WHY LIFE?
The single most important question that every man and woman must ask is why do I live? I know that I did not live before. The only cognizance of life is what I have of this present existence. It is the only existence I have experienced, or know that consequently anything beyond this existence is conjecture, having no objective foundation.
Every living thing I see about me is like me; they did not always exist. The only possibility was that they had to be made. It is beyond question that all things man uses to scratch out a living are made implements, as nothing comes into existence on its own. Nothing makes nothing!
The truth is that this observation makes all thought of self-existence incomprehensible. All things are made and work together as observed in this world. Humans can only come into existence because they are made beings. All that we see and use are the result of careful thought, resulting in everything having a purpose. Therefore, our Maker must have had a purpose for bringing us into consciousness.
By simple observation of our existing life, and all recorded history of man’s accomplishments no other created beings have very dramatically changed the surface of the earth the way man has, thus setting him apart from all other living beings. Looking at all other living creatures, consider their ability to build. It is seen that they have limitations of design and construction which never change. Birds build nests, beavers build dams. Neither have room for invention or adaptability to meet changing circumstances; unlike man, who was made for a different purpose. That purpose answers the big question of why man is given life, setting him apart from all other created beings. This is why some seek to answer this important question of why life?
This society seeks answers in two neatly packaged plans. One is what is taught by our present religious leaders; those educated by prestigious universities of higher learning. They turn to the Bible for for their beliefs and teachings. Many want their teachings accepted without question, saying, “Because we are the educated there is no need to go beyond what we are telling you: Just do as we tell you and your life after death is assured.” The second is presented by another set of educated professors teaching the theory of
Evolution. When taken back to its ultimate origin, one can with certainty conclude that NOTHING CREATES NOTHING.
This should cause everyone to think that if their source is the Bible why are these teachers not in agreement? Because of their varied teachings they have no single path that one can take to achieve the end goal of life after death. Many professing Christians receive the clarion call to accept Jesus Christ as their savior for salvation. Saved from what? Spending eternity in an ever burning fire! Much of their varied teachings come to those seeking answers after the act of accepting Christ. The survival of these teachers depends on how many of the saved they get to follow them and their different teachings of the Bible. The saved are then expected to provide financial support for these teachers.
What is called death is what gets everyone’s attention, becoming more prominent as life’s concluding days draw near. Individuals take one of two ways in handling this situation of death. One, by shutting it out of their thinking and continuing to enjoy all the physical pleasures this world offers. And the second perhaps by simply saying “I don’t have the capacity to know the purpose of my existence,” despite mans best effort to answer the question: Why do I exist? They place their future in the hands of those claiming to know.
Surprisingly the Bible gives a simple pronouncement by the two beings of the Godhead – one the designer (the Father) and the other the builder (Christ) of all that can be seen. Most readers of the Bible miss this important information. In the first chapter of the Bible, in Genesis 1:26, God gives His plan for man where there is a most important work revealed; a work which has occupied their attention for more than six thousand years. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
Most read over this passage and make the assumption that the two words used here, “image” and “likeness” mean the same thing. However, they are two very different words with independent meanings. In Strong’s numbering system of Bible words the number for image is H6754 and the number for likeness is H1823. By understanding what these words are meant to convey, and not how they are translated, God reveals the core reason for placing man on this complex and beautiful planet.
The word likeness, H1823, means that God created man with the same outward shape as Himself – head, arms, legs, body, feet, etc. The more important part of man’s construction was the development of his character, typified by the word, image, H6754. God wanted man to have the fundamental principles by which to live with his fellow man by having an outgoing concern for his wellbeing, all typified by the Ten Commandments.
God also gave man the ability to solve problems, to anticipate outcomes before they might happen, and He gave man the opportunity to rule his environment as given in Genesis 1:28. “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; having dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
The word “subdue” is number H3533, and has the following understanding which is found in the Theological Word Book of the Old Testament. Quote: “Therefore “subdue” in genesis 1:28 implies that creation will not do man’s bidding gladly or easily, and that man must now bring creation into submission by main strength. It is not to rule man.” End Quote.
This was the primary method that God planned on using to develop His character in man. It is through the process of learning and doing that this is accomplished. One can learn by his own experiences or by the experiences of others.
An important and effective method of learning is one-on-one, teaching by showing and demonstrating the experiences of others. Another method is learning by personal experience: either by factual experiences or through the process of thinking through what is involved, then choosing what can be seen as the most expeditious way to accomplish the end goal. This can be a costly way of learning if wrong decisions are made, which man has a history of doing.
Those who are teachers should understand what God our Maker is accomplishing in creating man: it is the development of godly character. With this understanding the Bible takes on an important reason for it being given to man: it is His roadmap to a successful life.
By understanding that man is a made being, who needs to know why he was created and how to live to fulfil the purpose of his creator, resulting in an overwhelming esteem for his maker.
Without a set of basic principles, which the Bible gives as a guide, it should be understood that life is given to man to know how his maker thinks and acts to develop Godly character. This information is available in the Bible: His Word. It answers the question WHY LIFE?
Dec. 24, 2023
Revised November 2026
H = Hebrew Numbering System G=Greek Numbering System