The Supreme Purpose

…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:13-15

Here we find Paul's great statement of the end and goal of all God's far-flung strategy for the human race. Twice in this passage, the apostle gives us the ultimate goal of the life of faith. It is the measuring stick by which we can judge our progress as Christians. In verse 13 he says it is attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. And in verse 15 he urges us to grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

It is important to realize that the supreme purpose of the church is not the evangelization of the world. The Great Commission is often held up to us as the supreme aim and purpose of the church, and it is certainly an essential task. Jesus has clearly sent us out to preach the Gospel to every creature. But the Great Commission is not God's ultimate goal. Romans 8:29 tells us that God's ultimate plan for us is that we be conformed to the image of his Son. Evangelization is a means of bringing people into a relationship with God, so that God's ultimate goal for them — Christlikeness — can be achieved in their lives.

Nor does Paul say anything here about accomplishing world peace and universal justice. He does not say the church will ultimately introduce the millennium. We may well believe in the great vision of the prophets, that there is a day coming when peace shall reign on the earth and men shall beat their swords into plowshares and make war no more. One day righteousness shall prevail over all the earth, and all of today's headlines of injustice, tragedy, war, mass murder, terrorism, crime, racism, and hate will be forgotten. But that is not the final purpose for the existence of the church.

God's overarching goal is to produce men and women who demonstrate the character qualities of Jesus Christ. God does not want a church filled with white-robed saints. He does not want a church filled with theological authorities or cultured clergyman. He wants a church filled with ordinary men and women who exemplify the extraordinary integrity, temperament, wholeness, compassion, individuality, boldness, righteousness, earnestness, love, forgiveness, selflessness, and faithfulness of Jesus Christ!

Lord, remind us of your primary goal: to make us people who look and act like Jesus.