Chapter 6
The Intermediate Purpose: Where We Are Today
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming."
— 1 Corinthians 15:22-23
The In-Between Age
We have seen the Original Purpose, God's perfect design. We have seen the Failed Purpose, humanity's fall and its consequences. Now we must understand the Intermediate Purpose, where we actually live.
This is not the Original Purpose. That was lost in the fall. This is not the Restored Purpose. That is still coming. This is the intermediate, the in-between, the transition, the now-but-not-yet.
Understanding this dispensation is critical because most of your confusion comes from not knowing where you are.
The Dual Reality
Here is the central truth of the Intermediate Purpose:
You operate in two realms simultaneously.
You are "in Christ" spiritually. But you are "in Adam" physically.
You have received eternal life in your spirit. But you still carry a mortal body.
You have access to heavenly resources. But you live on a cursed earth.
You have the Holy Spirit within you. But you battle the flesh that wars against the Spirit.
This is the dual reality of the intermediate age.
The Warfare Within
The Apostle Paul understood this dual reality perfectly:
"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."
— Galatians 5:17
There is a war inside every believer. The flesh (Adamic nature) wars against the Spirit (Christ nature). They pull in opposite directions.
Paul expresses this struggle personally in Romans 7:15-19:
"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do... For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."
This is not the confession of a backslider. This is Paul, the great apostle, describing the intermediate experience.
"The good I want to do, I cannot always do." "In my inward man, I know what is right." "In my flesh, something else operates."
Can you relate to this?
- I want to be patient, but something makes me react.
- I want to be generous, but something makes me hold back.
- I want to be disciplined, but something makes me slack.
- I want to walk in faith, but something makes me doubt.
This is the warfare of the Intermediate Purpose.
You Cannot Escape the Adamic Body (Yet)
Here is a hard truth:
In this dispensation, you cannot fully escape the limitations of your Adamic body.
Let me prove this to you.
How many powerful men and women of God have you known who died? Prophets who spoke the word of God accurately, yet they died. Apostles who planted churches across nations, yet they died. Evangelists who led millions to Christ, yet they died.
Were their anointings not strong enough? Was their faith insufficient? Was God not pleased with them?
No. They died because they were operating in Adamic bodies. And in Adam, all die.
Let me ask you: Why did Peter die? Why did Paul die? Why did all the original apostles die? Why did Abraham die? Moses? David? Elijah was taken up, but that was exceptional, not normal.
These were giants of faith. They knew God intimately. They walked in power. And they all died.
Because they were serving God while in Adamic bodies. They were fulfilling purpose while carrying the consequences of the second dispensation. They were in Christ spiritually, but in Adam physically.
This is the intermediate reality.
What Jesus Accomplished
Let me explain what Jesus did on the cross and how it relates to our current dispensation.
When Jesus died and rose again, He accomplished something monumental. But we must understand exactly what He did, and what still remains to be completed.
What Jesus DID:
- Paid the price for our sins, The penalty of death that we deserved, He took upon Himself
- Defeated the enemy, He disarmed principalities and powers, triumphing over them (Colossians 2:15)
- Made eternal life available, Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)
- Gave us His Spirit, The Holy Spirit now dwells in believers as a guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14)
- Became the firstfruits, He entered the restored state ahead of us, proving that resurrection is possible
What Jesus has NOT YET done:
- He has not yet given us our new, glorified bodies
- He has not yet removed us from the cursed earth
- He has not yet eliminated physical death from our experience
- He has not yet brought us into the new heaven and new earth
These things are coming. They are promised. They are certain. But they are not yet.
Think of it this way: Jesus made an early payment. He has paid the full price for our redemption. Our reservation in heaven is confirmed. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
But we have not yet arrived at the hotel. We are still traveling. We are still on the journey. We are living in the intermediate.
What We Have in the Intermediate
While we do not have everything, we are not without resources. God has provided specific things for functioning in this dispensation:
1. The Word of God 📖
In the Original Purpose, Adam did not need a Bible. God was his Bible. They had direct, face-to-face communication every day. Adam could ask any question and receive an immediate answer.
We do not have that level of direct access, yet. So God has given us His Word, the written Scriptures. The Bible contains the principles, the laws, the wisdom, and the revelation we need to navigate the intermediate successfully.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
— Psalm 119:105
In the darkness of the intermediate, where we cannot see God face to face, the Word illuminates our way.
2. The Holy Spirit
In the Original Purpose, God's presence was external, He walked in the garden and fellowshipped with Adam directly.
In the Intermediate Purpose, God has given us something perhaps even more intimate, His Spirit living inside us.
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth... for He dwells with you and will be in you."
— John 14:16-17
The Holy Spirit:
- Guides us into truth (John 16:13)
- Empowers us for service (Acts 1:8)
- Produces godly character (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Helps us pray (Romans 8:26)
- Gives us spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
3. People 👥
In the Original Purpose, Adam was alone until God provided Eve. Even in perfection, man needed someone else.
In the Intermediate Purpose, we need people even more:
- Mentors, Those who have walked before us
- Partners, Those who work alongside us
- Helpers, Those who support our assignment
- Community, Those who encourage and sharpen us
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."
— Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
What We Do Not Have (Yet)
We must also acknowledge what is not available in this dispensation:
We do not have the Tree of Life
There is no physical tree we can eat from to maintain eternal health. This means we can get sick. We can grow old. We can die.
Yes, we have access to healing through prayer and faith. Yes, the Holy Spirit can quicken our mortal bodies. But we do not have guaranteed, automatic immunity from sickness and death.
This is why believers still get sick. This is why believers still die. Not because God has failed them, but because we are in the intermediate where the Tree of Life is not yet accessible.
The earth is still cursed
Genesis 3:17-18 declared a curse on the ground. That curse has not been lifted. We still labor in the sweat of our faces. The ground still produces thorns and thistles. Provision still requires work and effort.
We live among fallen humanity
In Eden, Adam only had Eve. There was no one to deceive him except the serpent.
Today, we live in a world full of fallen, broken, sometimes demonized people. We face opposition from other humans. We deal with jealousy, hatred, manipulation, and persecution.
This is a challenge that Adam never faced in his Original Purpose.
Nothing Is Automatic
Here is one of the most important truths about the Intermediate Purpose:
Nothing is automatic.
In Eden, Adam did not have to fight for food, it was automatically there. In Eden, Adam did not have to fight for health, the Tree of Life was accessible. In Eden, Adam did not have to fight enemies, everything was under his authority.
But in the intermediate:
- You must fight for provision
- You must contend for health
- You must warfare against enemies
- You must pursue God's presence
Paul said:
"Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
— 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Paul ran. Paul fought. Paul disciplined his body. Why? Because in the intermediate, you must actively engage to fulfill purpose.
Right Expectations
If you understand the Intermediate Purpose, you will have right expectations.
You will NOT expect:
- Everything to work automatically
- Life to be free of struggle
- Your calling to exempt you from difficulty
- Your faith to prevent every problem
- Perfect results from imperfect conditions
You WILL expect:
- To fight for what God has promised
- To persevere through challenges
- To use the provisions God has given
- To overcome by faith, not by automatic blessing
- To endure hardship as a good soldier
Jesus did not lie to His disciples:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
— John 16:33
"You will have tribulation." Not might have. Will have.
But take heart, He has overcome. And through Him, you can overcome too.
Reflection Questions
- How have you been expecting Original Purpose results while living in Intermediate Purpose reality?
- Which of the three intermediate provisions (Word, Spirit, People) have you neglected?
- How does understanding the dual reality (in Adam/in Christ) help you make sense of your daily struggles?
- What adjustments do you need to make in your expectations?
Prayer
Father, I see now where I am. I am in the intermediate, between the fall and the full restoration. I have access to Christ but still carry an Adamic body. Help me to fight well in this season. Help me to use the Word, rely on the Spirit, and connect with the right people. Give me right expectations. Let me not be discouraged when I face difficulty, for You have promised tribulation but also promised victory. I will overcome because You have overcome. In Jesus' name, Amen.