God Gives Reason, Meaning, and Purpose

By Pierce K. Kozlowski

True Fulfillment in God

The three things that make life worth living is having a reason for being, a purpose for life, and a meaning for existence. From personal experience, the people I know who fulfill all three benchmarks with religion are happier than those who don’t. And this isn’t an uncommon phenomena. A study from the Pew Research Center showed that those active in their religious obligations and practices were happier by “a statistically significant margin” than people who were religiously unaffiliated, and that the engagement with the faith “makes people happier by giving them a sense of purpose.”

God fulfills all three benchmarks of reason, purpose, and meaning; and in satisfying them, there is necessity. Necessity in the Christian context is living not to carry out your will, but the will of God; for whatever is the opposite of God’s will is vice and evil, but whatever is of God's will is virtuous and righteous. From the Christian perspective, it therefore makes sense to live with necessity, and to honor God by adhering to Christ’s teachings and commandments. So if God fulfills reason, purpose, and meaning, what are they?

The Reason for Being

God molded existence into being because it was part of His plan. For that reason alone, creation exists. We are not insignificant and accidental beings caused by a random explosion; but rather we are purposeful and resolute creatures forged from the mind of God. The Apostle Paul talks about this very point, and wrote, “For [God the Father] chose us in [His Son Christ], before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him” (CSB, Ephesians 1:4).

Through the Apostle Paul, God explains that He conceived us as an idea, and knew us before creation. Then, by God's Counsel, creation was no longer just an idea, but rather a tangible design spoken into being. Therefore, the reason for creation is because God thought, he designed, and then he created. And because creation is God’s design—and because all designs have a purpose—God therefore has a purpose for creation.

The Purpose of Creation

God’s intended purpose for creation, humans specifically, is to bring glory to God. Because man was created by God and made in God’s image, man must therefore bring honor and glory to God. John the Apostle echoed this message in Revelation 4:11, and wrote, “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” Jesus was the ultimate teacher on how to live righteously, teaching us on how to fulfill our intended purpose.

Jesus Christ (5BCE-28CE)—God incarnate, Israel’s promised Messiah, and the Son of God—was crucified on the cross to absolve the sins of humanity. This is significant because Christ did what humanity could not: He fulfilled the Law. The Law demanded that we live by our works to seek justification in God, but Christ completely fulfilled the Law, justifying and forgiving everyone who sought redemption. No longer did God demand that we walk by our works, but only by our faith. The Apostle Paul teaches this point in Romans 3:28, and wrote, “For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Even though Christ may have fulfilled the law, He still left us with two commandments: First, we are to love God with all of the spirit and intensity in our being, placing God above all else. The second command is to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Matthew the Apostle captures Jesus’ commands in Matthew 22:37-40, and wrote, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Submitting to God, picking up our cross, and observing those two aforementioned laws is our intended purpose. Just as Christ submitted to His Father in Heaven, so must we. Just as Christ suffered through temptation to overcome sin, so must we. And just as God loved us, we must love Him and those around us too. God designed all of creation and endowed it with a divine purpose; and when the reason and purpose is established, so too is the meaning.

The Meaning of Existence

King Solomon (970-931 BCE)—the second and last king of united Israel—is correctly noted by theologians as the wisest man to ever live. Solomon had hundreds of concubines and wives, an enormous amount of material riches, and more power than any person in Israel. Despite this, Solomon understood how empty and bereft of meaning life was despite the bountiful material possessions gifted by God (1 kings 3:12-13).

Solomon attempted to restore meaning because of this, and found God to be the only valid pathway. Solomon teaches that it is our reverence and obedience to God that matters, and writes, “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

This is a simple, but profound conclusion Solomon reached. In the end, despite Solomon’s vast material possessions and harem of women—which no doubt distracts any man from God’s callings—he admits that it is our submission and devotion to God that matters above all else, and that is therefore the ultimate meaning of life. Look beyond the jewels of earthly mines and into the heavenly hills of God’s Kingdom, for we are beings made in the image of God, and therefore have a higher calling from the Counsel of the Most High.

References

1. “Religion's Relationship to Happiness, Civic Engagement and Health.” Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 27 July 2020, www.pewforum.org/2019/01/31/religions-relationship-to-happiness-civic-engagement-and-health-around-the-world/.

2. Paul, Apostle. "Ephesians 1:4 CSB". Bible - - Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%2B1%3A4&version=CSB.

3. Matthew, Apostle. "Matthew 22:37-40 CSB". Bible - - Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2B22%3A37-40&version=CSB.

4. Solomon, King. "1 Kings 3:12-13 CSB". Bible - - Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%2Bkings%2B3%3A12-13&version=CSB.

5. Solomon, King. "Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 CSB". Bible - - Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2B12%3A13-14&version=CSB.