After a Bible study session last Sunday, I was inspired to live a full and meaningful life that fulfills God’s purpose for me on earth. I realized that even though many of us are born-again Christians, our mortal bodies are vulnerable to sin and temptation, and we may lose track of the path of righteousness and fail to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. While researching how we can stay on this path and ultimately fulfill God’s purpose for us, I had to answer one pertinent question: “Why did God create us?”
God created us so that we can have a spiritual fellowship with Him, have dominion over His creation on earth (Genesis 1:26–28), glorify Him, and maintain good relationships with others.
In this article, I’m going to explore Biblical verses and theological interpretations that attempt to explain God’s purpose for creation. Join me to enlighten yourself on why God created mankind so that you may live a life that fulfills His purpose for you on earth. Keep reading for more!
What made God create mankind?
Christians believe that God, indeed, is a supreme and sovereign being who created all of mankind. It is through this belief that we have a desire to know what made God create us so that we can live up to His purpose for our creation.
Based on the philosophical interpretations of Thomas Aquinas, many theologians suggest that God’s existence was, is, and always will be perfect and unchanging, even without the creation of mankind. Acts 17:24–25 also supports this belief.
So what made God create mankind when He needs nothing?
First, Revelations 4:11 suggests that God created all things, including mankind, because it gave Him pleasure to do so. Colossians 1:16 adds on to this point by suggesting that all things were created by him and for him. Theologians explain that God creating mankind because it pleased Him to do so doesn’t mean that He created us for His amusement or entertainment. Instead, God created mankind because it pleased Him to create and share a genuine relationship with other beings. In Genesis 1:31, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good, because His goodness, wisdom, and love are perfect.
Second, the Compelling Truth Ministry offers a wider explanation by suggesting that, aside from giving him pleasure, God also created mankind because it brought him glory. In Isaiah 43:6–7, God is asking the prophet Isaiah to bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Both Revelation 4:11 and Colossians 1:16 also support this statement. We should note, however, that since God’s existence was already perfect and complete before He created mankind, we don’t add to His glory but rather acknowledge, revel in, and live our lives in a way that attracts others to it.
Third, the Compelling Truth Ministry also suggests that God created mankind to help Him care for the earth and other creatures that He had created. The story of creation in Genesis 1:26–28 implies that after God had created all the other creatures, He decided to make mankind in His image and likeness so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. Genesis 2:15 reiterates this point by suggesting that the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Fourth, Thomas Aquinas suggests that although God’s goodness is complete and He doesn’t require anything to exist, God still created mankind because He intended to share His goodness. God’s goodness includes His perfect and everlasting love, compassion, and understanding.
Therefore, given these reasons for why God created mankind, we should be inspired to live our lives in a manner that pleases God, brings Him glory, cares for His other creatures, and reflects His goodness.
What was God’s purpose for creation?
We can understand God’s purpose for creation from holy scriptures that reference the same.
In Colossians 1:16, the apostle Paul preaches that all things were created by him and for him. He reiterates this in Romans 11:36, as he proclaims that from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. In Revelation 4:11, twenty-four elders worship God by saying, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Also, the Levites acknowledge that God gives life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship Him in Nehemiah 9:6.
Drawing from these scriptures and many others, we can conclude that God’s purpose for creation is to glorify Him. Theologians advise us that we can glorify God by acknowledging that He is our creator during thanksgiving and worship. In a hymn of thanksgiving in Psalms 100:2–3, King David urges us to know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. We can also glorify God by serving him faithfully with all our hearts (1 Samuel 12:24).
Psalms 139:13–16 implies that God has unique purposes for each individual, but whatever we do, we should do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Why did God create man in His image?
Christians believe that all of mankind is unique among God’s other creations because God created man in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Some theologians take this to mean that man can reflect God’s intellect, holiness, fellowship, and freedom of choice. So why did God create man in His image?
In Genesis 1:26–28, God decided to create mankind in his own image and likeness, then instructed them to be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
In Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, Dr. Gordan J. Wenham uses this scripture to suggest that God created man in His image so that he could better fulfill his purpose of filling the earth with his own kind and ruling over God’s other creatures. As responsible earthly representatives of God, we need to practice love, justice, and righteousness as we care for His creation and continue filling the earth with equally unique offspring.
God also created man in His image so that man may have a fellowship with God. Some Bible commentaries have written that God gifted man with knowledge, wisdom, and fear of who He was so that man could have a spiritual relationship with Him. The sixth question in the Heidelberg Catechism also suggests that God created man in His own image so that he may truly know him, love him, and praise and glorify him in eternal happiness. Before the fall of man, God had intended for all mankind to have an eternal fellowship with Him in the Garden of Eden, where He would walk among and live with His people. After Adam and Eve sinned, God separated from them spiritually and physically, and this marked the beginning of sin. Although God stopped interacting with us directly, we can still have fellowship with Him through His son, Jesus Christ.
Biblical reasons why God created us
It pleased Him to do so
In Revelations 4:11, the twenty-four elders give glory and honor to God because He created all things by His will. Colossians 1:16 also implies that all things were created by him and for him. Theologians have taken these verses to mean that God created us because it gave Him pleasure to create and share a genuine relationship with other beings.
To glorify Him
Revelations 4:11 and Colossians 1:16 also suggest that God created us to glorify Him. Isaiah 43:6 reiterates this point when God asks Isaiah to bring together everyone who is called by His name, whom He created for His glory, whom He formed and made. As Acts 17:24–25 preaches, however, God’s glory is complete and unchanging even without the creation of mankind. Still, we can glorify Him by acknowledging, reveling in, and living our lives in a way that attracts others to His glory.
To fill the earth and rule over His creation on earth
After God had created all the other creatures in Genesis 1:26–28, He decided to make mankind in His image and likeness so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. He also instructed them to multiply and fill the earth. It is our responsibility to fulfill this purpose to the best of our ability by practicing love, justice, and righteousness as we care for His creation.
What are some misconceptions about why God created us?
Since Biblical scriptures are open to personal interpretations, theologians have heard or read about several misconceptions about why God created us. They include:
- God created us because He needed us. Theologians assert that God needs nothing. Even without creating us, He would still be the one true God, perfectly content with His eternal existence. Acts 17:24–26 also drives this message home by claiming that God is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.
- God created us to be His peers. Theologians argue that although God created us in His image and likeness, that does not mean that we are equal to Him. Deuteronomy 4:35 negates this possibility by suggesting that the LORD is God and that besides him there is no other. God created us in His image so that we may have a spiritual relationship with Him but not the physical equivalent of Him.
How do you find your purpose on earth?
God had originally intended that our purpose on earth would entail glorifying Him, having a spiritual fellowship with Him, having dominion over His creation on earth, and forming good relationships with others. When man fell into sin, however, God separated from us spiritually and physically, and we’ve been struggling to rediscover His purpose for us on earth.
Theologians believe that you can find your purpose on earth by restoring your fellowship with God, through faith in His son Jesus Christ. You can accomplish this by:
- Fearing God and following His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).
- Desiring to know Jesus Christ, believing in Him, and living in fellowship with Him (Phillipians 3:8–11).
- Praying to God about it. James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom where we don’t have it, and in Psalms 57:2, David cries out to the Most High God because it is He who fulfills His purposes for him.
- Reading and meditating on God’s word. In Psalms 119:97–105, David acknowledges that God’s commandments have given him insight, wisdom, and understanding, and that God’s word is like a lamp at his feet that lights his path.
- Creating and maintaining good relationships with others. Proverbs 11:14 urges us to listen to the advice of others as they may steer us towards finding our purpose on earth.
How can you use your talents and gifts in the service of God?
In “The Parable of the Bags of Gold,” a man who was going on a journey called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. When the master returned, he rewarded the servants who had doubled their bags of gold and invited them to share in his happiness, but he rebuked the servant who had made no profit and gave his shares to the one with the ten bags (Matthew 25:14–30).
Jesus used this parable to teach that God has entrusted to each of us different talents and gifts, and He expects us to use them in His service. You can use your talents and gifts in the service of God by using them in ways that uphold morality and virtue. For example:
- If you have a talent for leadership, you can become a pastor to guide Christians on their spiritual journey with Christ.
- If you’re gifted in service, you can carry out tasks that benefit others, like feeding or treating the poor or defending the weak.
God-given gifts and talents are unique to each person’s abilities, and there are endless ways you can use them in God’s service. Ensure that they uphold morality and virtue, as our God is a faithful God who does no wrong; upright and just is he (Deuteronomy 32:4).
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.