobson on our ultimate purpose in life).

From time to time, I hear or read people saying that believers are "blessed in order to be a blessing." That saying is accurate, and it also reflects the idea in Galatians 3:14 that embracing the gospel brings with it a responsibility to pass it on to all those who have never heard. When divine blessings flow toward us, we must not create a pond in which to keep those blessings for our personal enjoyment. We are not supposed to be pond builders. Instead, we should make irrigation canals so that the Water of Life will flow through us to a dry and parched world.

I do not disagree with those who say that lovingly sharing Christ with those closest to us is very important. The Bible has plenty to say about our responsibility for that. However, the word "Gentiles" in Galatians 3:14 points to people other than "our own kind." To first-century Jewish Christians, "Gentiles" did not mean their relatives or the people next door or even those on the other side of town. "Gentiles" were the whole rest of the world. Paul's declaration in Galatians 3:14 is that God redeems us so that the whole world might hear the gospel.

Some years ago, California pastor Rick Warren wrote a book titled The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? The book became an international bestseller, selling tens of millions of copies. In his pastoral ministry, Warren insists that his parishioners support and engage in world evangelism. His book’s title—The Purpose Driven Life—could also serve as a label for Galatians 3:14. The in order that phrase of Galatians 3:14 clearly points to world evangelism as a life purpose for all God's people.

What purpose motivates you? Do you see your purpose as something centered on you and your personal happiness and sense of success? Or, are you motivated by the Galatians 3:14 purpose of getting the Good News of the gospel to everyone on the face of the earth?

Reflection Questions on Galatians 3:14

1. What insights might Galatians 3:14 give us regarding gospel proclamation worldwide?
2. How might the phrase "blessed to be a blessing" relate to the responsibility to share the gospel among all nations?
3. In what ways might Galatians 3:14 help us challenge believers to think beyond their immediate circles and be "purpose-driven" to help spread the gospel to people outside their communities?
4. How does the idea of "making irrigation canals" to spread the gospel relate to the concept of world evangelism expressed in Galatians 3:14?
5. How can believers be sure that they are fulfilling their purpose to be Christ's ambassadors to all people? What are some practical ways they can participate in the effort to spread the gospel to the whole world?

-- Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu

This blog post on a world missions Bible passage is one of more than three dozen in the "Heart of God" series published in Engage, a monthly online magazine. That series looks at what the Bible says about world missions.

Afterword: What's the message of Galatians 3:14 for us today?

Galatians 3:14 remains meaningful today. It reminds us that God’s heart encompasses all people and that the gospel must be proclaimed worldwide. Just as irrigation canals channel life-giving water to arid lands, believers are called to allow the Water of Life to flow through them to a spiritually parched world. Galatians 3:14 challenges us to look beyond personal desires and find purpose through investment and involvement in world evangelism.

Two important takeaways for us from Galatians 3:14:

1. Salvation is available to all. Galatians 3:14 speaks of the blessing of Abraham, which includes salvation through Jesus Christ. That blessing is not restricted to one group—in this case, the Jews—but extends to the Gentiles, or the rest of the world. This stresses the universal invitation of Christianity and the cross-cultural applicability of the gospel message. It should motivate churches to spread the message of salvation to people in all corners of the globe.
2. The focus is on Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:14 reminds us that Jesus Christ is the means through which the blessing of Abraham comes to the Gentiles. The centrality of Christ in the world missionary enterprise is thereby emphasized. Missionaries are needed to cross cultural boundaries and proclaim Jesus as Savior and the only means of salvation to people of every race, background, and cultural heritage.

Acrostic: Purpose-Driven

P - Proclaiming the gospel to all nations;
U - Understanding the call to make disciples;
R - Reaching out with love and compassion;
P - Persisting in faith, no matter the obstacles;
O - Obedient to God's will and mission;
S - Sharing His truth boldly and without fear;
E - Empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill His plan.

Like acrostics? Here are more of them.

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More for you on what the Bible says about world evangelism

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• How cross-cultural missionary ministry can reflect Christ
• Mini-essays on 12 fiery sayings that have inspired global evangelism efforts
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• 58 New Testament verses relevant to world missions
• The heart of God: The biblical and theological basis of world missions
• The Church's mission: Biblical foundations
• Jonah, reluctant missionary
• Jonah and the disease of prejudice
• Songs that portray the world's people groups as harvest fields ready to be gathered