Why Did God Create Us?

Today we will be starting a new series, since we just finished up a walk through the book of Proverbs and before that we had an overview of the Bible.  Our new series will be on Apologetics.  Now Apologetics is just a fancy word for the defense of the faith.  We as Christians need to be able to defend our faith for two reasons.  First, so that we are strong in our faith and will not be able to be easily deceived.  Second, so that we are able to give a good answer when others searching have questions for us about our faith, we need to be able to say more because Jesus lives in my heart that is how I know.

Therefore, during these sessions I will be answering your questions.  So, if you have a question that you want answered give it to me personally, or through Facebook or twitter, or you could just give it to Stuart and he will give it to me and all questions will remain anonymous, so that no one knows who asked which question.

Our first question that we will be looking at this morning is Why Did God Create Us?  The short answer to the question “why did God create us?” is “for His glory.”  Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”  Colossians 1:16 echoes the point: “All things were created by him and for him.”  Being created for God’s glory does not mean humanity was made to entertain God or provide Him with amusement.  God is a creative Being, and it gives Him pleasure to create.  God is a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have other beings that  He can have a genuine relationship with.

Therefore, knowing that the reason we were created is for the glory of God then we can recognize that in order to get the most joy out of life then we need to do everything for the glory of God.  So, our purpose in life is to live a life that glorifies the lord so that we can get the most joy out of this life and the next.  Whether it be as a farmer, teacher, preacher, sales rep, doctor, or a lawyer, whatever you do, do it for the glory of the Lord.  Since God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him, we need to seek our joy and pleasures from delighting God because that will lead to lasting eternal joy.  Instead of seeking after short-term pleasures that promise joy, but always fall short and often end up as a root of sadness.

That is basically what the Bible is about.  The Bible is God’s Word telling us how to have a relationship with him and how to live a life that will get us the most joy.  However, let us first define joy since it is an often misunderstood word.  Joy is not the same as happiness.  Joy is the state of delight and well-being that results from knowing and serving God (Dean, 2003).  Happiness, however, is a fleeting emotion that is based on circumstances.  Joy is the fruit of a right relationship with God.  It is not something people can create by their own efforts (Dean, 2003, p. 956).

Many people think that God is the great killjoy.  Meaning you cannot have fun in this life if you are a Christian.  Nothing could be a bigger lie.  God himself knows joy and he wants his people to know joy instead of seeking the short-term pleasures of this world.  You might recall the illustration from previous lessons that I gave when I said that God’s law is not there to keep us from having fun, but it is like the game of baseball, if you do not play by the rules then it would be total chaos and not much fun.

Joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord.  They can rejoice because they are in the Lord.  Joy is a fruit of a Spirit-led life.  Or in other words, joy is in your life when you are walking with the Lord.  Sin in a believer’s life robs the person of joy.  When a person walks with the Lord, the person can continue to rejoice even when troubles come.  Joy in the Lord enables people to enjoy all that God has given them (Dean, 2003, p. 957).

Being made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27), human beings have the ability to know God and therefore love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him.  God did not create human beings because He needed them.  As God, He needs nothing.  In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness, so He was not looking for a “friend.”  He loves us, but this is not the same as needing us.  If we had never existed, God would still be God—the unchanging One (Malachi 3:6).  The God of the universe was never dissatisfied with His own eternal existence.  When He made the universe, He did what pleased Himself, and since God is perfect, His action was perfect.  “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Recognizing the complete sovereignty and holiness of God, we are amazed that He would take man and crown him “with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5) and that He would humble himself to call us “friends” (John 15:14-15).  Therefore, Why did God create us?  God created us for His glory and so that we, as His creation, would have the joy of knowing Him.

Now you have two choices.  You can either choose to play a large role and play the main character of your life and it end in, if your lucky 70 years.  Or, you can choose to play a smaller role in an eternal story where God is the main character and you spend your life glorifying and pointing others to Him.