What Is Our Purpose In Life?
Why would God create something which would reject Him? It does not seem logical. What purpose does life have if we were made with the capacity for so much evil? Why did God create us? These questions can begin to swirl in the mind leading to some deep and interesting places.
For some they believe asking questions like this may be wrong. I disagree. I am reminded of a statement by Thomas Jefferson, as it is rather long I will paraphrase here. He once stated that God would respect an honest question seeking a truthful answer than a faith out of blindness and fear. There is more truth to his statement than many realize.
Often when people attempt to answer these questions they grasp a part of its answer yet miss its full context. We need to know the full answer.
Mankind Is A Unique Creation
To help us understand why we were created we first need to look at God’s creation. Colossians 1:16 states that all things were created by Him. Many other passages would reinforce this point. While looking at all things which were created in this world there is nothing else compared to mankind.
No animal has the ability to reason or use logic. They do not have the ability to build or invent using science. There is something very unique about us. Yet all of God’s creation is not limited to this physical world alone. He also created the angels.
As one begins to research about the angels you find that we still are unique. Lucifer himself desired to be like God and set his throne higher than that of God. There is something which Lucifer desired which he could not have and will never obtain.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:27
After reading Genesis 1:27 it is amazing to know that there is no other creation which is created in God’s image. No angel, no animal, no other feature of the universe was created in this way. It becomes more interesting when one begins to realize that all of creation was made for us as we were commanded to subdue the Earth.
Indeed all things were created for God’s glory and for His pleasure. This is the typical short answer which is often given to our core question of why we were created. We do not own this Earth therefor it is not necessarily ours by title or deed. Nevertheless we were given possession of it for this period of time.
So why were we made to be so unique and in God’s image?
A Relationship With God Based On Love
There is another part of this story which is just as unique as our creation. There is no other creation which God came to Earth to die for. Christ laid His plans for salvation from the foundation of the world knowing His choice before He ever formed Adam from the dust.
Some have claimed that God created evil. Rather they fail to see that it is more powerful to give someone the choice to love. This is far different than a tyrant who demands love.
Genesis 3:15 is the first appearance where He reveals this plan. When Christ came to this world He did not die for animals, nor angels, nor any other part of what was created. He came to die for you. This should give someone a moment of pause in realizing how important they are.
We are not animals. We are not nor will we ever become angels. We were created to do something which no other creation can do. Our purpose is to have a direct relationship with God based on love.
With Adam and Eve we see how they walked in the Garden with God and enjoyed a perfect world. Yet they made a choice to sin turning away from God believing a lie. With this the curse of death came to us. Yet we still remain with a choice which we must make. We choose to either accept and love Jesus or reject Him.
Fulfilling God’s Purpose Or Rejecting His Plan
The choices we face today are not that different from those of Adam and Eve. Each generation has faced the same choice. We can choose to either fulfill this purpose of love or reject it. Yet to fulfill the purpose we must recognize and accept Christ. There is no other way.
It is impossible to find an alternate path when the author of all creation is Christ. There is no other name given. Acts makes this very clear to us.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
To believe anything else is to reject the author of all things. It is to reject ones purpose and accept a lie. It is here that when this rejection is seeded within a heart we find the stories of men like Nimrod. Since his time there have been many like him. Even today men try to make themselves God or another system they believe in to replace God.
Society will argue over things such as marriage and what is acceptable. Few realize that marriage is a picture of what our relationship to God should be. The Church is called the bride of Christ. Scripture in Isaiah depicts Jesus as the Bridegroom which will protect His love. In rejection this picture is perverted within the wold to destroy this truth of Christ.
If one refuses to accept their purpose and designed plan then it will be impossible for an individual to be complete, feel whole, find peace, or know truth. There will forever be a piece of them which cannot be filled nor be made whole. Anxiety and uncertainty cannot be tamed. They are lost in a darkness they do not understand.
I Hate My Life – A Lost Understanding Of Life
Too many live hating themselves. Saying I hate my life is a self admission to realizing that something is missing. Being unhappy with oneself is recognition that something needs to change. In order to change first one must realize where they came from. To know this we must ask a question. How important are you?
Psalm 139:13-16 gives us insight into how we came into being. We were not simply born from our mother by a random chance. It was not a matter of chaos where we are an accident. No matter how good our parents relationship was, or in some cases how bad, or accidental, or even violent, who we are is not tied to them.
Who we are is independent of the events which brought biological life into being. In Psalms it states that God formed us before we were ever known or thought of. Verse 16 states that before our body was formed God already knew who He created us to be. You are no accident of cosmic chance through evolution.
Each part of you is with purpose, by design, custom made and fashioned to be exactly who you are. There is no other like you. No one else could replace you. You were made unique.
In our modern world where people scream for individuality, freedom to be who they are, I find it interesting that they cling to a system which makes them a collective. Mankind only knows how to group, classify, set types, and define stereotypes. People instinctively know they are unique yet do not know how to claim this uniqueness as theirs alone.
Two Purposes To Life
Our first purpose is clear. We are to have a relationship with God. This is a personal relationship designed and focused on the love and acceptance of Christ. Yet there is more to this relationship. Death will come to us all. It is an inevitability which cannot be avoided.
Our second purpose reaches beyond death. Just as all mankind was created uniquely we all possess something no other creation has. We have a soul. While our body may die our soul does not. Death became part of this world once we rejected God. It is a part of the curse which we must face.
Despite this we have a promise from God. After we die we will be with Him if we accept Him. There will come a time that once the Church is removed from this world that we will receive new bodies that are perfect and eternal. They will not die. Paul stated in Romans:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:35-37
As to our continuation beyond this world we find the words of John in Revelation:
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:6
We are set apart and given a purpose where after this life further death cannot nor will ever impact us:
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:6
What many do not realize is that they are called to be heirs to a kingdom. A real kingdom, a physical one. This is not some magical land in an alternate reality. Sin must come to an end. The curse must be lifted from this world. Evil, death, and all that is a lie will be taken away and a new heaven and Earth will be made. Again we turn to the writing of Paul in Romans:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:16-18
Your Purpose In Life Is Not Quantified By This World
If we are to find purpose to life it cannot be found in this world alone nor the things within or of the worlds possessions. While my desire for my work on this site is heavily focused on prophecy found in the Bible few realize that our purpose is in of itself prophetic. It begins by having our relationship with Christ here and now.
This relationship will continue beyond this world but our full definition in what we become will take place as we are at the feet of our Creator. He is our Author and Designer. People will continue to search for the meaning to life. Mankind for many millennia have asked the question of what is the purpose of life?
The answer is far more simple than they could have realized on their own. It is love. The world cannot quantify love. With the world it is a jealous and controlling thing. It becomes obsessive and self centered often with its purpose to be self fulfilling alone. Just as with all things designed by God mankind would pervert it with lies.
The world cannot quantify your purpose with its designs, theories, science, or philosophy. Your purpose was set into motion from the very first moment of creation. At the foundation of the universe you were in God’s mind. He chose you first.
He then proved His love by His sacrifice. He who was Holy and perfect came into this world to die for you. In conquering death a way was provided for you to forever be with Him. At the moment He said “let there be light” He knew that he would have to suffer for you.
No other creation, animal nor angel, did He do this for. The moment we begin to question our meaning to life, or say that we hate our life, we lose focus of purpose. The question remains, who will we trust? Will we trust other men who lie, cheat, and steal, or even kill? Will we trust ourselves? I believe we all can be honest enough to realize this fallacy.
This leaves only one other option. Christ Himself.