Christians only: What was God's purpose in creating you? (Jesus Christ, Earth)

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

I believe the scriptural position is that He created us for His own good pleasure.

Obviously. But what is God's own good pleasure?

[PeaceSeeker]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

PeaceSeeker, What is your religion?

None in particular...and all..please see http://urantia.us

[athanasius]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Why do you believe God created you? What was His purpose in giving you life? And what do you need to do in order that your existence was not a waste of His time? What does He expect of you in order that His purpose in putting you here on Earth be fulfilled? In other words, what can you do to make God happy?

From the Baltimore Catechism comes a familiar Catholic understadning of why God made us and what are purpose is:

"Q. Why did God make you?

A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.


"To know" Him, because we must know of a thing before we can love it. A poor savage in Africa never longs to be at a game or contest going on in America, because he does not know it and therefore cannot love it. We see a person and know him; if he pleases us we love him, and if we love him we will try to serve him; we will not be satisfied with doing merely what he asks of us, but will do whatever we think might give him pleasure. So it is in regard to God. We must first know Him-learn who He is from our catechisms and books of instruction, but especially from the teaching of God's ministers, the Holy Father, bishops and priests. When we know Him, we shall love Him. If we knew Him perfectly, we should love Him perfectly; so the better we know Him the more we shall love Him. And as it is our chief duty to love Him and serve Him upon earth, it becomes our strict duty to learn here whatever we can of His nature, attributes, and holy laws. The saints and angels in Heaven know God so well that they must love Him, and cannot therefore offend Him.

You have all seen some person in the world, or maybe several persons, whom you have greatly admired; still you did not love them perfectly; there was always some little thing about them in looks, manners, or disposition that could be rendered more pleasing; some defect or want you would like to see supplied; some fault or imperfection you would like to see corrected. Now suppose you had the power to take all the good qualities you found in the persons you loved and unite them in one person, in whom there would be nothing displeasing, but everything perfect and beautiful. Do you not think you would love such a person very much indeed?

Moreover, suppose you knew that person loved you intensely, would it not be your greatest delight to be ever with such a friend? Well, then, all the lovable qualities and beauties you see in created beings come from God and are bestowed by Him; yet all the good qualities on earth and those of the angels and saints in Heaven, and even of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, if united in one person would be nothing compared to the goodness and beauty of God. How good and how lovable, therefore, must He be! And what shall we say when we think that He loves us with a greater love than we could ever love Him, even with our most earnest efforts? Try then first to know God and you will surely love and serve Him. Do not be satisfied with the little you learn of Him in the Catechism, but afterward read good books, and above all hear sermons and instructions.

"In this world:" Because unless we do what is pleasing to Him in this world we cannot be with Him in the next. Our condition in the next world depends entirely upon our conduct in this. Thus we have discovered the answer to the great quest

Many Catholics are familiar with this answer and I think its the best simple answer I have ever heard.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by athanasius

From the Baltimore Catechism comes a familiar Catholic understadning of why God made us and what are purpose is:

"Q. Why did God make you?

A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.

Actually, I've seen this exact answer posted in RF before, but without the longer explanation. Thanks for adding it, Athanasius.

The Latter-day Saints believe that man is that he might have joy, and that our Savior's work and His glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. According to LDS teachings, we are here to:

• Receive a physical body.
• Exercise agency and learn to choose between good and evil.
• Learn and gain experience that will help us become more like our Heavenly Father.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

Here, for example, is what the Baha'i scriptures have to say on the subject:

“O SON OF MAN!
“Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.”
--The Hidden Words, Part One, #3

“O SON OF BOUNTY!
“Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals.”
--Ibid., #29

Best, :-)

Bruce

[michel]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

There is one thing I don't understand about this, Michel. If you can only be aware of what has happened in this incarnation, how does having experienced previous incarnations benefit you? How would three or four prior lives be useful to you in ultimately proving yourself worthy to return to God? Wouldn't the experiences of each incarnation somehow have to be part of your awareness in order to have value?

The way I see it, each incarnation is about one (or maybe more) experiences and lessons to be learned. If we were to have recoursse to the memories of our previous incarnations, the lessons would be invalidated.

For example; if I was to live my life (this time) to understand - for sake of example - humility, and I failed in learning how to be humble, I would have to "re - live" the lesson of being humble. If I did so, and knew why I was here, it would make it all too easy for me to know why I was here, and make sure that I did learn the lesson.

Knowing what I am here to learn would invalidate the reward of having learned the lesson. Does that make sense?

So do you believe you must become completely "sin free" before rejoining God? I'm confused as to how that idea meshes with the idea that Jesus Christ atoned for your sins. Or maybe I'm not clear on your understanding of Christ's role. Do you look to Him as just a good example of how we should live or do you see Him as your "Savior"?

I can understand your confusion. Christ (for me) is my saviour; he died so that my sins might be forgiven - I still have to redeem them though. As I see it, I am given every opportunity to "make good" any sins - through different lives.

Had Christ not died on the cross, I would (I suppose) have not been given every chance to become at one with God; I would have been relegated to never having the opportunity of being with him.

It's strange, no one has ever asked me that second question - neither had I ever thought about it; yet, when I started replying to you, it was as if a jigsaw puzzle piece clicked into place.

[joeboonda]

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (King James Version)
18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I John 3:23
23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Phillipians 3:7-10
7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

[bible truth]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Why do you believe God created you? What was His purpose in giving you life? And what do you need to do in order that your existence was not a waste of His time? What does He expect of you in order that His purpose in putting you here on Earth be fulfilled? In other words, what can you do to make God happy?

God created all things for His own glory. That includes me, you, and unbelievers too.

[PureX]

I believe we are both the expressions of, and recipients of God's love. God's nature is to love, and love needs a beloved. And that's our purpose: to express God's love to each other, and to be God's beloved. I think it's that simple. Everything else is religion.

[bible truth]

Originally Posted by PureX

I believe we are both the expressions of, and recipients of God's love. God's nature is to love, and love needs a beloved. And that's our purpose: to express God's love to each other, and to be God's beloved. I think it's that simple. Everything else is religion.

God is love. Yes, one of the amazing attributes of God is divine love. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (believers). What do you think about God's attributes of Holiness, righteousness, justice, and wrath? How do