When I started the “Questions Kids Ask” series a couple of weeks ago with the question, Who made God?, I didn’t realize how popular that post would become. Indeed, in less than two weeks, it has become the most popular post ever on my blog. It has also sparked some interesting discussion including one commenter who asked, “So what made him up and decide to create the planets and life?” I don’t know how old this person is, but the question seems like a logical follow-up question in the “Questions Kids Ask” series, so I thought I would deal with it in a separate post. In short, I suppose the question is:
Why Did God Make Us?
This question has been asked over and over throughout history. In fact, King David asked essentially the same question in Psalm 8:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” [Psalms 8:3-4]
The fact of the matter is that the Bible does not give us explicit details about why God chose to make us as opposed to not making us. Genesis 1:1 clearly tells us that God created the world, and Genesis 1:27 tells us that he created man (and woman) in his own image. Beyond that, it does not talk much about the why of creation. Accordingly, this question rightly falls under the umbrella of the “secret things” discussed in Deuteronomy 29:29:
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” [Deuteronomy 29:29]
Fortunately, the Bible does give some insight even if it doesn’t come right out and directly answer the question. Let’s start with some of the mistaken theories that are often offered for why God created us. Let’s look at some of those notions and see why they are not true.
Some people contend that God created man because he needed an object for his love. Not true! From infinity past, God has existed in the trinity in perfect communion with perfect love amongst the members of the trinity. God loved us before he ever created us (Jeremiah 31:3), but he did not require man as an object of his love.
Some hold that God created man because he needed us. Again, not true! God needs nothing. Indeed, there is nothing that we, as his creation, can offer to him. Acts 17:24-25 explains:
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” [Acts 17:24-25]
God, in the trinity, never felt any loneliness. God loves us, to be sure, but he does not need us either as a companion or as an object of his love.
Fortunately, the Bible does reveal some things about why God actually made the world and made us. The short answer to the question “why did God make us” is that he made us for him. Colossians 1:16 tell us:
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him.” [Colossians 1:16]
We were created for God’s pleasure. So, what does that pleasure look like? Revelation 4:11 gives us some insight in the worship of God in heaven:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” [Revelation 4:11]
Ultimately, God created us to give him glory. We are commanded to live for the glory of God in 1 Corinthians 10:
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. “ [1 Corinthians 10:31]
It is important to understand that we were not created to add to God’s glory (that would be impossible). Rather, we were created to reveal God’s glory. Given that we were created to bring God glory, it makes sense to ask the question “How do we bring God glory?” There are several ways:
- By loving the lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- By loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39)
- By sharing God’s gospel with unbelievers (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
- By doing the good works which God created us to do (Ephesians 2:10)
- By serving faithfully in God’s army (Ephesians 6:10-18)
- By worshipping God and giving him thanks (Psalm 50:23)
This is just a short list of the many ways we can glorify God. In short, we are God’s light to the world, and everything we do should be done with the purpose of bringing him glory.
The best explanation I have heard which provides some insight into why God would choose to create us draws on the frequent analogy found in scripture between our relationship with our earthly parents and our relationship with God. Imagine for a moment why a man and his wife might make the decision to have kids. They anticipate the joy of having a child, they desire to replicate themselves and they desire a relationship with a child. Although the Bible is not explicit, and the analogy is not perfect (for example a husband and wife may feel their family is incomplete without kids – God would never feel such incompleteness), but it does offer some insight into why God may have chosen to create us. We were not created because God needed us, but we certainly need him and should desire to live our life in accordance with his will.
Like this post, I agree with it totally, but you missed an important point. If we were made by God, for God, it sounds very one sided. Like we give to God, and don’t really get much in return. You state: “God has existed in the trinity in perfect communion with perfect love amongst the members of the trinity.” Don’t forget that we get to participate in that perfect love. We experience only a part of it now, but we’ll get all of it later,
Next my life Glorifies God because of what God does in it. Everything I am, everything I have, my job, my car, my family — All of it comes from God.
You mention that God is infinite, I don’t believe this to be true because it’s impossible to be infinite. For example, if you have an infinite number of marbles and you gave me half of them you would still have an infinite number of marbles and I would have an infinite number of marbles. And if I were to give you back half of my infinite marbles you would still have an infinite number of marbles. Now instead of marbles, let’s say they’re events. If you’re an infinite being, you’ve an infinite number of events that make up that life, and just like the marbles you can’t add additional events to it, because you’d still be infinite. God in the same way is not infinite, but He is eternal.
God has a beginning, God also intended the bible to be relevant to a very wide audience, and for the most part I would think God’s beginning would be very hard for the majority of its readers to understand, making that irrelevant so there is a reason why God didn’t tell us. God also has an end, as God describes himself in revelations by saying, “I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.”
Just like I will be living with God for eternity, I also have a beginning, and I also have an end, and both those belong to God. Make sense?
Richard,
Thanks you for your comments. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. You are correct that the focus of the original article was on the things God does for us. I thought that this was the most appropriate way to address a question about why God made us. I couldn’t agree with you more about the benefits we derive from the relationship with God. After all, it is know surprise that we do benefit as God always has our best interests in mind in everything that he does for us. I particularly enjoyed your summary “…my life Glorifies God because of what God does in it. Everything I am, everything I have, my job, my car, my family — All of it comes from God.” When we remember this truth, it is hard not to worship the God who gives us everything.
I do have to disagree with you on the infinity of God. I’ve actually had a bit of a discussion on the infinite of God with a couple of people over on the first entry in the “Questions Kids Ask” series. You can find that at the following link if you’re interested in reading it:
http://blog.stocksohio.com/2009/06/03/who-made-god-questions-kids-ask/
I think my responses over there deal with the issue of the mathematical view of infinite and the infinite of God. I do disagree with your comment that “God had a beginning.” If something had a beginning, it had to have been created, and God is not a created being. He has always existed from before time began. You indicate that “God has a beginning, God also intended the bible to be relevant to a very wide audience, and for the most part I would think God’s beginning would be very hard for the majority of its readers to understand, making that irrelevant.” I would ask what scriptural basis for the conclusion that “God had a beginning.” I think that the scripture is clear that God existed before he created time and has always existed outside of time.
Revelation 1:8 says, ““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” God is, God was and God is to come. There is no indication of beginning or end in that verse. Quite the contrary, this verse indicates that God always has been and always will be. Similarly, when God talked to Moses as recorded in the book of Genesis, he identified himself as “I AM.” In identifying himself this way, he is stating that he is the eternal present. Psalm 90:2 tells us that God is from “everlasting to everlasting.” Again, this is not the language of a beginning and ending, but of eternal existence. There are numerous New Testament verses which speak to the existence of God from before creation. Those verses include Jude 1:25, Titus 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Corinthians 2:7 and Hebrews 11:3.
I am also confused about your comments regarding us and God having an “end” but at the same time living with God for eternity. Perhaps you could clarify those for me?
Thanks again for your comments, and I look forward to hearing more from you.
In him,
Wayne
Isn't it possible that something of higher order then your christian god brought your god into existence. And this higher order gave your god his ablitlies. And your christian god doesn't have knowledge of this higher. So your god thinks he is the one and only, he thinks he has always been and always will be. But he is really just a puppet under control of something greater. If you can believe in god, you can believe in anything. Anything and all is possible, all you have to do is open up your heart, have faith and believe.
Thank you for your comment. First, I don't believe that if you believe in God you can believe in everything. This discounts all the evidence for a creator God and equates any type of faith with blind faith. This is simply not the case. God requires faith to believe in him, but he does not require blind faith. He provides us with plenty of evidence of his existence to support taking that step of faith. Indeed, it takes more blind faith to assert that there is no God than to accept the truth of his existence. Your argument on the potential for a higher power that created God reveals a linear type of thinking that does not apply to God. God exists outside of time which allows him to be omniscient, and he therefore does not require a creator. He is not a created being as we are. Furthermore, my belief in God is based on his revelation to us in the form of the Bible and his work in nature where his existence is clear. Whereas, with all due respect, your theory is based on wild speculation and flawed logic. Forced to choose between the two, believe in the living God seems like the only plausible option.
This article has helped me a lot. I’ve been raised in the church and sometimes these simple questions come into my head like “why would God create us”. So it cleared up a few things. I thank you for letting God use you in this way
I’m so glad that you found it helpful. Thanks for letting me know!