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Why Am I Here – Part 2: The Bible Speaks
Episode 153 – Why Am I Here – Part 2: The Bible Speaks
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script:
When I look at your heavens, the creation of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place - what is a mortal that you remember him or the Son of Man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower than yourself. You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him rule what your hands created. You have put everything under his control …
Psalm 8, verses 3 through 6, God’s Word Translation
********
VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re very grateful to be with you as today as we continue the series we began last week on Anchored by Truth. We’ve entitled this series “Why am I here?” To help us continue considering a question that has probably occurred to just about every person who has ever lived, we have RD Fierro back in the studio. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, you entitled this series “Why Am I here?” I think that’s a question many people have asked at one time or another – even to many Christians. And during this series we’re seeking to provide a comprehensive answer – or at least a strong foundation where people can meaningfully continue their own pursuit of an answer. But there is a temptation, I think, to just say that the reason we’re all here is because God made us. But I’m guessing you don’t think that answer is sufficient?
RD: Well, I think the answer that we’re all here because God made us is accurate but perhaps incomplete. But before we get into our discussion I would like to say just a word of greeting and thanks to everyone who is joining us here today. Anchored by Truth is not the typical kind of program that’s heard on many radio stations. Our singular focus is to help people understand that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. We do so because we believe that many, if not all, of the issues and difficulties that are confronting us today have a spiritual origin. Certainly, those issues may manifest as social, political, economic, educational, etc. But so often the difficulty we’re confronting, regardless of how it’s labeled, is a symptom of the disease not the source. For instance, sexual promiscuity is widespread in our society and that creates all kinds of issues from those related to family stability to public health issues. But at its heart sexual promiscuity goes back to man’s foundational problem with sin. As it’s sometimes phrased “we’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.”
VK: And sin is a spiritual issue though that has a very unpopular characterization today. But the Apostle Paul clearly pointed out the nature of the real problem in Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12. “This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.” That’s from the God’s Word Translation. Paul tells us exactly what you’re saying. The struggles we’re going to face are going to trace their origins to “the spiritual forces that control evil in this world.” But how does this tie into the topic of this series – helping listeners find a meaningful answer to the question, “why am I here?”
RD: Because we can’t understand why we are here or our purpose in life, in the world, if we don’t understand the nature of reality. There are two great competing ideas about the origin of the human race – in fact the origin of everything. On the one side is that notion that, as the Bible puts it, “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” On the other side is the notion that the universe has always existed, although maybe not in its current form, and that all living creatures, including humans, came into existence as the result of the random, chaotic collision of inanimate particles.
VK: Those two ideas couldn’t be farther apart. Christians believe that everything in existence was brought into existence by an Almighty, loving Creator who has a plan and a purpose for everyone and everything. On the other side is the idea that the universe is eternal but undirected, unguided, and ungoverned. Anything and everything that happens in the universe is the result of the undirected activity of chaotic forces – that matter and energy fling themselves around like ping pong balls in a tornado but somehow all the chaos produced life in all its amazing, organized complexity and ultimately a people that is purposeful, intelligent, and moral.
RD: Absolutely. And when you state the competing ideas that way you can immediately see the reason that understanding the true nature of reality is so important to anyone knowing why they are here. If I have been created by a loving, purposeful, omniscient, and omnipotent God then I can begin a meaningful exploration of why that God gave me existence. But I am simply the product of a long sequence of blind, random chaos not only is there no one for me to turn to there is no reason for me to even ask the question. The question “why am I here” is at its most basic a question that pertains to meaning and purpose. But meaning and purpose do not exist, and indeed cannot exist, where all activity and action are undirected and purposeless. The random collision of inanimate particles cannot produce meaning or purpose. I cannot overstate this distinction between these two competing ideas too strongly.
VK: Inanimate means “non-living” which is just a fancy way of saying “dead.” No one thinks atoms and molecules are alive by themselves – but we know that living creatures are made up of atoms and molecules. So, the question of how a living being can arise from non-living matter is a foundational dilemma for those who want to exclude God from an explanation of origins. As Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, the chief scientist for Creation Ministries International, reminded us when he helped us with our Truth in Genesis series, explaining the operation of a thing is quite different from explaining its origin.
RD: Yes. So, as Dr. Sarfati put it it’s easy to provide a reasonable, logical explanation for our existence when we include God in the equation. When we exclude him we’re left with the idea that human beings are the result of a process that he calls “the goo to you via the zoo.”
VK: I’ve always liked that way of putting it. “Goo to you via the zoo.” That’s a pretty powerful summary of the idea that some sort of undirected, evolutionary process resulted in the human race. But it also points out the problem for people who believe in evolution but also want to believe their life has meaning.
RD: Exactly. This all goes back to saying that for us to truly find a meaningful explanation for why they are here we must start with a clear understanding of the nature of reality. So, in our first episode in this “why am I here” series we focused on two big points. The first point was that to know why we are here we must recognize that we exist in a universe that was created by an Almighty God.
VK: Because if someone wants to believe that life arose from the random interaction of dead particles there’s not even a reason for them to ask the question in the first place. The random, chaotic collision of atoms isn’t going to produce a personal, purposeful being who seeks to understand their role in the created order. You and Dr. Sarfati coined what you call the Sarfati-Fierro Maxim: All denials that intelligence was necessary for the formation of life proceed from an unintelligent point of origin. Said slightly differently, to deny that an intelligent Being created all life, including us, automatically means pulling the rug out from under the notion that human beings can claim to be intelligent.
RD: Yes. It’s not that people can’t deny that God exists yet still believe they are intelligent beings. They can and do. It’s just that when you unpack the intellectual foundation for the two beliefs you find an irreconcilable conflict. This is a conflict that doesn’t trouble the Christian worldview in the slightest. We believe a Supremely Intelligent Being created us so that Supremely Intelligent Being is certainly capable of imparting intelligence to His creation in any matter that is consistent with His Being and character. So, the first point to developing a meaningful answer as to why we are here is to recognize we have been created by almighty, purposeful God. And the second point is to recognize the role that Jesus played and plays in the now fallen creation.
VK: So, just to be clear, you are noting that the created order in which we live is not in the same state as it was initially. When you say the now fallen creation you are pointing out something very important. If Adam and Eve had never sinned we don’t know what our lives would be like today. We might likely be in an enormous Garden of Eden where sin and death were unknown. Man wasn’t ejected from the Garden until after he sinned. The Bible is clear that before sin God was accustomed to walking through the garden and the implication is that Adam and Eve enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with God. Genesis, chapter 3, verse 8 says, “In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking around in the garden.” So, it seems like God appeared regularly in the garden and Adam and Eve knew that. So, if we were still in the garden God might very well still be walking within it regularly communing with the only creature He ever created in His image. So, none of us would ever need to wonder why we are here. If the question every occurred to any of us God would answer it.
RD: But, of course, Adam and Eve did sin. They were thrown out of the Garden of Eden. And after they were the Bible no longer makes any reference to them enjoying the same level of fellowship with God they had previously enjoyed. Now the ground was cursed, their work was cursed, and their first son killed their second. Sin now had a firm foothold in creation so God began, and has carried forward, a grand plan of redemption. That plan culminated in the birth of Jesus who once and for all obviated the penalty of sin for those who would place their trust in Him. Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death removed the penalty of sin but it did not remove the presence of sin even for believers. Sin’s presence will be with us until Jesus returns to earth the second time to bring an end to this phase of human history.
VK: So, we live in a somewhat unique time during human history. We live in this interval between Jesus’ first and second comings. We no longer have to wonder when – or whether – a Messiah is coming. We know God has sent the Savior that we need. During the 4,500 years of the universe’s history before Jesus came the first time people wondered when God would fulfill His promise to send a Savior. But we don’t have that question. We know the Savior came. We also know that the Messiah’s first coming was not to take over the physical rule of the earth. Rather than coming to rule the nations of earth He came to save the people of the nations from eternal condemnation. He now rules over the affairs of the earth from heaven. But the Bible is clear that it will not always be that way. If nothing else, the book of Revelation is clear the time is coming when Jesus will be physically with His people in the New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem will come into being after Jesus creates a new heavens and new earth.
RD: So, as you put it, during this unique time in the interval between Jesus’ first and second comings - a second very important question about why we are here is how those of us living now are related to Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth as God in the flesh. It should be obvious that we are not going to believe in the Son of God if we don’t believe in God. And we are not going to have much interest in wanting to establish a relationship with Jesus if we do not know who He is. And the whole reason this question is so important is because of the continuing presence of sin in this world. This poses a danger for anyone who does not accept Jesus as their Savior. And Jesus made it very clear that He expected His followers to carry the message that salvation was available throughout the world. Jesus had completed the work necessary for people to be saved but there are a great many people who still need to hear that message.
VK: The Apostle Paul reinforced this calling in the book of Romans, chapter 10. Verses 13 through 15 say, “So then, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can people call on him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells [the Good News]? How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, ‘How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News.’” That’s the God’s Word Translation version.
RD: So, a third point that is relevant to us finding a truly sustaining answer as to why we are here is that we must be prepared to study the Bible. To truly know why we are here it’s not enough for us to simply fall back on vague assurances that all of our lives have meaning. It’s not even enough to know that God loves us. Certainly those assurances are necessary but they are the starting point for knowing why we are here. Those kinds of assurances, as necessary as they are – and they are – will only provide temporary satisfaction. It’s sort of a variation on the old saying, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you’ve fed him for a life.” Same thing is true here. I can tell someone that God loves them and has a plan for their life. Those statements are absolutely true but they will only get them or me so far.
VK: What you’re saying is that if we want to develop an answer to the question of why we are here that will carry us forward in our lives we have to have a firm grasp on the nature of reality – and only the Bible gives us important information about certain essential truths – like the fact that there is a spiritual war raging around us. Reality has an unpleasant tendency to intrude into our lives at inopportune moments and if I’m not prepared to deal with it it’s easy for me to lose my balance. Knowing that God loves me and is always with me is an absolutely essential prerequisite to making any more progress to a deeper grasp of the purpose for my life. But life is inevitably going to bring me challenges and I have to build on that foundational knowledge of God’s love for me. A strong foundation is necessary for the house to stand, but I’m going to be pretty exposed to the elements if the foundation is all I ever have.
RD: Now we would hasten to repeat – as we noted last time - that we must always approach these subjects in an age and audience appropriate way. A distressed teenager doesn’t need to master the nuances of the Levitical code or probe the mysteries of Revelation to get some comfort about where they are in life and where they are going. The same thing is true for people are recent converts or struggling with their need for a Savior. People who are dealing with life crises or struggles may doubt that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. So, it is important to provide that immediate reassurance. But if that’s all they know they cannot prepare for the next dose of reality which always comes our way. People need to get a firm grasp on something you pointed out earlier. That we are all made in the image of God.
VK: Genesis, chapter 1, verse 26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness.’” This points out why we need to know something, actually a lot, about the Bible, if we want to know why we are here. We are God’s image bearers. That fact is inescapable. Some commentators point that carrying God’s image is a bit like seeing our reflection in a mirror. When we see our reflection we are seeing an image of ourselves. The reflection in the mirror isn’t us but it looks like us. When we move it moves. If we change clothes it will change clothes. The reflection, the image, is more than just a representation of us. It indelibly possesses some of the qualities we possess.
RD: So, the image in the mirror cannot divorce itself from the real person and somehow independently begin to contemplate why it is there. That sort of idea makes for a good fantasy story but that’s all it is – a fantasy. The image bearer is going to in certain respects and certain ways reflect the original. In the case of people we are going to some degree reflect our Father God. Ministers will sometimes note that the image of God we possess is a marred image – like a mirror with a curve or a crack. But the image is still a real image. This means two things. First, if we have no idea what God looks like – or said differently who God is – we cannot understand why we are here. It would be like trying to see our image in a mirror in a completely dark room. Second, the more exalted our view of God the higher esteem we would place upon our own role in the created order.
VK: Those thoughts are both terrifying and thrilling. If we have no idea who God is we can have no real idea who we are. And if we don’t know who we are it will be impossible to know why we are here. But the thrilling part is that the greater our awareness of God’s majesty and sovereignty the greater we may truly believe in our own worth and dignity. And quite often that’s the basic reason people are asking the question about why they are here. They not only want to be assured that their life had meaning but also that their life is worthy of dignity and respect.
RD: Right. This goes back to the need for people to become very familiar with the Bible. It is only from the Bible that we can develop a full-orbed understanding of who and what God is. The Bible gives us as comprehensive a picture of God as the human mind is able to form. From the Bible we learn about God’s unrivaled power, unblemished righteousness, immaculate character, and amazing love and grace. This enables us to have a full appreciation of His glory and majesty and then contemplate our own lives and meanings knowing that the sovereign, royal and perfectly holy God has chosen us to bear His image. That thought alone ought to banish any doubts about our worth as human beings. God cares so much for us that He chose to place His image on our flesh.
VK: That thought takes us straight to our opening scripture from Psalm 8. In the that Psalm David is clearly staggered by the thought that the same God who framed the heavens, made the sun and moon, and put the stars in their place actually takes notice of, and cares for, men and women. It is a staggering thought.
RD: And it goes straight to the heart of our question: why am I here? At least part of the answer to the question is that I am here to bear God’s image. Or said differently to ensure that the people I encounter can see God’s goodness and righteousness through me. This is truly a good example of what else people looking for meaning in their life need to know is something about the God that loves them. If they think God is a sort of super-sized human character – powerful but not necessarily royal, majestic, or good. Well, there is not a particularly good reason for them to be unduly concerned about providing a good image of that kind of God. Moreover, it would be hard for them to place a lot of confidence in what that God can do for them. But if, like David, we fully appreciate God’s omnipotent power to create and govern not just the earth, but the 50 billion galaxies in the visible universe, then our appreciation of that God and ourselves begins to change.
VK: That’s why it’s so important for a familiarity with the Bible to be a significant part of any meditation we do on why we are here. From the Bible we learn about God. And from our better understanding about God we can develop a better understanding of ourselves. But that’s not the only reason we need to know the Bible to know why we are here is it?
RD: No. It is not. And we are going to get more into these subjects in upcoming episodes. But just as an introduction for now the Bible itself gives us a direct revelation of why we are here. For instance, there is a very important verse about our purpose on planet earth in one of the least read and loved books of the Bible: the book of Leviticus.
VK: You’re thinking of Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 2 aren’t you? That verse says, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” That’s also from the God’s Word Translation.
RD: Yes. A lot of times when we ask the question why am I here we first want to be sure our lives have meaning, but second we are concerned about life choices like careers, education, relationships, and goals.
VK: And the Bible has a lot to say about those things.
RD: Yes. It does and that’s one of the beautiful things about the Bible. But above and beyond those concerns the Bible is concerned about our characters. That is essentially what that verse from Leviticus is telling us. We must develop holy characters. It’s often said that “you can’t take it with you.” But the one part of this life that we will take into eternity is our character. So, part of the answer to the question about why we are here is that this life gives us the chance to demonstrate that we value God by seeking to obey him. The more highly we value God the greater will be our desire to be obedient – and that includes seeking to become holy as He defines holiness. Now, certainly none of us start out holy and we are going to have plenty of stumbles along the way. God knows that. But one of the great things about God is that He does not throw us out just because we stumble and struggle. God is a God of redemption, restoration, and reclamation.
VK: And there would be no need for redemption unless we were fallen. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verse 17, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” That’s the New International Version.
RD: But God doesn’t want us to remain in our sin. And he wants us to learn and overcome our struggles. He wants to give us victory. So, when he gives us that admonition in Leviticus He isn’t trying to discourage us. He is simply reinforcing His call for us to come to Him. And this also points out the need to ensure we are studying the whole Word of God. Leviticus is the 3rd book of the Bible- the middle of Pentateuch which is often thought to be irrelevant to the church today. It’s not – as we’ve just pointed out. We were created by a loving God to bring honor to His kingdom and to enjoy an eternal, personal relationship with him. This life is preparation for the life to come – preparation for an eternity with God.
VK: The Westminster catechism answers the question “what is the chief purpose of man” with the answer “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
RD: Yes. So, as we dive more deeply into finding out why we are here we have to be sure that we master the basics about God, man, and purpose. If we don’t gain a firm grasp on those basics we may ask the question “why am I here” until we are blue in the face but we will never gain an answer that will satisfy us or please God.
VK: Amen. So, those basics include knowing that God created the universe. We need to know this so we can understand the nature of reality. Next, we need to know that the created order fell when man sinned. But that God began a plan of redemption and the key step in that plan was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So, to know why we are here we must know how we are related to Jesus. And to get a firm grasp on those first two point we must study the Bible because if we don’t our knowledge of God, Jesus, reality and redemption is going to be incomplete. We’ll be like the man who saw a sign in English that said, “quicksand” but only spoke French. The sign was there but it didn’t do him any good. This sounds like a time to go to God in prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for our government officials. We may or may not always agree with the decisions they make and that’s fine. In a democracy we have the right to make our voices heard and our concerns known. But in 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 1 we are commanded to pray for those who are in authority. And it is interesting that in that verse is the only time Paul puts a specific priority on the prayer when he says, “first of all.” So, we may or may not endorse decisions that are made by those in authority but we must pray for them – and a good prayer is that God will open their eyes to His truth and will.
---- PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.”
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!”
(Bible Quote from the God’s Word Translation)
Psalm 8, verses 3 through 6, God’s Word Translation
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By R.D.Fierro
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Episode 153 – Why Am I Here – Part 2: The Bible Speaks
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script:
When I look at your heavens, the creation of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place - what is a mortal that you remember him or the Son of Man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower than yourself. You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him rule what your hands created. You have put everything under his control …
Psalm 8, verses 3 through 6, God’s Word Translation
********
VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re very grateful to be with you as today as we continue the series we began last week on Anchored by Truth. We’ve entitled this series “Why am I here?” To help us continue considering a question that has probably occurred to just about every person who has ever lived, we have RD Fierro back in the studio. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, you entitled this series “Why Am I here?” I think that’s a question many people have asked at one time or another – even to many Christians. And during this series we’re seeking to provide a comprehensive answer – or at least a strong foundation where people can meaningfully continue their own pursuit of an answer. But there is a temptation, I think, to just say that the reason we’re all here is because God made us. But I’m guessing you don’t think that answer is sufficient?
RD: Well, I think the answer that we’re all here because God made us is accurate but perhaps incomplete. But before we get into our discussion I would like to say just a word of greeting and thanks to everyone who is joining us here today. Anchored by Truth is not the typical kind of program that’s heard on many radio stations. Our singular focus is to help people understand that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. We do so because we believe that many, if not all, of the issues and difficulties that are confronting us today have a spiritual origin. Certainly, those issues may manifest as social, political, economic, educational, etc. But so often the difficulty we’re confronting, regardless of how it’s labeled, is a symptom of the disease not the source. For instance, sexual promiscuity is widespread in our society and that creates all kinds of issues from those related to family stability to public health issues. But at its heart sexual promiscuity goes back to man’s foundational problem with sin. As it’s sometimes phrased “we’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.”
VK: And sin is a spiritual issue though that has a very unpopular characterization today. But the Apostle Paul clearly pointed out the nature of the real problem in Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12. “This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.” That’s from the God’s Word Translation. Paul tells us exactly what you’re saying. The struggles we’re going to face are going to trace their origins to “the spiritual forces that control evil in this world.” But how does this tie into the topic of this series – helping listeners find a meaningful answer to the question, “why am I here?”
RD: Because we can’t understand why we are here or our purpose in life, in the world, if we don’t understand the nature of reality. There are two great competing ideas about the origin of the human race – in fact the origin of everything. On the one side is that notion that, as the Bible puts it, “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” On the other side is the notion that the universe has always existed, although maybe not in its current form, and that all living creatures, including humans, came into existence as the result of the random, chaotic collision of inanimate particles.
VK: Those two ideas couldn’t be farther apart. Christians believe that everything in existence was brought into existence by an Almighty, loving Creator who has a plan and a purpose for everyone and everything. On the other side is the idea that the universe is eternal but undirected, unguided, and ungoverned. Anything and everything that happens in the universe is the result of the undirected activity of chaotic forces – that matter and energy fling themselves around like ping pong balls in a tornado but somehow all the chaos produced life in all its amazing, organized complexity and ultimately a people that is purposeful, intelligent, and moral.
RD: Absolutely. And when you state the competing ideas that way you can immediately see the reason that understanding the true nature of reality is so important to anyone knowing why they are here. If I have been created by a loving, purposeful, omniscient, and omnipotent God then I can begin a meaningful exploration of why that God gave me existence. But I am simply the product of a long sequence of blind, random chaos not only is there no one for me to turn to there is no reason for me to even ask the question. The question “why am I here” is at its most basic a question that pertains to meaning and purpose. But meaning and purpose do not exist, and indeed cannot exist, where all activity and action are undirected and purposeless. The random collision of inanimate particles cannot produce meaning or purpose. I cannot overstate this distinction between these two competing ideas too strongly.
VK: Inanimate means “non-living” which is just a fancy way of saying “dead.” No one thinks atoms and molecules are alive by themselves – but we know that living creatures are made up of atoms and molecules. So, the question of how a living being can arise from non-living matter is a foundational dilemma for those who want to exclude God from an explanation of origins. As Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, the chief scientist for Creation Ministries International, reminded us when he helped us with our Truth in Genesis series, explaining the operation of a thing is quite different from explaining its origin.
RD: Yes. So, as Dr. Sarfati put it it’s easy to provide a reasonable, logical explanation for our existence when we include God in the equation. When we exclude him we’re left with the idea that human beings are the result of a process that he calls “the goo to you via the zoo.”
VK: I’ve always liked that way of putting it. “Goo to you via the zoo.” That’s a pretty powerful summary of the idea that some sort of undirected, evolutionary process resulted in the human race. But it also points out the problem for people who believe in evolution but also want to believe their life has meaning.
RD: Exactly. This all goes back to saying that for us to truly find a meaningful explanation for why they are here we must start with a clear understanding of the nature of reality. So, in our first episode in this “why am I here” series we focused on two big points. The first point was that to know why we are here we must recognize that we exist in a universe that was created by an Almighty God.
VK: Because if someone wants to believe that life arose from the random interaction of dead particles there’s not even a reason for them to ask the question in the first place. The random, chaotic collision of atoms isn’t going to produce a personal, purposeful being who seeks to understand their role in the created order. You and Dr. Sarfati coined what you call the Sarfati-Fierro Maxim: All denials that intelligence was necessary for the formation of life proceed from an unintelligent point of origin. Said slightly differently, to deny that an intelligent Being created all life, including us, automatically means pulling the rug out from under the notion that human beings can claim to be intelligent.
RD: Yes. It’s not that people can’t deny that God exists yet still believe they are intelligent beings. They can and do. It’s just that when you unpack the intellectual foundation for the two beliefs you find an irreconcilable conflict. This is a conflict that doesn’t trouble the Christian worldview in the slightest. We believe a Supremely Intelligent Being created us so that Supremely Intelligent Being is certainly capable of imparting intelligence to His creation in any matter that is consistent with His Being and character. So, the first point to developing a meaningful answer as to why we are here is to recognize we have been created by almighty, purposeful God. And the second point is to recognize the role that Jesus played and plays in the now fallen creation.
VK: So, just to be clear, you are noting that the created order in which we live is not in the same state as it was initially. When you say the now fallen creation you are pointing out something very important. If Adam and Eve had never sinned we don’t know what our lives would be like today. We might likely be in an enormous Garden of Eden where sin and death were unknown. Man wasn’t ejected from the Garden until after he sinned. The Bible is clear that before sin God was accustomed to walking through the garden and the implication is that Adam and Eve enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with God. Genesis, chapter 3, verse 8 says, “In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking around in the garden.” So, it seems like God appeared regularly in the garden and Adam and Eve knew that. So, if we were still in the garden God might very well still be walking within it regularly communing with the only creature He ever created in His image. So, none of us would ever need to wonder why we are here. If the question every occurred to any of us God would answer it.
RD: But, of course, Adam and Eve did sin. They were thrown out of the Garden of Eden. And after they were the Bible no longer makes any reference to them enjoying the same level of fellowship with God they had previously enjoyed. Now the ground was cursed, their work was cursed, and their first son killed their second. Sin now had a firm foothold in creation so God began, and has carried forward, a grand plan of redemption. That plan culminated in the birth of Jesus who once and for all obviated the penalty of sin for those who would place their trust in Him. Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death removed the penalty of sin but it did not remove the presence of sin even for believers. Sin’s presence will be with us until Jesus returns to earth the second time to bring an end to this phase of human history.
VK: So, we live in a somewhat unique time during human history. We live in this interval between Jesus’ first and second comings. We no longer have to wonder when – or whether – a Messiah is coming. We know God has sent the Savior that we need. During the 4,500 years of the universe’s history before Jesus came the first time people wondered when God would fulfill His promise to send a Savior. But we don’t have that question. We know the Savior came. We also know that the Messiah’s first coming was not to take over the physical rule of the earth. Rather than coming to rule the nations of earth He came to save the people of the nations from eternal condemnation. He now rules over the affairs of the earth from heaven. But the Bible is clear that it will not always be that way. If nothing else, the book of Revelation is clear the time is coming when Jesus will be physically with His people in the New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem will come into being after Jesus creates a new heavens and new earth.
RD: So, as you put it, during this unique time in the interval between Jesus’ first and second comings - a second very important question about why we are here is how those of us living now are related to Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth as God in the flesh. It should be obvious that we are not going to believe in the Son of God if we don’t believe in God. And we are not going to have much interest in wanting to establish a relationship with Jesus if we do not know who He is. And the whole reason this question is so important is because of the continuing presence of sin in this world. This poses a danger for anyone who does not accept Jesus as their Savior. And Jesus made it very clear that He expected His followers to carry the message that salvation was available throughout the world. Jesus had completed the work necessary for people to be saved but there are a great many people who still need to hear that message.
VK: The Apostle Paul reinforced this calling in the book of Romans, chapter 10. Verses 13 through 15 say, “So then, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can people call on him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells [the Good News]? How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, ‘How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News.’” That’s the God’s Word Translation version.
RD: So, a third point that is relevant to us finding a truly sustaining answer as to why we are here is that we must be prepared to study the Bible. To truly know why we are here it’s not enough for us to simply fall back on vague assurances that all of our lives have meaning. It’s not even enough to know that God loves us. Certainly those assurances are necessary but they are the starting point for knowing why we are here. Those kinds of assurances, as necessary as they are – and they are – will only provide temporary satisfaction. It’s sort of a variation on the old saying, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you’ve fed him for a life.” Same thing is true here. I can tell someone that God loves them and has a plan for their life. Those statements are absolutely true but they will only get them or me so far.
VK: What you’re saying is that if we want to develop an answer to the question of why we are here that will carry us forward in our lives we have to have a firm grasp on the nature of reality – and only the Bible gives us important information about certain essential truths – like the fact that there is a spiritual war raging around us. Reality has an unpleasant tendency to intrude into our lives at inopportune moments and if I’m not prepared to deal with it it’s easy for me to lose my balance. Knowing that God loves me and is always with me is an absolutely essential prerequisite to making any more progress to a deeper grasp of the purpose for my life. But life is inevitably going to bring me challenges and I have to build on that foundational knowledge of God’s love for me. A strong foundation is necessary for the house to stand, but I’m going to be pretty exposed to the elements if the foundation is all I ever have.
RD: Now we would hasten to repeat – as we noted last time - that we must always approach these subjects in an age and audience appropriate way. A distressed teenager doesn’t need to master the nuances of the Levitical code or probe the mysteries of Revelation to get some comfort about where they are in life and where they are going. The same thing is true for people are recent converts or struggling with their need for a Savior. People who are dealing with life crises or struggles may doubt that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. So, it is important to provide that immediate reassurance. But if that’s all they know they cannot prepare for the next dose of reality which always comes our way. People need to get a firm grasp on something you pointed out earlier. That we are all made in the image of God.
VK: Genesis, chapter 1, verse 26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness.’” This points out why we need to know something, actually a lot, about the Bible, if we want to know why we are here. We are God’s image bearers. That fact is inescapable. Some commentators point that carrying God’s image is a bit like seeing our reflection in a mirror. When we see our reflection we are seeing an image of ourselves. The reflection in the mirror isn’t us but it looks like us. When we move it moves. If we change clothes it will change clothes. The reflection, the image, is more than just a representation of us. It indelibly possesses some of the qualities we possess.
RD: So, the image in the mirror cannot divorce itself from the real person and somehow independently begin to contemplate why it is there. That sort of idea makes for a good fantasy story but that’s all it is – a fantasy. The image bearer is going to in certain respects and certain ways reflect the original. In the case of people we are going to some degree reflect our Father God. Ministers will sometimes note that the image of God we possess is a marred image – like a mirror with a curve or a crack. But the image is still a real image. This means two things. First, if we have no idea what God looks like – or said differently who God is – we cannot understand why we are here. It would be like trying to see our image in a mirror in a completely dark room. Second, the more exalted our view of God the higher esteem we would place upon our own role in the created order.
VK: Those thoughts are both terrifying and thrilling. If we have no idea who God is we can have no real idea who we are. And if we don’t know who we are it will be impossible to know why we are here. But the thrilling part is that the greater our awareness of God’s majesty and sovereignty the greater we may truly believe in our own worth and dignity. And quite often that’s the basic reason people are asking the question about why they are here. They not only want to be assured that their life had meaning but also that their life is worthy of dignity and respect.
RD: Right. This goes back to the need for people to become very familiar with the Bible. It is only from the Bible that we can develop a full-orbed understanding of who and what God is. The Bible gives us as comprehensive a picture of God as the human mind is able to form. From the Bible we learn about God’s unrivaled power, unblemished righteousness, immaculate character, and amazing love and grace. This enables us to have a full appreciation of His glory and majesty and then contemplate our own lives and meanings knowing that the sovereign, royal and perfectly holy God has chosen us to bear His image. That thought alone ought to banish any doubts about our worth as human beings. God cares so much for us that He chose to place His image on our flesh.
VK: That thought takes us straight to our opening scripture from Psalm 8. In the that Psalm David is clearly staggered by the thought that the same God who framed the heavens, made the sun and moon, and put the stars in their place actually takes notice of, and cares for, men and women. It is a staggering thought.
RD: And it goes straight to the heart of our question: why am I here? At least part of the answer to the question is that I am here to bear God’s image. Or said differently to ensure that the people I encounter can see God’s goodness and righteousness through me. This is truly a good example of what else people looking for meaning in their life need to know is something about the God that loves them. If they think God is a sort of super-sized human character – powerful but not necessarily royal, majestic, or good. Well, there is not a particularly good reason for them to be unduly concerned about providing a good image of that kind of God. Moreover, it would be hard for them to place a lot of confidence in what that God can do for them. But if, like David, we fully appreciate God’s omnipotent power to create and govern not just the earth, but the 50 billion galaxies in the visible universe, then our appreciation of that God and ourselves begins to change.
VK: That’s why it’s so important for a familiarity with the Bible to be a significant part of any meditation we do on why we are here. From the Bible we learn about God. And from our better understanding about God we can develop a better understanding of ourselves. But that’s not the only reason we need to know the Bible to know why we are here is it?
RD: No. It is not. And we are going to get more into these subjects in upcoming episodes. But just as an introduction for now the Bible itself gives us a direct revelation of why we are here. For instance, there is a very important verse about our purpose on planet earth in one of the least read and loved books of the Bible: the book of Leviticus.
VK: You’re thinking of Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 2 aren’t you? That verse says, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” That’s also from the God’s Word Translation.
RD: Yes. A lot of times when we ask the question why am I here we first want to be sure our lives have meaning, but second we are concerned about life choices like careers, education, relationships, and goals.
VK: And the Bible has a lot to say about those things.
RD: Yes. It does and that’s one of the beautiful things about the Bible. But above and beyond those concerns the Bible is concerned about our characters. That is essentially what that verse from Leviticus is telling us. We must develop holy characters. It’s often said that “you can’t take it with you.” But the one part of this life that we will take into eternity is our character. So, part of the answer to the question about why we are here is that this life gives us the chance to demonstrate that we value God by seeking to obey him. The more highly we value God the greater will be our desire to be obedient – and that includes seeking to become holy as He defines holiness. Now, certainly none of us start out holy and we are going to have plenty of stumbles along the way. God knows that. But one of the great things about God is that He does not throw us out just because we stumble and struggle. God is a God of redemption, restoration, and reclamation.
VK: And there would be no need for redemption unless we were fallen. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verse 17, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” That’s the New International Version.
RD: But God doesn’t want us to remain in our sin. And he wants us to learn and overcome our struggles. He wants to give us victory. So, when he gives us that admonition in Leviticus He isn’t trying to discourage us. He is simply reinforcing His call for us to come to Him. And this also points out the need to ensure we are studying the whole Word of God. Leviticus is the 3rd book of the Bible- the middle of Pentateuch which is often thought to be irrelevant to the church today. It’s not – as we’ve just pointed out. We were created by a loving God to bring honor to His kingdom and to enjoy an eternal, personal relationship with him. This life is preparation for the life to come – preparation for an eternity with God.
VK: The Westminster catechism answers the question “what is the chief purpose of man” with the answer “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
RD: Yes. So, as we dive more deeply into finding out why we are here we have to be sure that we master the basics about God, man, and purpose. If we don’t gain a firm grasp on those basics we may ask the question “why am I here” until we are blue in the face but we will never gain an answer that will satisfy us or please God.
VK: Amen. So, those basics include knowing that God created the universe. We need to know this so we can understand the nature of reality. Next, we need to know that the created order fell when man sinned. But that God began a plan of redemption and the key step in that plan was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So, to know why we are here we must know how we are related to Jesus. And to get a firm grasp on those first two point we must study the Bible because if we don’t our knowledge of God, Jesus, reality and redemption is going to be incomplete. We’ll be like the man who saw a sign in English that said, “quicksand” but only spoke French. The sign was there but it didn’t do him any good. This sounds like a time to go to God in prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for our government officials. We may or may not always agree with the decisions they make and that’s fine. In a democracy we have the right to make our voices heard and our concerns known. But in 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 1 we are commanded to pray for those who are in authority. And it is interesting that in that verse is the only time Paul puts a specific priority on the prayer when he says, “first of all.” So, we may or may not endorse decisions that are made by those in authority but we must pray for them – and a good prayer is that God will open their eyes to His truth and will.
---- PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.”
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!”
(Bible Quote from the God’s Word Translation)
Psalm 8, verses 3 through 6, God’s Word Translation