The purpose of God’s salvation is not only that man be saved but also that he would be a testimony of God. The Bible records that all the saved ones throughout the ages were not only for their salvation but for God’s testimony. We can see this clearly in the case of Noah. At the time of Noah the generation was degraded, but God came in and called Noah to build an ark (Gen. 6:11-14a; 1 Pet. 3:20). The ark was not only to save Noah from God’s judgment and eternal perdition. Even more, it was, on the negative side, to save him out of that degraded, perverted generation, and, on the positive side, to usher him into a new age in order to carry out God’s eternal plan, His testimony, on the earth.
From the beginning God’s purpose in creating man was to have a corporate expression of Himself. The corporate man was destined to be God’s expression. This is why man was made in the “mold” of God’s image (Gen. 1:26). Man is a copy of God, and God is the mold in which, through which, by which, and with which man was copied. Moreover, man is a copy of God, not mainly to serve God, work for Him, or worship Him but to express Him. The thought that man is made to worship, serve, and work for God and behave himself for His glory comes from fallen, degraded religion. It sounds nice, but in actuality it is a devilish concept. There is nothing in the beginning of Genesis that tells us that man was made to serve God, worship God, and work for God, or to behave himself for God’s glory. Rather, Genesis says that man was made in the image of God in order to express Him.
God does not want us merely to work for Him. He can work out everything Himself. He can simply call the things not being as being (Rom. 4:17). When He says, “Light,” light comes. He can say, “New heaven and new earth,” and the new heaven and new earth will be here. There is no need for us to work for Him. We are nothing, and we can do nothing for God. When someone takes a photograph of a person, he has no intention for the photograph to worship him or work for him. In His creation, God took a “photo” of Himself with the intention to glorify Himself. Man was not destined to worship God, serve Him, or work for Him; he was destined to glorify God. To glorify God does not mean that we do something to give Him glory. God does not need us to give Him glory. Rather, He needs us to simply glorify Him, that is, to express Him.
To this end, God may say to us, “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. I do not need you to work for Me, and I do not need you to worship Me. I already have millions of angels serving, working, and ministering for me and also worshipping Me. The four living creatures say, ‘Holy, holy, holy’ day and night without rest. However, neither the heavens, the earth, nor all the angels can express Me. Therefore, I need you not to do anything else but to express Me. You were made in My image; you are My photograph. Do not try to take the angels’ job and forget your own function. Your destiny is to express Me.” However, for man to be a “photograph” of God cannot in itself adequately and livingly express God. We also need Him to enter into us to be our life, our nature, and our everything. Even if we would lose our temper, we must do it by Him to express Him.
If a photograph would say to the one who took it, “I want to worship you,” the person would reply, “How foolish. I do not want you to do that.” Then the picture may say, “Dear master, I would like to shine your shoes and wash your shirt.” The person may reply, “You can do nothing for me. This is nonsense.” After this the photo may say, “Poor me! I am not qualified to worship or to serve you. I am useless and disappointed.” We are here with a burden to bring glad tidings to all the “photographs”: Do not be disappointed; be encouraged, because you have a higher mission. Your destiny is not to worship God, work for Him, or serve Him. Your destiny is to express Him. All the “photographs” should be joyful and say, “Have you seen the wonderful person whom I express? Hallelujah, now I know my function and my destiny. I am here simply to express Him.” This is our heavenly, wonderful function.
I would ask you to read your Bible again. In the first two chapters of Genesis there is nothing that says we must work for God, worship God, and serve Him. This thought, that fits our natural concept, came from Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Genesis 1 and 2 simply tell us that we are God’s image. We are destined eternally to be His image and expression. This expression is the top worship, work, and service to God. God has the heavens for His throne, the earth for His footstool, and millions of angels to serve Him, work for Him, and worship Him. Now God needs a corporate expression to glorify Him. This is the real definition, meaning, and significance of the testimony of Jesus.
In Revelation, the final book of the Bible, the Lord also does not tell us to do something for Him. Instead, the entire book of Revelation shows the need for the testimony of Jesus. Jesus needs us not to worship Him or work for Him but to be His corporate expression. The poor thought of Christianity is too selfish, only considering people’s own salvation, welfare, peace, and joy. These things are like “candy” to the listeners. A good mother would never allow her children to eat too much candy and dessert instead of proper, nourishing food. Sweets damage the proper appetite, and they cause children to have a bad temper. This is an illustration of much of today’s teaching in Christianity. All the itching ears like to hear comfort, peace, joy, and rest (2 Tim. 4:3). If someone goes to them to say, “You need to be the testimony of Jesus at any cost,” they would reject him. They may say, “What do you mean by this? We are saved, and we will go to heaven. Jesus is sweet and good to us. When we have trouble, He rescues us, and if we have suffering, He comforts us. Our pastor has always taught us in this way. Where did you come from? This is your Eastern mystical philosophy.” Almost no Christian minister dares to say something against today’s trend of Christianity. If he does, his financial support may be cut off. However, those sent by the Lord are never afraid of having their supply cut off. They would give their life for this.