The above cartoon, from Calvin and Hobbes, depicts the universal need to know what I will be referring to as: The Lynchpin of Purpose. A “lynchpin” is that which is vital to, or is the central cohesive element of a system, a foundation, or an enterprise. In other words, the lynchpin is the basis for that which something is. Without it, that hinge for that which everything rests or hangs… collapses. According to scripture, Christ is the lynchpin of not just the point of human existence, but He is also the lynchpin of the meaning of reality. He is The Lynchpin of Purpose…

Hebrews 1:1-3 (HCSB)
“Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Asking the question, “What’s the point of human existence?” is the same as asking, “What’s The Lynchpin of Purpose?” It is an extremely important inquiry by Calvin. He is correct in recognizing that the need to know why we exist is prerequisite for being motivated to adhere to the obligations imposed upon him. For Calvin to even bother at all, to “expend any more energy on this” without knowing the point of human existence, would be futile. It would be futile, because without purpose… nothing really matters. And when nothing really matters… there is then no accountability. And when there is no accountability… there is no point in assuming that obligation calls.

Calvin is struggling to know why he is accountable in the classroom. At his very core, he is struggling to know why he is accountable to anything. The assignment given to him by his teacher remains pointless, as long as ultimate purpose is not somehow demonstrated. Without ultimate purpose clearly seen, none of us think that we are accountable to anything either. But, we are accountable. We are accountable, to God…

Psalms 10:4 (HCSB)
“In all his scheming,
the wicked arrogantly thinks:
“There is no accountability,
since God does not exist.””

The psalmist exposes the scheming of the wicked. The wicked, in their arrogance, deny the existence of God. And in doing so, they then assume that accountability goes away. A few verses later, we find out the reason for such cunning…

Psalms 10:13 (HCSB)
“Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.””

The wicked person despises God because of the account which He demands. By pretending that God doesn’t demand an account, or even worse, attempting to convince oneself that God doesn’t even exist (believing that such thinking takes away culpability), doesn’t work. It just suppresses the inevitable.

Look at the last sentence from what I cited above, from the Book of Hebrews…

“After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Two-thousand years ago in Palestine, Jesus Christ died on the cross and then rose from the dead three days later, “making purification for sins.” That purification for sins was not made for those who scheme; those who arrogantly deny that God exists with the hope of negating purpose in order to take away their culpability to Him. No… the purification for sins was made exclusively for those who repent of their sins (who recognize who they are in comparison to Christ), and who also trust in Him as their Savior. Only those who are repentant and who also trust in Christ are assured of this purification. Such are assured because Christ rose from the dead, and He is now sitting “at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” If Jesus Christ didn’t, then we (Christians) are to be pitied…

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (HCSB)
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ — whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.”

Whatever “Calvins” are in your life, tell them about The Lynchpin of Purpose… Reveal to them the point of human existence… I urge you to tell them about Jesus Christ.

Godspeed, to the brethren!

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