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Careless human opinions have greatly clouded the purpose for which Jesus came to earth. It has been urged that He came to establish a new theocracy on earth over which He was to reign. However, He refused such when the Jews sought to force it on Him (John 6:15). Others have viewed His mission to earth as one of social improvement, betterment of the human condition (feeding hungry, healing sick, improving living conditions, etc.). While Jesus sometimes did such, these things are far short of the real purpose of His coming. This is well illustrated in Mark 2:9–11 where Jesus plainly states that the exercise of His miraculous healing power had the higher aim of demonstrating His power to forgive sins.
Never did any man live who had a clearer grasp of His purpose on earth: “The Son of man came to give His life for a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45); “the Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10); “This is my blood…which is poured out for many unto remission of sins” (Mat. 26:28). Let men foolishly and falsely claim secondary or unrelated purposes for His coming; we can only honor His own stated purpose—to take away man’s guilt of sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26).
The church is frequently referred to in the New Testament epistles as the “body of Christ” (Eph. 1:22–23). It follows that whatever aim Jesus came to accomplish in His physical body, He also desires to be accomplished in His spiritual body, the church. The church of Christ can have but one aim—to carry out the will and work of Christ. What then is the work, the aim, the purpose of the church?
Often it is answered that the church has three purposes or aims: (1) To win souls to Christ by evangelizing the world; (2) To help the helpless; (3) To edify itself. However, if our above-stated premise be true (that Christ wants the church to continue His primary purpose), this answer misses the mark. Just as Christ helped the helpless and edified Himself through such activities as prayer and fellowship, so must the church. But He did these not as an end, but as a means of attaining the more important end proving His authenticity as the Savior of the world both to those of His time and all succeeding ages (John 20:30-31). Truly, the church has but one work—to take the saving Gospel to all men. Our “benevolent work” and self-edification must serve this higher aim.
[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the November 16, 1978, edition of the Granbury Gospel, weekly bulletin of the Granbury Church of Christ, Granbury, Texas, of which I was editor.
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
