OVERCOME THE ENEMY OF PURPOSE

“So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” – Genesis 3:10

God’s Will is that we OVERCOME the ENEMY OF PURPOSE – SIN: “So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (v.10). God's original design in the beginning ensured an intimate relationship with humanity. God put Adam in the Garden of Eden with a mission to tend and keep it; while He communed with Adam in the cool of the evening (vv.8,15). Unfortunately, the intrusion of Sin brought fear, nakedness, and shame; eroded Purpose and separated humanity from the Creator!

God designed us to live with purpose. This was a fundamental element of His original design. Allied to this was His intention for us to live in liberty: “And they were both naked, the man and his wide, and were not ashamed” (Gen.2:25). We were not created to live in guilt, shame or condemnation, all of which came because humanity violated God's design, and allowed the erosion of purpose. Having purpose ignites life and energy; but when purpose is abused, all that is left is hopelessness and futility. Many people in the world try in vain to find their purpose apart from God, but the enemy of Purpose hinders them.

Genesis 3:1-13 tells us of the transaction that took place between the devil and humanity. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, as the enemy deceived them to think that submission to God was bondage and that being rebellious was freedom. That lie continues to deceive people today. They thought they would gain liberty by disobeying God, but instead they experienced bondage. Darkness, emptiness, shame, and guilt came into their hearts. The couple, who once had an intimate relationship with God, were separated from Him. They were banished from the garden. Disobedience led to bondage, suffering, fear, condemnation, and guilt. Instead of experiencing freedom and joy, they experienced pain, sorrow, and heartache. Fullness of life, health, and vitality were lost. Indignity, death, disease, and darkness began to reign.

Sin is the Number One enemy of Purpose. Sin negates purpose. Sin opposes purpose. Sin pollutes purpose. Sin disables purpose. Sin erodes purpose. Sin destroys purpose. God designed us with a purpose and gave our lives significance. He created us to live in freedom, joy, beauty, and holiness. It is obvious however, that something went wrong. It seems like things aren't quite what God designed them to be. When we look at individuals, families, communities, nations, and churches, we hear news and witness events that bring heartache and sorrow – violence, death, disease, famine, ethnic cleansings, wars, divorce, and so forth. This was not what God designed the world to be like. Purpose has been polluted!

With the entrance of sin, all facets of humanity became saturated in selfishness and wickedness. Moreover, authority over Satan was surrendered. Man was created in God's image, and given responsibility to rule over the earth, including over Satan, who was cast down to earth for his rebellion against God. But instead of exercising dominion, Adam and Eve handed their dominion over to Satan, who then became the ruler of this world and prince of the power of the air (2Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2). Instead of being filled with God's glory, the world is now permeated with Satan's wickedness and diabolical traits. In addition to the lost relationship with God, personal relationships became fractured, as the couple began to play the ‘blame-game’ (v.16). They experienced tension in their marriage instead of love. Reconciliation could only occur with God's intervention.

Humans lost purpose and significance when they lost relationship with God: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (v.19). Life without God is vanity, misery, and futility (Eccl. 12:8). Praise God, the story didn’t end there. God has restored what was lost. Christ bought and brought our redemption. He broke the power of Sin and restored Purpose! Now, I walk in Dominion over Sin. I overcome the Enemy of Purpose!