神创造人的目的
按照创世记一章，神照着祂自己的形像造人，并且将祂的权柄赐给人，为使人管理一切受造之物。在神的创造里，有两件东西对人非常重要，一件是神的形像，另一件是神的权柄。人有神的形像，为要彰显神，人也得着神的权柄，为要代表神。我们必须有神的权柄，才能代表神并征服祂的仇敌。神要人征服这地，特别是祂的仇敌撒但。
为了要有神完全的形像，好彰显神，并为了要实现神完全的权柄，好代表神，征服祂的仇敌，我们必须得着神作我们的生命。因此，在创世记头二章，不仅有形像和权柄，也有生命树所表征的生命。我们需要接受神的神圣生命，有两个理由：积极一面，为使我们能彰显神；消极一面，为使我们能代表神，以征服祂的仇敌。神的权柄乃是国度的事。整本圣经从头到尾，有一条权柄的线，与国度有关。
在神能进到人里面作生命，并完成祂的定旨之前，狡猾的蛇使人堕落了。因着堕落，亚当的族类没有达成神的愿望，所以祂拣选了另一个族类，就是挪亚的族类。那个族类也没有达成神的愿望，祂就拣选了第三个族类，就是亚伯拉罕的族类。根据创世记十二章一至三节，神拣选亚伯拉罕，目的乃是要得着一个国。神应许要使亚伯拉罕成为大国，这意思是说，神要使他成为一个国度。
神的国就是神的掌权或行政
什么是神的国？神的国意思就是神的掌权或行政。神必须得着国度，以施行祂的权柄，成就祂的目的。这就是为什么主耶稣在马太六章的祷告里，起头和末了都祷告关于国度的事。在这个祷告的起头祂说，‘愿你的国来临，’在这个祷告的末了祂说，‘因为国度…是你的。’祂为国度祷告，因为神的目的非常有赖于国度。如果神没有得着国度，使祂在其中能施行祂的权柄，祂就非常受限制。因此，神拣选亚伯拉罕和他的后裔成为一个国，一个国度。以色列人就这样产生了。当神将以色列人从埃及带出来以后，就对他们说，‘你们要归我作祭司的国度，为圣洁的国民’（出十九6）。
请享受生命诗歌490首 (点击诗歌名）
The Kingdom in the New Testament – Gen. 1:26
God’s Purpose in Creating Man
According to Genesis chapter 1, God created man in His own image and gave man His authority to rule over all creation. In God’s creation, there are two things that are very important to man. One is God’s image, and the other is God’s authority. Man has the image of God in order to express God, and man also has the authority of God in order to represent God. We must have God’s authority in order to represent God and conquer His enemies. God wants man to conquer the earth, especially His enemy Satan.
We must have God as our life in order to have the full image of God to express God, and to realize God’s perfect authority to represent God and conquer His enemy. Therefore, in the first two chapters of Genesis, there is not only image and authority, but also life typified by the tree of life. There are two reasons for us to receive God’s divine life: on the positive side is to express God; on the negative side is to represent God and conquer His enemy. God’s authority is a matter of the kingdom. Throughout the Bible, from the beginning to the end, there is a line of authority related to the kingdom.
Before God could enter into man as life and fulfill His purpose, the cunning snake caused man to fall. Because of the fall, Adam’s race failed to fulfill God’s desire, so He chose another race, the race of Noah. Yet that race also failed to fulfill God’s desire, so He chose a third race, the race of Abraham. According to Genesis 12:1-3, God chose Abraham for the purpose of gaining a kingdom. God promised to make Abraham a great nation, which means that God would make him a kingdom.
The Kingdom of God Is the Sovereignty or Administration of God
What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God means the sovereignty or administration of God. God must gain a kingdom in order to exercise His authority and fulfill His purpose. This is why the Lord Jesus prayed about the kingdom at the beginning, and at the end of his prayer in Matthew 6. At the beginning of this prayer He said, “Thy kingdom come,” and at the end of this prayer He said, “For the kingdom…is yours.” ’ He prayed for the kingdom, because God’s purposes depend so much on the kingdom. If God does not obtain a kingdom in which He can exercise His authority, He is constrained. Therefore, God chose Abraham and his descendants to become a nation, a kingdom. This is how the Israelites came into being. After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He said to them, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo. 19:6).