Ultimate Meaning.

What is the purpose of life?

Most people answer with: being happy, making the world a better place, or leaving a legacy, etc. But are any of those answers (or your own answer to this question) really enough to give ultimate meaning to existence? Ask yourself: do those explanations of life’s purpose give value to every life? Do they give you a meaning that goes beyond your physical death? Would you offer any of those as reasons for living to a friend that felt like their life had no purpose? Do those answers offer enough to live for if you were at the brink of suicide? Honestly, if happiness is the point of life and you can’t seem to find happiness then what gives your life worth? Or if you make the world a better place and leave a legacy but then die and remember nothing, and everyone you impacted eventually dies and their consciousness vanishes too, then what was the point?

There is a purpose to human existence that does give you ultimate meaning, transcends physical death, and gives unshakable confidence in the face of life’s storms. Although the Bible has been misrepresented and misunderstood, the sixty-six books that comprise the Bible were written over a period of hundreds of years, and give a unified message of the meaning of life as something eternal and ultimate. According to the Bible, our purpose is found in a relationship with the creator God of the universe who is the source of everything good including love, beauty, and truth. God didn’t give us sentience, emotion, creativity and so much more just to make a living, make memories, die and be put in the ground. Our highest purpose is to know, love, worship and enjoy God for all eternity.

And yet we find ourselves in a world that seems so distant from a good God. There is so much evil, pain and suffering. And even if you are living the good life now, it’s so temporary! Why? The Bible doesn’t shy away from this reality at all, instead, it gives both the reason and the solution for the reality we live in. The reason that the world is such a broken place now is that God created us for a relationship with him and gave us the freedom to choose His way or our own. Ever since the first humans chose rebellion against God we have suffered the consequences of separation from God. Our world is broken simply because we have cut ourselves off from the very source of life and goodness. But throughout history, God relentlessly pursues us to undo the damage of sin and restore us to right relationship with Him.

The problem is that even though God has incredible love for us we still innately choose rebellion against Him! Our problem is we reject God because we want to be our own god. You may not want other people to worship you but when it comes to who has the authority in your life you cringe at the idea of not being in charge or being required to obey anything or anyone other than your own desires. This is a natural but foolish reaction to God. Because no matter how much you want to rule your own life you have no ultimate power over it. You can plan for the future but you are not guaranteed tomorrow or even your next breath.

Every “sin” starts with the first sin of putting self in the place of God. Think about why anyone would lie, steal, murder, or cheat on their spouse. Every one of those destructive behaviors is rooted in acting out of self-interest such as self-preservation or self-gratification. We inherently know lying, cheating, and murder are wrong because God’s law is written on our conscience. But despite our conscience, everyone breaks God’s law. We are all sinners and we will all be judged by God for every instance that we have broken His law.

And this is where the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ comes in. This gospel is the core of biblical Christianity, and there is nothing like it in any other religion or philosophy on the planet. The gospel or good news of salvation that the Bible presents is the only way for desperately sinful humans to be judged by a God of perfect justice, have their sins paid for in full, and have their very nature transformed to something worthy of a perfect eternal heaven where sin, pain, and suffering are banished for good.

Every other religion or philosophy in existence either downplays the seriousness of sin and ignores the fact that we will all face eternal justice, or it tries to give us a to-do list to earn our way out of guilt. The problem with human effort centered religion is that no matter how much you try you cannot attain the perfection necessary to stand in the presence of a perfectly Holy God.

So the one true God who reveals himself in creation and scripture doesn’t just overlook our sin and ignore the justice we deserve. But He also doesn’t expect us to ever measure up to His unattainable standard of perfection. Instead of requiring us to work our way towards heaven God Himself does for you and I what we could never do on our own. God enters his creation as a human; Jesus, born to a virgin mother over two thousand years ago. Jesus experienced everything it means to be human: joy, pain, hunger, temptation, betrayal, and finally death. Jesus did this all for a purpose, He lived the life that we cannot live by keeping God’s law perfectly in heart and deed. And then he traded his perfect life for the debt of our sin by allowing the very people he created to execute him on a Roman cross, a truly innocent man dying for the sin of the world.

But the gospel doesn’t end there! Three days after his death on the cross Jesus rose from the grave and appeared to his followers proving his divine power and the validity of his teaching. The resurrection transformed Jesus’ followers from ordinary fearful people into people willing to die to spread the gospel message. This gospel that has transformed the lives of millions declares that salvation and eternal life is offered to all people who repent of sin and put their faith in Jesus instead of their own goodness. Faith in Jesus is the only way to receive the gift of forgiveness, eternal life in heaven, and the restored purpose of a right relationship with God. This gift is offered to you right now, but just like any gift you can either accept it or reject it.

Rejecting the God who created you will end in eternal separation from Him when you are judged for this life. Being eternally separated from the God who is the source of life, love and goodness is the most miserable end a human being could experience, it is what the Bible calls hell. God is not a cruel God for sending people to hell; after all, Jesus died a brutal death on a cross for your sin so you wouldn’t have to experience the hell of everlasting separation. But the choice is yours. Will you confess your sin, abandon it and surrender your life to God by putting your trust in Jesus?

If you want to know God but aren’t yet able to fully trust in Jesus, don’t give up. The Bible says “seek and you will find”.  Biblical Christianity is not blind faith, it is putting trust in a real savior that left an undeniable mark on history. Christianity can stand up to the weight of your questions and the Bible corresponds to reality.  So keep asking and keep seeking because God is there.   

Becoming a Christian is the beginning of a life of spiritual growth. To experience all that God desires for you in life, it is important to make your relationship with Him a priority. You demonstrate your commitment to God by being baptized and you can grow in faith by reading the Bible (the New Testament is a good place to start), spending time in prayer, and getting encouragement and help from other Christians in a bible believing church. 

Faith in Jesus will not make everything in this life easy but it will give you joy and purpose in a relationship with God, and eternity in heaven where pain and sorrow are replaced by joy and glory.

Below are some references for bible passages on the themes covered in what you just read:

God created everything: Genesis 1:1, Colossians 1:16 and Revelation 4:11.

We were made to know God: John 17:3, Acts 17:24-31, Jeremiah 9:23-24.

God is perfect and holy: Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Job 34:12 and 1st John 4:5.

Our sin separates us from God: Psalm 5:4-6, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:23.

God will judge sin: Hebrews 9:27 and Revelation 21:8.

Jesus died for our sins: 1st Corinthians 15:3, 1st Peter 3:18, Romans 5:8, 2nd Corinthians 5:21.

Only faith in Jesus can make us right with God: Acts 4:12 and John 14:6.

It is God’s work that saves us not our own goodness: Ephesians 2:8-9.

God gives us salvation through Jesus because He loves us! John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1st John 4:9-10  

If you have feedback or would like to share how this summary of God’s glory in the gift of the gospel has impacted you, e-mail: adamsstatechallenge@gmail.com