Before you begin ...
If you're reading this you might be thinking, “What’s the point, why bother? After all we live, we struggle, we die, and for what?” Well, obviously, the best way to discover the purpose of any creation is to ask its creator. So, here, we are looking at Jesus as the Creator of everything (including you). And when you ask why was I created, you are really asking what His motivation and intent was for creating you. How He accomplishes this is another question and those answers are also revealed in His Word (the Bible). First though understand that we all live by some kind of ideology or worldview influencing our thoughts as we seek to discover meaning, purpose, and honest answers to our deepest longings. This means your worldview may be challenged in light of the biblical one. So, with this in mind and to that end (since the biblical worldview is seen through the work of God in the Bible), if you want His answers you must start with understanding: the nature of God, His plan, and…
The Biblical Background
There is one God who is The Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And, rather than get into all of that, I will just say (for simplicity’s sake here) that the Father is the Sovereign Ruler and Author of this plan; the Son the Artist and Savior who creates and saves it; and the Holy Spirit the one who convicts and is His Agent moving among us. So before Jesus actually formed the heavens, the angels, and humans, God had obviously made the decision to create them. And His greatest creative work would be mankind made as the Trinity’s image to be their holy family and live with them forever. To be made as God’s image is a status of each one’s unique position, role, and function in His family. The Bible teaches that every human being (including yourself) originated in the mind of God and was formed by His begotten son Jesus (John 1:1-5). It also teaches that both mankind and the angels would be endowed with free will, or the ability to choose and exercise their options (which ideally would be godly options) according to their own deepest desires because one of God’s attributes is His free will. This is important because God delights in being loved, trusted, and properly appreciated (but genuinely rather than in a pre-programmed sense). Naturally, because God is all-knowing, He understood the possible consequences of providing you and all the rest of us with any degree of free will yet, by His sovereignty, still allowed for the possibility of evil. Any evil then is a consequence of our own choices. By analogy this is somewhat like when a husband and wife understand having children involves some risk but also know that, with their help, teaching each child to grow and learn (to maturity) by their own wise choices is also part of developing a deeper mutual trust and a more full and loving family relationship; so they make the decision to go ahead and have a family of their own. But their children, once they reach their age of accountability, will ultimately be held responsible for their own choices by the laws of nature, of man, and of God. In God's plan for His family, the host of angels were formed first. They are His spiritual family, an army of servants and ministering spirits. It is written that the Lucifer ("the morning star") is an angel who was created perfect in beauty to serve God
(Ezekiel 28:12-17). More specifically, he was a cherub angel whose job it was to protect and attend to the Holiness of God. Unfortunately he began to profess that he, rather than God, should be ruler (or lord). Then the Lucifer led a rebellion in Heaven challenging his own Creator's integrity and right to rule. The Bible lists seven things God hates and pride is the first one on the list, possibly because it was the Satàn's pride that started this mess in the first place
(Proverbs 6:16-19). As a result of his sin, he was cast down to Earth along with the other fallen angels who sided with him against God
(Isaiah 14:12-15, Revelation 12:9). And so, for a season, the Lucifer (who is now called the Satàn meaning “the adversary or enemy”) rules on Earth while God allows the holy angels and all of creation to see just what it is like with the Satàn as prince of this world. They had already seen that he was the first to choose to misuse his God-given free will in rebellion, they also witnessed Jesus creating mankind in the Garden as God's physical family especially made in His image beginning with Adam and Eve, and then saw that the Satàn wasted no time in seeking to bring mankind down with him. And the Satàn succeeded in rendering mankind incapable of living a sinless life by their own willpower. This meant God could either kill all mankind or choose to redeem them. And He chose to redeem them. Just like any good earthly father, God made provision for His family. The Bible records God's promise to one man and his family and how He kept that promise to Abraham in order to bless not only Abraham's immediate family but also the whole world. That blessing, of course, is provided by Jesus who was to become an earthly descendant of that man named Abraham, live a sinless life in our place, and later be executed on The Cross. As a result of His sacrifice, those who would profess faith in His work would then be saved from the penalty of their sins, sanctified positionally for eternal life in Heaven, and would also be sanctified practically in this life toward the goal of spiritual maturity. But their flesh would still carry the effects of sin until it dies (and the only way to resist those effects is to trust in Jesus' work on The Cross and receive the power of His Holy Spirit). So now the Satàn goes about just looking for anyone he can harass, tempt, and then accuse before God's throne (all with the help of those other fallen angels who were cast down with him and now serve as his "army") (I Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10). And his tactics never change; he still tempts us to sin by his insinuation that, if we obey God, we will be missing out on a great opportunity and also that not obeying won’t necessarily have bad consequences anyway. The Satàn in this context is referred to as the Devil (making him “the adversary and the accuser”). He is called this because first he rebelled against God and now he accuses humanity. He goes back and forth between Heaven and Earth condemning us for our sins (Job 1:6-7, 2:1-2). Simply because what he really wanted was all the praise and adoration only the Creator deserved (Matthew 4:8-10).
But at Jesus' Resurrection he would realize he'd never have that worship and so determined to steal the souls of those who are meant to worship Jesus...to empty the audience, so to speak. For this reason, he is fully committed to snatching away as many souls as he can from the Creator before he is cast into the Lake of Fire (John 10:10) (Revelation 20:10). Like a spoiled child, if he can't have that worship, no one will!
Still, be that as it may, you and all mankind were created in the image of God (His moral, spiritual, intellectual, and creative nature) inorder to know Him, to give Him glory, and to love and enjoy Him (and each other) forever (Genesis 1:26-27). Giving Him glory is giving Him honor, praise, and thanksgiving for being who He is and for His gift of your life. You also do that by living according to His Word every day. Ideally, your life will show all of creation that God is truth and the Satàn is a liar
(Isaiah 43:7, Ephesians 3:10-11). But sin entered the world through one man (Adam) tempted by the Satàn and was passed down through the generations (like an inherited spiritual disease of the body and soul) so the Bible says there is no one who is good (or who doesn't have this spiritual disease called sin)
(Romans 5:12).
(Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:10). And it renders each of us powerless to rid ourselves of it, corrupts our ability to even discern right choices much less make them, then separates us from God because He is Holy. Yet those who love their sins of choice are willing to risk that.
Unfortunately, while it's true God is love (1 John 4:8), He is also just
(Exodus 34:7). Because of His love, He is the Author and Sustainer of all creation. Yet, because He is Holy, He cannot allow sin (Habakkuk 1:13). His justice demands a penalty for sin and that penalty is death (Romans 6:23). But only a sinless man could pay that debt, so God sent Jesus (John 3:16). because He did not wish for you or anyone else to perish (I Timothy 2:3-4, Romans 11:32, II Peter 3:9).
He had plans for you before you were born
(Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6, I Thess. 5:23-24), formed you in your mother’s womb
(Psalm 139:13-14) even knowing the number of hairs on your head
(Matthew 10:30), and then predestined you and anyone else who would repent to be conformed to His spiritual image (Romans 8:29). And that repentance is non-negotiable.
Sadly the world only wants us for what we can do for them, but God wants us for who we are in His eyes. We sometimes tell ourselves we wish we had never been born but the fact that Jesus Himself formed us in our mother's womb is proof there is no such thing as someone who "never should have been born". God tells us He wants us and He loves us. And this most certainly points to something much bigger going on in the universe where each one of us will have a part in it, whether it be with God or against Him.
In His ministry, Jesus told us no one would get to Heaven any other way except through Him
(John 14:6) and then paid the penalty for humanity's sins by dying on the Cross in our place (Colossians 2:14) (John 19:30). Three days later He rose from the grave and sits now at the right hand of God interceding for us (Ephesians 1:20-23) (Mark 16:19) while the Holy Spirit, His Comforter, calls us in our hearts to trust Jesus and to witness that Jesus (not the Satàn) is Lord and deserves our worship because of His love and sacrifice for us. By contrast, the Satàn and his demons and fallen angels are why Hell was originally created and will be their ultimate destination (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10). Now, in this life though, the things we say and do every day testify to our true loyalty (whether it be Jesus or the Satàn) and are being recorded in Heaven (Revelation 20:12).
Meanwhile, there is a “cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us and by their loyalty and endurance have borne witness to the faith. Believers look to them for encouragement as each one runs their own “race of life” (Heb. 12:1-3). And the angels of God rejoice in His presence when even one sinner repents. To repent is to have a new understanding of our behavior, to turn away from that sin, and to agree with Him that we are all sinners who need the help and healing only Jesus can provide
(Luke 15:10, I Cor. 4:9). When we repent, we begin a new relationship with God because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit as our comforter and guide, and the angels will serve as ministering spirits sent to render service to us
(Psalm 91:11, Hebrews 1:14). Then, through the power of the Holy Sprit in us, we are enabled to resist the temptations of our flesh. So, although we will still have troubles in this fallen world, we are never alone or forsaken
(Job 5:7) (I Peter 1:3-9) (Hebrews 13:5).
Finally, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, believers will be judged in a review of their works for the purpose of rewards
(II Corinthians 5:10). While, at the Great White Throne Judgment, nonbelievers (those who had no real time or place in their hearts for the God of the Holy Bible) will be given what they insisted on; their own personal witness to evidence that the Bible is Truth, that Hell really does exist, and that they will be there for eternity.
(Revelation 20:11-15).
This separation is necessary and might be better understood by drawing on the analogy, so frequently utilized in the Bible, of marriage. Imagine one spouse's love being unjustifiably challenged daily by the other in front of their children. No good would come of that and their relationship could never be what it was meant to be because trust is so foundational. Inevitably their permeating influence seeps out into the community around them; so the healthy must distance themselves from the unhealthy. It is the same in our relationship with God where faith in His love for us must be embraced if there is ever to be that peace we seek. Then, ultimately, God Himself will separate the unhealthy from the healthy in order for His children to enjoy perfect peace in their home, the new Heaven and new Earth.
But until then, we were created in God’s image inorder to know Him, to give Him glory and praise for who He is and all He has done, to live in fellowship with Him, and to enjoy His creation forever. Specifically for this life, we are called to witness for God’s integrity by our allegiance with His Son Jesus, and also by how we live each day. So, contrary to popular opinion today, it is not "all about" us. We are created for God's glory not ours (and what glory He does not get in forgiveness He will get in judgment). We are also created to worship and we do that instinctively. We might worship another 'god', nature, money, someone we admire, or even just ourselves. But we do have a choice; to trust and worship Jesus or to follow the Satàn. And Jesus Himself said if we aren't with Him, we're against Him (Matthew 12:30). So choosing to live our life our way (as opposed to God's) is following the Satàn (in the sense of following his lead). It is a rebellion that starts in our heart and inevitably manifests itself in our life, even in seemingly harmless ways. Maybe we lead a respectable life, do good deeds, and even tip our hats to God in our own way. Nevertheless we are, in effect, saying we want control and we do not want Him telling us what we should and should not do. The problem is, when we die in rebellion, there is only one place in all of God's creation for the rebellious and that place is Hell; a place set apart from all His good creation and completely void of His intended blessings, where justice is ultimately served. God knows this and tries again and again in our lifetime to warn us but many still stubbornly refuse to listen. So He allows us to make our own choices while the angels bear witness and the Satàn wages war. Still God calls us again to place our confidence in Him. But for those who won't (because His blessing of free will was never meant as license for disobedience) God has to allow them to suffer the consequences of their bad choices; first because all choices do have consequences so to deny the bad ones would have to be deceptive, and second because the seeming lack of any bad results might influence others around them to follow their lead. In a way, rebelling against God is like a two year old rebelling against their parents. Any good parent would never permit a child to run their home. If the parents love their child, then that child cannot be allowed to win because it would not be in his or her best interest. In fact, "winning" in that situation would really be losing and it's the same for us in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. With Him, every time someone chooses to rebel against His authority and standards it's called sin. Sin hurts not only the person committing it but also others as well. When this happens He uses our suffering to: help us understand the far-reaching destruction of sin, show us our true spiritual condition, humble us, draw us near to Him, give us the grace we need to get through it, and to make our witness to the world more powerful. Naturally, if God were to stop the consequences of sin, then sin itself would not seem bad at all. So it is for this reason He allows them for a time and for His purposes. And The Creator has the right to do that (Romans 9:20). Because, as bad as this world might seem, it is still the best of all possible means to grow into the best of all possible worlds; one with perfect love for God and each other without sin, sickness, or death; where the love and wisdom of God are both experientially and genuinely appreciated (just as any good earthly father would expect). Which brings us to ...
The Meaning
As the time comes for each one of us in the mind of God to be formed in the womb, we are delivered unto the experiences of "choosing" and of discovering our unique calling in this life while the angels in Heaven watch and see the effects of our choices and of the Satàn as prince of this world. Then, through repentance and the exercise of faith in Jesus, God intends us to grow spiritually with the aid of His Word and its worldview as our guide and motivation in discovering the meaning and purpose in our lives. Thus every human being's life will be their own very unique journey either to come before God in acceptance or to be banished eternally like an incorrigible grown son or daughter from their parents' home. Those who come before Him in acceptance (positional sanctification) are made ready for their role in eternity by this life now (practical sanctification) and will then love and worship the Father, not naively as did Adam and Eve, but now experientially and wholeheartedly ... in truth and in spirit based on their experiences in this life. For just as the flesh is born and lives out the consequences of its own free will in itself and others around them, so also does its soul and spirit walk through that same lifetime living in a sort of spiritual adolescence ultimately living or dying of its own free will choice. All inorder that, when we have the new Heaven and new Earth, it will be perfect and all those who live there will want to be there and will have an experiential love and appreciation for God’s Holiness that Adam and Eve could never have known before The Fall. So it is by this process God has sovereignly allowed for the restoration of our relationship with Him; through our God given free will together with His desire that none should perish as a result of that free will which is ordained as a blessing. This forever to the praise of God.
In Conclusion
Those who think anything like I did probably wish God and the Satàn would just go off and fight it out somewhere. But that isn't going to happen because it's not about God personally fighting the Satàn (the Bible already tells us the Satàn loses in the end), it's about God making a way for His family; so we meet God on His terms, not ours. This is how God wants things for now and we will ultimately have to accept it whether we want to or not (Philippians 2:9-11). This life is it: we decide now where we will live for eternity with no do-overs or second chances (Hebrews 9:27). We've heard it said "The end is near" and it is, relatively speaking, but also because we may die today and that would be the end of any opportunity for us to choose to follow Jesus.
Meanwhile back at the ranch our own life today, provided we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, becomes at once holy and beautiful. Freed from bondage to our sin nature and reconciled to our Creator, we can finally be who we really are, not what the world would try to make us. Naturally, if God didn’t love us, He could just start over and make a whole new family. But He does love us, even likes us (after all, it was He who created each of us ... body, soul, and spirit), and He wants us (including you) to live with Him here on Earth forever. To literally live happily ever after. Admittedly though, understanding what life’s about is not a problem for me personally anymore … it’s getting through this life that’s the real challenge. All the hurt, disappointments, regrets, and irreversible bad consequences would (were it not for God’s love in my life) very easily wear me down even to my own self-destruction. But God, in my biblical search for understanding these hard things, has not only given me the grace and knowledge I sought but, more importantly, the undeniable awareness that He is always here with each of us and that He does care. So now when life hurts, rather than allowing it to overwhelm me, I just look to God and ask, “What is it You want me to learn from this?” And, when the time is right, He answers ... I may not like His answer, at first, but He does answer.
Of course for myself and also for everyone, this means we have to trust God; to believe that He has our best interests at heart (Philippians 1:6). And the only way we can really trust someone is to know them. To know God, we have to read His Word (the Bible). As we read the Bible and pray, we will experience a more and more personal relationship with Jesus in our life because we can relate to Him. Then we take those simple steps of obedience (trust and obey) and watch our faith and wisdom grow. Along with that, the Bible tells us to go to church to worship Him and to encourage each other because Christians grow stronger with the fellowship, help, and support of other Christians
(Hebrews 10:24-25). Finally, we seek God's plans and unique purpose for our life as we also witness for Jesus so that others might be saved as well from what ultimately amounts to their own spiritual self-destruction (Matthew 28:19-20).
All of this to say that Jesus is your Creator and it is through His Work, His Word with its worldview, and His love for you that you will find the Truth and the answers you seek.
(Psalm 119:73)
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