Recently, when reading Romans chapter 8, I realized that when man sinned and became cursed by God, the curse of death was more than spiritual and physical death.
It was also a loss of purpose.
The earth was also cursed. I have always lumped the earth being cursed into the ‘that’s why we have weeds’ box in my head … but part of the curse on the earth was that it also lost its purpose.
“For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope.” Romans 8:20 GNT)
Other translations use the word vanity or futility which jive with the meaning of purpose. The word purpose illustrates the idea more clearly in my mind, however.
Creation or the earth was cursed (because of man’s sin) and the penalty was death.
Everything now decays.
“that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:21 GNT
Creation’s original purpose was not to die but to reproduce after its own kind – to continually bring forth life.
Paul uses this illustration of creation’s lost purpose to reinforce the idea that we have hope because we have God’s Spirit in us, the same Spirit which raised Christ from death. (and will also raise us and free us from this curse)
“If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.” Rom 8:11 GNT
The connection I didn’t make previously, was that if the curse stopped creation from its purpose of creating, it also stopped mankind from fulfilling its purpose.
This is a symptom, or spin-off, of sin that no one talks about. It’s no wonder mankind’s deepest question is, Why am I here? What is my why? What is my purpose?
Anyone who hasn’t received the Spirit which raised Christ from the dead, (which is the proof that the penalty of sin has been removed) can’t know their purpose and therefore they try to find it in substitutes which never fully satisfy.
No wonder Jesus said I came to give you life – and that more abundantly!
