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Your God Given Purpose and Gifting - Part One

by Joseph LaValley  
1/01/2016 / Christian Living

Would it surprise you to find that not only does every Christian have a God given purpose but they also have a God given gifting as well? I believe this is true because I can see it in the Bible. Understanding your purpose for existing and responding to it is the precursor to understanding your God given gifting. Let's first see what our creator had in mind in regards to our purpose.

That was the one burning question that haunted me in my lost years as a young man. I wanted to know the purpose for my existence. I wasn't an atheist, I believed in the Creator. In fact I never stopped believing in the crucified, resurrected and ascended Christ that I learned about from my Grandma and her Church. That being said I still knew very little about the "why" of my existence except that Jesus Christ had died for my sins. God's mercy and grace being as large as it is, that smidgen of truth was enough to get me saved. What a wonderful God we have.

However being Bible ignorant at that point, I had no light in regards to, "why is Joe sucking air?" I wanted to know "What is the reason for my life?" God was the prime mover. He put people in my path who were able to show me from His word, the answer to this most important question.

In the first chapter of Genesis God states His intentions regarding His creation. We see there that His focus was this earth. It was the first planet created. (Genesis1:7-13 KJV). This certainly signifies its importance in God's eyes. Next God created the stars and planets and stated their purpose.

Genesis 1:14-15 KJV
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.

In verse fifteen God says that the other celestial lights in the heaven were "to give light upon the earth". The earth once again is the center of God's focus.

Next God creates living creatures; fish, fowl, mammals and creeping things (Genesis 1:20-25 KJV). And finally He creates a man and woman and gives them dominion over all His living creatures, emphasizing that His original purpose for the earth and its contents centers on man and woman.

Genesis 1:26-27 KJV
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

To summarize; God made the earth first. Secondly, His purpose for the other celestial objects is focused on the earth. Thirdly His purpose for the earth is for His man and woman. That then begs the question, what is their purpose? The answer to that is in verse twenty- six and twenty-seven and revolves around man's original make up. Man and woman were originally created in God's likeness; in His image. They were living breathing beings however so were the fish and animals.

If we are to understand what our God given purpose is we must first find out what God's image is. In the book of John we're told that God is Spirit. God's image, His likeness is what made Adam and Eve spiritual beings not merely physical beings like the other living creatures.

John 4:24 KJV
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God is also holy (Leviticus 11:45). Therefore God is Holy Spirit. Yes, He can manifest Himself in the physical realm. The key word there is manifest. However as a being, He is Spirit as contrasted with the physical. Holy spirit is the part that was created in man and woman in the beginning. It's obvious that God didn't recreate Himself but He did put His nature, "Holy and Spirit" in them. They had God's spiritual nature as part of their being, in the beginning.

Some say the "soul" is God's image. However, God's word clarifies that a soul is not the same thing as having God's image. We can see that by looking at the verses in Genesis regarding creation and also the verses that reference man's fallen state. First let me point out that man and woman had a body with breath life in it.

Genesis 2:7 KJV
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

From this verse we see that what constitutes a living soul is a being that has a body and breath life. The word for soul in this verse is the Hebrew word "nephesh". It is the same word used when God created animals in Genesis chapter one.

Genesis 1:24 KJV
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

The Hebrew word for creature in this verse is nephesh. Animals have a body and "breath life" hence they are living souls. This same word is used also in Genesis 1:20 and Genesis 1:21 where God made fish, whales and fowls. They too had a body and "breath life" so they were call called living nephesh. Conclusion - A soul doesn't make you a spiritual being; a being with God's image.

Another section of scripture that shows there is a difference between God's image and soul is when man spiritually fell by his disobedience to God. God told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was told that in the day that he ate it, he would surely die (Genesis 2:17 KJV).

Adam and Eve ate of that fruit and when God came walking in the garden they tried to hide from God (Genesis 3:8-10 KJV). Obviously they knew something had changed. But what I'd like to emphasize here is they still had bodies and were still breathing - hence they were still living souls (nephesh). In fact it's recorded that Adam physically died at the ripe old age of nine hundred and thirty years (Genesis 5:5 KJV).

God certainly doesn't lie, so on "the day" that they ate of that tree, what was it then that "died?" Only one thing left, God's likeness, His image. They had spiritually died. This can be seen in Ephesians where God is talking about a born again believer's former state.

Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)


This shows us that all people are born physically alive (living souls) but they are spiritually dead, "dead in sins". They do not have God's image. What we do have for an image when we're born is Adam's fallen nature which is a sin nature and hence our adeptness at sinning. Genesis chapter five shows us that after Adam spiritually died, all his progeny were born in that fallen state, right down to you and me. We are physically born in Adam's likeness but not God's likeness.

Genesis 5:2-3 KJV
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.

"The day when they were created", was God's doing. Adam "begat a son in his own likeness" was Adam's doing.

What does Adam and Eve's original makeup tell us about man and woman's original purpose? Answer- God wanted intimate fellowship with His people. No surprise there. God is a God of love. He didn't merely desire an extrinsic exchange but an intrinsic fellowship that filled their hearts. God's primary purpose for the human race was to fellowship with their creator. It was for His own personal delight and for their own personal blessing.

When they lost His image after their disobedience, they're not seeking God's presence, they're afraid and they're trying to hide. This was not God's will for their lives. His primary will and purpose for their lives was to fellowship with Him directly by His image that dwelled in them.

The English word "fellowship" is used in the King James Version in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. It's significant that in the Old Testament we only find this English word "fellowship" mentioned once. It's from the Hebrew word chabar which is translated other ways in Old Testament. Chabar means; to unite, to be joined together, couple together, fellowship with. Chabar in the Old Testament is never once used in regards to man's fellowship with God because after the fall of Adam and Eve all people are born spiritually dead. That being the case God had to find other ways to communicate and have an exchange with people.

All throughout the Old Testament God makes provision whereby He can communicate with people on a limited basis. When God wanted to get someone's attention He had to manifest something in the physical realm: audible voice, an angel in physical manifestation, a burning bush, fire on top of Mt. Sinai etc.

When God does choose a man or woman to represent Him in the Old Testament He placed His holy spirit upon them so that there was a direct connection. But this was always temporary and conditional. King Saul had God's spirit placed upon him. When Saul hardened his heart against God, and failed to repent, God's spirit was removed from him. David had this concern in mind when he committed some major sins. Unlike Saul, however, he repented. He was concerned that God would remove His holy spirit from him.

Psalms 51:11 KJV
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.

We see God's original plan in paradise was to have His image, spirit, in man as part of their makeup. From this we can see that man's purpose as set forth by the creator was to fellowship with Him. He desired to have a direct exchange with His people.

God has permanently solved the problem of His spiritual separation from man and woman through the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Through His Son, a second birth has been made available to any and all who are willing to confess Jesus as their resurrected Lord (Romans 10:9-10 KJV). This second birth imparts God's nature, putting His image back in the believer. This time however it's put there as a permanent seed with God- type life that can produce fruit after its kind.

1 Peter 1:23 KJV
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The first seed was corrupted by Adam's sin. The second seed is built upon the sacrifice and completed work of Jesus Christ, a sure foundation, hence, it's incorruptible. We can now partake of God's very nature.

2 Peter 1:2-4 KJV
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God by His power through Jesus Christ hath given us (past tense) everything we need that pertains to living our lives to their fullest as well as everything we need to grow in our relationship with God. His word declares it and His seed produces it. The Greek word for nature in verse four is physis. In this context it's talking about God's innate properties and characteristics hence the adjective "divine" that precedes it.

The word that is written directly about and to the Christian speaks about this reality and how we should respond to it. We find these truths in epistles penned by men of God in the New Testament. The meat of these truths are in the epistles penned by Paul; given by God.

Galatians 1:11-12 KJV
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Remember the word "fellowship" in the Old Testament, and how it was never used to refer to man's relationship with God. There was not an intimate communion and exchange between man and God, hence the need for the temporary measures of priests, animal sacrifice and other God directed things that were a shadow of the greater to come (Hebrews 10 :1 KJV). But Jesus Christ came and was the reality of that shadow. He was THE LAMB OF GOD who paid for sin once and for all (Hebrews 10:9-10 KJV). He is the way unto the Father (John 14:6 KJV). Now, born again believers can fellowship with God through the completed work of Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3 KJV
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

The Greek word for "fellowship in this verse is "koinonia" which means association, communion, joint participation. There is a joint participation between the believer and Jesus Christ as well as a joint participation between the believer and their heavenly Father. Notice it says Father, not God, in this verse. That's right! Through Jesus Christ we are called into an Abba- Father relationship with God. Abba is an Aramaic word that implies the intimacy of the word daddy.

Galatians 4:4-6 KJV
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

We, the born again believers, are called into a close personal relationship with God through the new birth spirit imparted by His Son. We now have back what Adam lost and so much more. God in this verse is basically saying, "You're now my kids, come for a walk with your Father." This is our God given purpose; to fellowship with Him.

We can see from this verse and many others that God wants to open our spiritual eyes and fill our hearts with His presence through His Son. This will bring God's presence and power into manifestation in all of our living which brings glory to God.

Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Take the time to read the two God directed prayers in Ephesians (Ephesians 1:15-23 KJV & Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV). If you have ears to hear and eyes to see God will energize these realities into the physical.

Our part of this fellowship, this full sharing, is to fully avail ourselves to Him through prayer and obedience. We are to offer our born again lives back to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1 KJV). This is our act of worship. We are to agree with God on who we are in Christ and walk with Him upon these spiritual realities.

This is man's purpose; to fellowship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Paul's epistles to the Christians (Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians) contain these truths that are to be walked out.

Let me answer a question that will surely arise in some people's minds. "Isn't man's purpose for existence to worship God?" Truly this is a good question because what you serve and obey is what you worship. Do you remember the account in John chapter four where Jesus Christ witnessed to the Samaritan woman at the well? When Jesus Christ revealed things about her life to her that she hadn't spoken to him about, she came to the conclusion that he was a prophet. She asked Him about worship. His response to the question revealed much about the truth of worship.

John 4:21- 24 KJV
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

One of the first things this account reveals about worship is the truth that God must first reveal truth about Himself for you to have someone to worship. Why did Jesus tell her that she didn't know what she worshipped? It wasn't meant as an insult but a mere statement of fact. God revealed and offered His covenant to Israel through Moses not to the Samaritans. God is the prime mover and He so loves that He gives. If God doesn't reveal something you can't respond to it. Fellowship starts with God's extended hand offering His answer. Our response can then follow. Worship can only come out of a response to what God has unveiled. It starts with Him and we can participate when we believe it.

Note that Jesus said that a time was coming, which would be through him, that God could be worshipped as a Father. Since "God is a Spirit" people would need spirit to worship Him in such a manner. That spirit is the incorruptible seed imparted at the new birth. Now we can fellowship with Him and hence truly worship Him.

In the spirit realm there is the genuine and there is the counterfeit. Genuine worship, praise, obedience and service comes out of our fellowship God. Our God given purpose is to fellowship with Him through the spirit provided in and through Christ Jesus.

As we fellowship with Him one of the things that happens is our spiritual eyes start to see more and we begin to understand what we have in Christ. One of those spiritual realities that God wants to reveal to His sons and daughters is their personal gifting. This is an area that many Christians get very excited about, just as they should. It is God's will that we know what our individual gifting's are, and that we respond rightly. The best place to go for that truth is once again to God's word, the Bible. This should be our only rule of faith and practice.

The truth that every Christian has a God given gift or gifts is revealed to us in the book of Romans. Let's set the context of Romans. It starts with our fallen condition- "There is none righteous, no not one." (Romans 3:10 KJV) God then goes on to tell us that we have no earning power to change our condition (Romans 3:19-20 KJV). Next comes the good news, God has made the provision whereby His justice is satisfied once and for all so that we can stand before Him justified and righteous through Christ.

Romans 3:21-24 KJV
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Not only have we, the born again believers, been made righteous through Christ, we are also legally identified with our Lord and Savior's death and resurrection and as such can and should walk in "newness of life" (Romans 6:2-4 KJV). God has equipped us to do so by putting His spirit within us.

We are called to walk by the spirit of God (Romans 8:9-13 KJV). We are also assured that God is on our side and that no matter what comes against us in our lives we can be more than conquerors through Christ. We are God's beloved. (Romans 8:31-39 KJV).

All these truths describe who we are as a new creation in Christ Jesus. We are a creation of grace by the hand of God through Christ Jesus. God is not a cookie cutter creator. You are not a generic creation among many but are as distinctly unique in your spiritual identity as you are in your physical make up. In the physical your fingerprints and your DNA are a manifestation of your uniqueness. You are one of a kind. In your spiritual makeup your gifting is like your spiritual DNA.

What does God's word have to say about spiritual gifting? First of all, as I've mentioned previously, everybody has a God given gifting. It isn't just because I say so, but because God says so. When you got born again (Romans 10:9-10) you became part of a new race of people. Those who have been made spiritually alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV) are now part of the body of Christ, with Christ as the head.

Ephesians 1:22-23 KJV
And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

When you make Jesus Christ your Lord, at that moment you become a member in his spiritual body. We are all spiritually interconnected, each with a unique part to play.

Romans 12:4-6 KJV
For we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.

The word "gifts" in verse six is the Greek word "charisma", which is a gift of grace. It's a gift given by God to man. An unearned gift which is freely given. There are two types of charisma given by God to the believer. The first and most important is the new birth.

Romans 5:16 KJV
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgement was by one to condemnation, but the free gift [charisma] is of many offenses unto justification.

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

As stated before, this gift is an incorruptible seed put within us. It is a part of God's nature; it's holy spirit life hence eternal in nature. Remember that salvation means wholeness not just eternal life which is why we are lacking nothing in Christ. That is the charisma of the new birth.

1 Peter 1:23 KJV
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Ephesians 1:13 KJV
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

Colossians 2:10 KJV
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

Each and every born again believer is given God's nature in order to fellowship intimately with their Abba. This enables each and every one of us to supernaturally live every segment of our lives, including ministry. God has given each of us the fully equipped model to live life. Where the differences come in among the body of Christ is in the spiritual gifting.

1 Corinthians 12:4 KJV
Now there are diversities of gifts [charisma], but the same Spirit.

The word diversities in this verse is from the Greek word "diairesis", which means difference, distinction, distribution. In other words, these gifts (charisma) are different, distinct in their distribution according to the Spirit. Not everyone has the same gift as it's God's choice.

1 Corinthians 12:17-18 KJV
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smell?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

It is God who gives you a supernatural gift to fulfill your place in the body of Christ. This is obviously not the charisma of the new birth because 1 Corinthians chapter twelve is talking about people who are already born again. This is the chaisma, gift, referred to in the book of 1 Timothy.

1 Timothy 4:14 KJV
Neglect not the gift [chaisma] that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

The charisma of eternal life doesn't come by prophecy and the laying on of hands. You get saved by confessing Jesus as your Lord, believing that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10 KJV). This is talking about Timothy's gift ministry which was publicly declared when the elders of the church laid hands on him and prophesied.

Notice Paul tells Timothy not to neglect the gift that was in him. A gift ministry is something put within you but it doesn't manifest its effects toward others unless you walk by the spirit and walk in love. Note however we should not get the mindset that it's something developed out of hard work. Our work is to walk by the spirit. Basically Paul's saying what is said in Romans 12:6-8 KJV. Whatever your gift is, get to doing it.

By the way, you're gonna love it. It is and will be the fullest life that we, as individual Christians, can live. Why? Because God made you to fly high in that direction.

This brings us to the next obvious question, "How do I know what my gift or gifts are?" First of all let me state that I'm not big on books that give you a list of questions and/or observations to find out what your gifting is. Yes they can be helpful to show you a certain bent or long suit that you have but we must remember that the gift ministries are God's choosing and as such we should seek God first and foremost. You are His idea, so He will surely unveil this revelation to you as you walk with Him. This is why at the beginning of this article I stated that your God given purpose of fellowshipping with Him is the precursor to finding out what your God given giftings are.

The Bible lists a few gift ministries but this is, by no means, an exhaustive list. Many Christians I've met think that the listing of "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers", stated in Ephesians 4:11, are the only gift ministries. Verse twelve tells us that the purpose of those ministries are to help perfect the believers so that they will likewise walk out their own ministries, in order that the body of Christ can be edified. The body of Christ is a "we" not a "them." Every member is directly connected to Christ who is the head of his body.

I read a story about a woman whose gifting was in the area of mercy. Yes, we all have Christ in us and can be merciful but she had a long suit in this area. Mercy more or less oozed out of her. Before she grew up spiritually she had gone to college and got a degree and had become a social worker. Now that certainly is an indicator regarding her spiritual make up.

Later on God led her by the spirit to open a home for young women trying to get off of drugs. She left her secular job and went full time into this endeavor. The results of her ministry has brought about the deliverance of many as well as effecting their spiritual growth. She also opened up more homes, and trained others whose gift ministries were similar in this area. By her walk and stand many grew up into Christ who is the head. She did this by taking heed to her gifting and supernaturally walking it out.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 KJV
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are not all going to be called to a full time endeavor but we are all called to full time ministry. From God's perspective a ministry is not a tax exempt organization. That may be a vehicle, but the ministry is the individual (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 KJV). You and I are ambassadors for Christ full time, and have the ministry of reconciling the world back to God.

My name is Joseph. I became serious about walking with the Lord back in 1972. My wife and I have been married since 1975, and have two grown daughters. We presently live in Texas. Our e-book -"Come Walk With The Father" is available at amazon.com.

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