Answering Life’s Most Important Questions

Answering life’s most important questions:

The most profound questions mankind has asked over the centuries are still ones being asked today.

• Is there intelligent life out in the universe? (Funny question if you think about it)

• Is there a God?

• How did we get here?

• Why am I here? What is my purpose for existence?

• Who am I? 

• Where did sin and suffering come from?   

• Is there life after death?   

What many people still don’t know, is that God has already answered these questions and we can find theses answers in the Bible.  

Question: Is there a God? How did we get here? 

·             Yes, there is a God and He spoke the universe into existence.

Genesis 1:3-4 NIV

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good,

and he separated the light from the darkness.

Time as we know it began with the creation of the universe. Before then, God always existed. As we can see by the verse below, God had to exist before the beginning in order to create the beginning.

Genesis 1:1 NIV 
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Jesus played an important role in the creation of the universe.

John 1:1-4 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

 (Note: John, was referring to Christ when he is speaking about the Word)

The Holy Spirit played a role as well.

Genesis 1;1-2 NIV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The role of the Godhead in creation helps in our understanding of the Triune Nature of God.

The Bible doesn’t use the word ‘trinity’ but it does name the three persons of the Godhead as God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit. There is no question that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit exist as three distinct yet equal Persons with their own individual, unique identities. Yet, They are each divine and exist in perfect harmony, in perfect agreement, and in perfect unison with one another. Each has a specific and distinct role, yet they all share the same purpose and if you think about it, community with one another.

God the Farther –     

The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe – the Source of the plan for our salvation.  

God the Son, Jesus -  

The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following  works: the creation and maintenance of the universe, carried out the plan of salvation; redeeming us and saving us from eternal separation from God.

God The Holy Spirit -  

 As a result of our salvation God gives believers the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is

sent by the Father to help transform us into the likeness of Christ. The Holy Spiirt sanctifies 

us, teaches us, comforts us, gives us wisdom and guidance and helps us understand and 

remember God’s Word. 

(Read: John 14:16, John 16:13-14, John 15:26, Galatians 5:22–23)

Question: Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

We are children of God made in His image and created for a purpose:

Genesis 1:26-28 (New Living Translation)

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

God created us in order that we can know Him and therefore love Him, worship Him,

serve Him, and have fellowship with Him.

Even though God created a vast universe He ordained that the Earth to play a central role of importance because it was designed by Him to be Man’s home.

Out of all of creation, only Human beings were specifically created to have a special and personal relationship with God.  An example of this is God’s relationship with Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:6 (Amplified Bible)

For you are a holy and set-apart people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

God does not force us to love Him and be in relationship with Him. That is His desire.

Yet for those who love God and become friends with Him get the special privilege

to serve Him and carry out His great purpose.

John 15:14-17 NIV

You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Part of having a relationship with God is how we treat Him. Showing love to God

requires a certain level of obedience on our part.

John 14:15 (New Living Translation)

 “If you love me, obey my commandments.

John 14:23 NIV

 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them,

 and we will come to them and make our home with them.

So obedience plays an important part in our relationship with God as well as God’s desire that we fulfill our purpose.

Ultimately the Lord commands His people to spread the Good News throughout the world

in order for others to be saved. Again, we show love to God when we obey this command.

Matthew 28:18-20 (New Living Translation)

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

As followers of Christ we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and strengthen us to fulfill this mission.

Acts 1:8 (New Living Translation)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Even as much as God wants us to share the hope we have, He also wants us to be like Him.

1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Philippians 2:2-5 NIV

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Romans 12:NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

In time, followers of Jesus experience spiritual growth and become more like Him. This is

Part of God’s process of sanctification which continues to set us apart to God and helps

to deepen our faith and relationship with Him. The more we are set apart to God the more

we enjoy spending time with Him. I believe this pleases God and put emphasis on

relationship over religion. Ultimately our worship to God becomes heartfelt and authentic.

John 4:23-24 NIV

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

****So we created to have a relationship with God, become more like Christ, fulfill our calling, and to live our lives in such a way as to prepare ourselves for an eternity with God in Heaven.

Question: If God created a perfect world, where did sin and suffering come from?   

When we ask why is there so much pain and suffering in the world we can easily see that the answer to this question is simple: The world is no longer the Garden of Eden.  After the Fall (the sin of Adam & Eve – Read Genesis 3) the world was transformed from a paradise where Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect relationship with God, into a world where sin separated Man from his creator and where the environment became radically different from its original created condition. Sin and death entered the world. Note that God used skins of animals to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness.  In order to get the skins to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness some animals had to die. Jesus had to die to cover our sin. Interesting analogy don’t you think?

Here is Romans, Paul explains why there continues to be sin and suffering in this world

after the fall:

Romans 1:20-24 NIV

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Is there life after death?

The Good News:

God sent Jesus to save us from our sin.

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God planned to rescue His people from the sin that leads to death and separation from Himself. Jesus paid the price for our sin. His work on the cross defeated sin and death. Through Christ one can inherit eternal life. Unfortunately those who do not receive Christ’s redeeming work and forgiveness are still under God’s wrath.

John 3:36 NIV
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Romans 6:23 NIV
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 6:40 NIV
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 10:28 NIV
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Jesus made one very important promise that gives us the confidence of life after death:

John 14:1-4 NLT

Jesus, the Way to the Father

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

Jesus promises that His followers will be with Him in Heaven. Heaven is described here as

a home prepared for us by Jesus Himself. Jesus us tells us that we can trust Him to carry this out.

So we can live with confidence that our citizenship is in Heaven and Jesus will return to bring us home.

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Our purpose now is to live the life God has called us to.

1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV
Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Ephesians 2:10 NIV
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

1 Peter 4:10 NIV
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NIV

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Luke 10:27 NIV
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

These verses above give us insight on how we can live a life pleasing to God. 

God truly desires that we live abundantly and not perish.

So when we think about life’s most important questions, the great news is that we really do have the answers. We only need to look to God and His Word for the truth about life, death and the reason for our existence. 

For God has created us for a purpose: To love and serve Him. To love others. To share the Good News and to Life a life set apart to him.

Just Sayin……………….Dave