The Meaning of Life

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (II Cor. 5:17)

Question: As a new creature in Jesus Christ, what kind of meaning does your life have in these latter days?

Fulfilled prophecies in the Bible are a strong indication that we are living in the latter days. In the light of that, I think it is expedient that we all look at our own salvation: past, present, and future.

Over the years, I have asked many people, “Have you ever wondered why we are on this earth?” Some had never thought about it, but most has pondered the question and were interested in knowing more about out reason for being. From the Bible we know the rebellious history of men and God’s loving purpose for his creation. The problem is that we, the created, tend to ignore God and go our own way. But when man decides to open himself to his Creator, the very meaning of life is opened to him. Only then can we see how destitute we are without God and how much we need a personal relationship with Him.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve had a personal relationship with God—they understood when God said, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you should not eat, for the day you eat of it you shall die” (Gen. 2:17). Only God knows what is good or bad for our lives. But in their disobedience, Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie. In Genesis 3:4-5, Satan said, “You will not die, for God knows when you eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Their desire was to be like God—to be equal to God—to be their own god.

Well, they ate of that tree and man has had trouble with pain every since. Even though Adam and Eve lived many years physically, they lost their spiritual life that day. They separated themselves from their Creator by believing they knew what was good or bad and they refused to obey God. That is what the Bible calls sin. It says, “As sin came into world through on man and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all men sinned” (Rom. 5:12). This sin that brings spiritual death has affected every human being since the beginning: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). If we live with sin and without spiritual life, there can be no personal relationship with God. Without that relationship, we’re all adrift in the sea of life without anyone to really depend on. To continue without that relationship is to get by the best we can until life is over, never knowing the true meaning of life or what God has planned for our lives.

GOD’S PLAN FOR MAN
Of course, God knew very well that men would go their own way and try to be their own god. So He began working with them right where they were, teaching each generation a little more about His plan for mankind. As more people came into relationship with Him, God began to reveal that He intended to pay the penalty for man’s sin Himself. The penalty was death, so He was to come to earth as a human being and die for the sin of the world. As the Bible account progresses, prophets spelled out the details of the coming “Messiah.” In the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, we’re given a detailed prophecy about the coming of this Messiah and His death. Later, we read the account of how He came and willingly died on a Roman cross for your sin and mine. Then, exactly according to prophecy, He was resurrected by the power of God. His name is Jesus, God’s son.

Because Jesus paid the death penalty and lives again, God has promised eternal life to those who repent or turn away from sin. Eternal life is a free gift of God to those who don’t want to go their own way anymore, to those who believe that Jesus’ death paid for their sin and receive Him into their hearts and lives. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

WHAT THEN IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
Are we here to eat, drink, and be merry and then just die? Or are we here to be part of a glorious plan God has for our lives? Scripture says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are becoming new” (II Cor. 5:17). A Christian has a new kind of life—the very life of God which is spiritual life. We are on this earth to be “born again” of the Spirit of God. Then we are to grow and mature in that spiritual life because we have a personal relationship with God. The God of the universe is a Person who loves us personally and desires out fellowship. Through that relationship He makes it possible to grow and to become what we are created to be—the family of God.

Does your life have that kind of meaning? If it does, it is because you have made a deliberate decision to repent knowing that Jesus’ death was full payment for your sin. It also means that you have opened your heart to the life of Jesus and desire to love and obey Him daily. It means that Jesus Christ is your constant companion now and forever. I hope you find that your life has that kind of meaning. I pray that you will not fail to search your heart and know.

Suggested Additional Scripture:

John 17:3 John 5:24-26
John 3:15-16 Titus 2:14
John 3:36 I Corinthians 2:9