Live the Word Bible Studies

Welcome to Live the Word

I am happy you have visited this site, where my goal since 2001 has been to help people all over the world understand and then apply the word of God in their lives. If you look on the right hand side of this blog site, you will see the name of each book in the New Testament, where you will find what I call a devotional commentary for every verse in those books. My goal was not to do a technical study, but rather a practical one that presented not only insights, but also questions and recommendations to help you apply or live the word. I have now published those studies in book form, but it's time to expand my work with something new (pictured here are two of my commentary covers, and they are all available in paper or Kindle format from Amazon).

For several years, I have had the idea to develop a Purpose Study Bible, similar to others on the market like The Spirit-Filled Bible, The Leadership Bible, The African Bible, and The Student Bible. Each one of those incorporates insights about a particular topic right in the Bible itself, like an easy-to-use commentary. I have been teaching on the topics of purpose and creativity since 1991, and have seen, gathered, and have often written about those topics from a biblical perspective. For the remainder of my days, I want to share what I have learned with my readers on these two topics, and this format seems like an economical way to do so (since I am not ready to undertake publishing a Bible).

I also want to learn from my readers, so I invite you to post comments to supplement, correct, or augment what I have written. My goal, however, is not to make us all experts on what the Bible has to say about purpose or creativity, but rather to help us become people of purpose, for as Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). That is why my commentaries are called Live the Word, for that is what we are expected to do.

I hope you enjoy reading these studies as much as I enjoy writing them, and I hope you will be an active participant by sharing your own insight and testimonies. Thank you, and may the Lord bless the study and reading of His word!

Purpose Bible 11: Enmity

After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, the Lord spelled out the consequences for their deed,
starting with the serpent:

“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:14-15).

The Lord addressed the serpent who had human qualities of understanding and communication, and it is obvious that the serpent represented Satan and his kingdom. The Lord promised to put "enmity" between his kingdom and the woman's offspring, which is another world for hostility and hatred. That promise has certainly come to pass, for believers are involved in spiritual warfare once they put their faith in Christ throughout their earthly existence.

Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:15-17).

This passage also includes the first proclamation of the gospel of Christ, for God promised to act in such a manner that the woman and her offspring would be victorious over their enemy through one of the woman's offspring, which we know to be Jesus. This is also confirmed in the Revelation 12 passage.

This hatred or enmity is certainly present when anyone seeks to express their God-given purpose or express their creativity, and the intensity fo the opposition can cause anyone to doubt or hesitate as they move forward. This often gives rise to fear that perhaps they have missed the Lord or are out of His will. Have you experienced this kind of spiritual opposition? Are you surprised by the intensity? Do you fight back with the weapons you have at your disposal? 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12).

If you are going to realize your full potential in Christ, you must be ready to do battle in a war you did not start but were drafted into when you made a commitment to Christ.

Purpose Bible 10: Fear and Shame

Immediately after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, this is how they reacted:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:8-10).

We read in Genesis 2:25 that "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Then they fell from grace and we read that they were afraid and felt shame, realizing they were naked. This led to the almost humorous scenario where they tried to hide from the Lord among the trees of the Garden. We are the children of Adam and Eve and we are also hiding, sometimes even in the Church, because we are self-conscious and overcome with feelings of terror due to our inadequacy and separation from God. In Genesis 2, God had spoken to Adam and he responded without fear. After his sin, Adam heard God and hid.

Fear and shame that cause us to hide are usually still our first reactions to the concepts of purpose and creativity. We are afraid of getting ahead of the Lord, of missing the Lord, of failure, of success, of what others will say and do. When we step out to create, we tend to minimize what we have done because we are ashamed of what we have produced. What's more, the fear and shame mask themselves as rational and even spiritual responses that seem normal and acceptable to God. 

Where and how are shame and fear robbing you of the chance to fulfill your purpose and express your creativity? My advice is to assume that fear is blocking your way even if you don't agree or see that it is. Ask God, "Am I afraid?" Keep looking and usually there is fear or shame somewhere that is holding you back. When you discover the fear, simply bringing it to the light and exposing it for what it is will set you free. If you continue to allow fear to masquerade as something else, you will be content to watch others express the will of God for their lives while you stay hidden from yours.

Purpose Bible 9: Teamwork

After Adam expressed his creativity by naming the animals, his next lesson was about teamwork:

So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,' for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame (Genesis 2:20-25).

The work God had assigned Adam could not be done alone, so God created a helper "suitable to him" after He had already ordered him "to be fruitful and to multiply" (Genesis 1:28a). This meant there would be many other helpers needed to "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 1:28b). This introduced the concept of teamwork, which would eventually have to go beyond husbands, wives, and families to include a host of others, all uniquely gifted to contribute something to man's dominion mandate. It is of note that Adam and Eve felt no shame in one another's presence, but we will revisit this concept of shame again after the Fall.

The New Testament painted a clearer picture of the concept of teamwork when Paul introduced the concept of spiritual gifts and roles in the body of Christ. He expanded on the need for teams, but that need was first expressed here in Genesis 2. Are you part of anyone's team, whether in ministry, work, or some other expression of the dominion mandate? What are you strengths that you bring to the team? Is the objective of your work and teamwork clear to you and others? How well do you know your teammates? (I am not relating this passage to marriage, for there are many who are single but who can also find a meaningful place of significance and purpose in their 'singleness.' The context of Adam's helper was not one of companionship, but of purposeful work together while they also pursued their oneness in marriage.)

Purpose Bible 8: Your Creativity

It became clear that if man was going to tend the Garden, he was going to need suitable helpers.
Therefore, we read

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found (Genesis 2:18-21).

As stated in a previous study, God directed Adam's work but Adam was free to structure and complete the work as he saw fit. In this instance, God brought the animals for Adam to name. God did not tell Adam what to name them. He did not lay on his heart or whisper in his ear what the name was to be; that was up to Adam for him to express his creativity to do so.

Jesus came to reconcile all things to God, which includes man's purpose and his creativity. He did not come to control humans, but He came rather to make them all they were created and intended to be before the Fall in Genesis 3. That means that God gave us our ability to create and now expects us to express it in the context of our Garden purpose. That means your creative talents are not to be a hobby or something you do when you have time, but are to be front and center in your work and life. 

Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, why not? Perhaps the problem is your definition of creativity? Do you see time management, problem solving, raising children, and planning a vacation as creative expressions? You don't have to paint like Rembrandt, write like Hemingway, or compose like Mozart to be considered creative. Therefore, what are your creative expressions? How often do you express them? Have you submitted them to God so He can direct them while you work to make them all they can be so you can bring Him glory by using them regularly? Where has fear robbed you of your ability to create? 

Purpose Bible 7: Garden Assignment

After God created, He gave man an assignment and placed him in the Garden:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die" (Genesis 2:15-17).

In this passage, we learn that man once existed outside the Garden, for God took and placed him there. That indicates God assigns us our sphere of His creation that He wants us to be in so we can "take care of it." Then God gave man freedom to eat whatever He wanted to eat from any tree except one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God then set the consequences if man, in his freedom, ever chose to disobey. That consequence involved death, decay, and misery.

We see here that God gave man purpose along with freedom to structure and plan his work as he saw fit, with God directing the work. This Garden was not to be the end of God's creation, but only its beginning, for it was man's job not only to care for it but to expand and develop it as the number of people increased and man's creativity impacted his environment to bring about technology and the systems of existence, which included things like education, government, business, the arts, and worship.

Are you working in the portion of the Garden that God assigned to you? Are you expressing His creativity that He placed in you? Do you work for the Lord and trust Him to give you the food He promised, or do you work for money? Do you enjoy your work and the freedom God designed you to have to structure it as you think best? If you answered no to any of those questions (or don't know the answers), then perhaps it is time to ask yourself where you need to be and what it will take to get you connected to your Garden assignment.

Purpose Bible 7: Garden Assignment

After God created, He gave man an assignment and placed him in the Garden:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die" (Genesis 2:15-17).

In this passage, we learn that man once existed outside the Garden, for God took and placed him there. That indicates God assigns us our sphere of His creation that He wants us to be in so we can "take care of it." Then God gave man freedom to eat whatever He wanted to eat from any tree except one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God then set the consequences if man, in his freedom, ever chose to disobey. That consequence involved death, decay, and misery.

We see here that God gave man purpose along with freedom to structure and plan his work as he saw fit, with God directing the work. This Garden was not to be the end of God's creation, but only its beginning, for it was man's job not only to care for it but to expand and develop it as the number of people increased and man's creativity impacted his environment to bring about technology and the systems of existence, which included things like education, government, business, the arts, and worship.

Are you working in the portion of the Garden that God assigned to you? Are you expressing His creativity that He placed in you? Do you work for the Lord and trust Him to give you the food He promised, or do you work for money? Do you enjoy your work and the freedom God designed you to have to structure it as you think best? If you answered no to any of those questions (or don't know the answers), then perhaps it is time to ask yourself where you need to be and what it will take to get you connected to your Garden assignment.

 

 

Purpose Bible 6: God the Artist

Not only did God create, but God created well, and that included beauty, symmetry, and taste:

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:8-9).

When the Lord planted a garden, He paid attention to how the garden looked and how it tasted. That indicates that God is interested in beauty, color, shape, diversity, order, and structure. Not only that, but God created man with taste, otherwise why would God have made the food in the garden good to eat? That means those people who give themselves to gardening, cooking, or artistic endeavors that are pleasing to the eye and in "good taste" honor and glorify God by following His example. Later we will see, however, that man decided to eat of the wrong tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), and that meant people and not God would be the ultimate judge of beauty and art. Those things no longer existed to glorify God but instead to express mankind's fallen nature and rebellion.

Do you appreciate not only nature, but the other aspects of God's creation He made, things like culture, language, economics, fashion, culinary arts, and diverse artistic endeavors? Are you being creative in the image of God as He would have you do? Do you have a theology of creativity that grounds it in God's will and purpose for your life, thus making it more of a calling and less of an optional hobby or diversion? What more can you do to be creative as part of your purpose mandate?

Purpose Bible 5: God Rested

When God had finished His creative work, we read this report:

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made (Genesis 2:1-3).

People have developed a doctrine of the Sabbath from these verses for the Hebrew word for rested in verses two and three is sahabat. It says God sanctified the day as a pattern for man to follow. Yet, God did not need to rest because He was tired; He rested because He saw that His work was good or complete: "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31).

The New Testament sheds more light on this concept of rest in Hebrews 4:

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” [see Psalm 95:11.] And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest" (Hebrews 4:1-5).

Jesus was clear that the Sabbath was instituted for people and not for God: "Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath'" (Mark 2:27).

Could there be a meaning in the sabbath that we have not considered? Could it be to step back and enjoy what we have created and the purpose work we have done? Is there also a joy and therefore a rest and contentment in the creative purpose work we do? Did God intend for people to slave for six days and then take a nap on the seventh day so they can resume their brutal, debilitating labor?

Could the Sabbath be for us to keep from being driven by work but to reflect on our enjoyment of  it and our fruit from it? If you don't enjoy your work, do you believe that is somehow God's will for your life? If that is your assumption, then what about this verse: "A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God" (Ecclesiastes 2:24)?

Purpose Bible 4: Our Provision

After the Lord gave us purpose, He then promised to meet our every need:

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so (Genesis 1:29-30).

Notice that God did not say we would work for our food. Instead, He assigned us work but then promised to give us our food. That means our food and provision are gifts and not wages. This flies in the face of culture that says we must work and get paid by an employer. Instead, God directs us to do His work and He promises to pay us. That frees us from doing things simply for the money so we can pursue our individual purpose, trusting God for what we need. 

Jesus reiterated this promise when He directed us to "seek first His kingdom" and all that we need—food, clothing, shelter, transportation—would be provided for us (see Matthew 6:33). Are you a slave to your work because that is the only way you believe God can provide for you? Do you see that your income is a gift from God and not the result of your work contract? Do you see that this means God is your provider and not your employer? Armed with this truth, what adjustments can you make in your thinking and then in your approach to work and the provision you need for life?

Purpose Bible 3: First Sign of Purpose

The concept of your life purpose is found in the earliest verses of the Bible:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 1:28).

This verse contains what many refer to as the dominion mandate. God commissioned the first humans He created to do purposeful work He would assign, and that would involve them increasing in number and exercising control over His creation. God's creation at first was mostly agricultural, but it would eventually extend to the major spheres of life like business, government, education, the military, ministry, and communication. 

Notice that God blessed them when He spoke purpose into their lives, and you are blessed when you find and fulfill your purpose. Your purpose is not to attend church, or to simply work and make a living. You are here to do more than eat, play, breed, and sleep. You have a purpose: something for you to do but only you can do, something to be that only you can be. Do you see that purpose precedes the Fall of man, and that means Jesus came to restore the vitality and importance of purpose in the lives of each one of His people? Do you know what your purpose is? What price are you willing to pay to discover it? What price are you willing to pay to fulfill it?