Throughout my life, I have often thought, “Why was I made? Why do I exist?” As I became a believer, these questions evolved. I learned that, at a base level, my purpose is to find God, trust in Him and worship Him. But over time and through spiritual growth, the questions became more specific. What is the Body of Christ? Why does the Body of Christ have a heavenly calling? What is that calling? What does it mean that we are told that we will judge angels? And why did God keep the mystery of the Body of Christ hidden until He revealed it through Paul?

I believe these questions are all connected and are a natural part of the believer’s path.

One of the first things God did according to Genesis was create Heaven. Genesis does not describe the creation of the angels directly, but other Scripture gives us that context. Job 38:4-7 places the sons of God at the laying of the foundations of the Earth, when “all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Colossians 1:16 tells us that Christ created the visible and invisible things in Heaven and Earth, including thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers.

Taken together, Scripture shows that God created Heaven and filled it with angels to form an ordered government. When Satan and a third of the angels rebelled, they corrupted that government and abandoned the positions God had given them. Those angels cannot be redeemed and are awaiting judgment. The mystery revealed through Paul is that God will use the redeemed Body of Christ to restore the heavenly government under Jesus Christ.

The Bible does not state that entire conclusion in a single verse. It gives us the pieces across Scripture and we are tasked with finding, understanding, and connecting them. When those pieces are put together, they show that salvation is just the first step in what God has planned for us. God is preparing us for a purpose in the new heavens.

That future purpose should shape the entire purpose of our lives now. Our works will be evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ, and our reward will determine the place and responsibility we receive in Heaven. Understanding what God is preparing us for changes how we should use the body, time, and opportunities He has given us.