What is Our Design and Purpose?

God created humanity in His own image,
in the image of God He created them,
male and female He created them.
– Genesis 1:27 –

Who Are We and How Were We Designed?

…for all things in heaven and on earth
were created by Him [Jesus Christ]
—all things, whether visible or invisible, …
all things were created through Him and for Him. 

– Colossians 1:16-20 –

The One True God created us humans in His image and likeness. We are going to explore what all this means as we go along, but for today we are going to give you some basic, key concepts that we are going to use as “tools” throughout this study. 

Now God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” 27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”

-Genesis 1:26-28 (NET) –

We were created to be God’s Image and Likeness in Creation.

The first foundational question that we have to ask to get our bearings in life is “Where did we come from?” Let’s call this the question of ORIGIN. Depending on who you talk to, you will get many different answers. The Bible tells us very plainly that we have our beginnings in God. God created us and He designed us purposefully to play a role in His larger plans.

First, take note that God creates humanity “in our image, and after our likeness.” The first question that most people ask is “who is the ‘us’?” As we have already heard, God exists in the glorious and loving relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit—the Trinity. So very simply stated, God has created us to be like Himself.

We were created to fill and rule over the Earth.

In this passage we also hear that the Lord-God created us to be His image and likeness to multiply, fill, and rule over the Earth. We were designed as the human race with the blessing of being fruitful—we have the ability to produce children and fill the earth with human beings. As we filled the earth, we would spread the good and wise rule of the Lord over the face of the planet.

Almost 3000 years ago, David—the Warrior-Poet King of Israel—pondered:

When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,
[I think] Of what importance is the human race,
that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind,
that you should pay attention to them,
and make them a little less than the heavenly beings?
You grant mankind honor and majesty;
you appoint them to rule over your creation;
you have placed everything under their authority…

– Psalm 8:3-6 (NET)-

The Scriptures tell us that we have been created for significant purposes in God’s creation. We were designed to rule over planet earth. This task is both a privilege and a responsibility.

We were created to enjoy life, communion, fellowship with God and one another.

Finally, notice that God designs humanity as male and female to accomplish His purposes. God creates us for relationship. Just as God Himself exists in the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, so also we were given the ability and the need to live in fellowship. The first man and the woman would have the capacity to know and share the life of God. They would also be able to know and share life with one another. Out of these relationships, humanity would find its meaning and purpose.

When God “blesses” the first two humans, Adam and Eve, He is empowering them to be able to accomplish His desires according to His purposes. So God then tells them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule…” As humanity multiplied through the birth of children, they would spread over the Earth to extend and maintain the Glorious Kingdom of God in whose image and likeness they had been created.