Why Did God Create Man?

Mark Dunagan
01/21/01 - Sunday Morning

 

Why?

 

 

 

This lesson deals with the following question: "In view of the fact that so many people are going to end up lost (Matthew 7:13-14), why did God create mankind in the first place?" From the Scriptures we know that God knew, prior to creating the universe and mankind, that somewhere down the line someone would sin, for the Bible speaks of Jesus as being foreknown (as a sacrifice for sin) before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20).

Should God Have Played It Safe?

 

Should God have taken the position that He wouldn’t create mankind if there were the chance of even one person ending up lost for eternity? First, I believe that by our own actions, most people have already answered the above question, "No". The reason I say this is because the vast majority of people marry and have children. Both marriage and having a family are a risk. In marrying someone a person is taking a risk that this someone could inflict tremendous emotional suffering upon you if they so desired (Malachi 2:14-16; Deuteronomy 24:1f). When you have children, you are making the decision to bring a soul into a world that can be very dangerous. This child could die at any early age, they could be abused, kidnapped, or some tragic accident could happen. In addition, this child will also meet God one day in judgment (Ecclesiastes 11:9). In having children we do run the risk that this child might abuse their God-given mission here on earth (Ecclesiastes 12:1), and end up lost for an eternity, but we go ahead and have children anyway. Our actions say that the potential good and happiness that can come from having children and a family is worth the risk involved. Secondly, heaven must be so great(Romans 8:18; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 21:4), that God feels that the potential of people spending eternity with Him in eternal wonder and bliss makes it necessary to give man the chance to be born, live, and either chose or reject such a wonderful future. Heaven is so great that others must be given the chance to accept this marvelous offer.

 

There Really Should Be No Risk

 

The message is so clear, the terms of salvation so accessible to all men (Mark 16:15-16), and the sacrifice of Christ so powerful ("He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" Hebrews 7:25); and the love of God for mankind so dramatic (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8), that no one should miss this great salvation. There are things so wonderful that no one thinks about "not doing it because of the risk". Should we stop research on healing drugs and medicines because some people might abuse them? Should we stop having children, because some children grow up and abuse their freewill? Should we stop getting married because people are unfaithful in their marriages?

God Must Share

 

The picture that we get of God in the Scriptures is a God who loves mankind (John 3:16), Who truly wants the best for us ("Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! Deuteronomy 5:29; "He saw the city and wept over it" Luke 19:41; "How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling" Matthew 23:37; "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him" Psalm 103:13). Just imagine if God had never created anything or anyone and then for a moment brought us all into existence and revealed the joys of the Christian life here and in heaven. At the end of this display, He would say, "I had this all planned for you, but I changed My mind because I was afraid that people might abuse the offer or reject it". What would we say to Him at that point? Would we be attracted to a God Who was fearful, afraid, and unwilling to give people the benefit of the doubt, or unwilling to share eternity with anyone else? We need to be impressed that God commands us to be courageous and reject the fear of "what might happen" (Revelation 21:8). In like manner, on an eternal and universal scale, God isn’t governed by fear either. Isn’t that wonderful! Each one of us could abuse the grace given to us in the gospel message, but God still allowed this message to come our way. God doesn’t live an existence governed by worry or fear or what might go wrong. The same God who took such a chance in creating man and was prepared to pay the ultimate redemption price of man’s salvation, is the same God that we will be with in eternity.

The Cost God Has Paid

 

So often we become so preoccupied with all the suffering in this world, and all the people who reject the gospel that we forget the suffering that God has endured. We have only seen a little slice of time and history, but God has been here from before day one observing all the sins, all the consequences, all the abused choices, all the snubbed second chances, and all the foolishness and pain that selfish people have brought upon themselves and others (Romans 1:18f). God, the Creator of the Universe, as been ignored, blasphemed, ridiculed, and scorned ("They did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer" Romans 1:28; "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" Romans 10:21). God grieves over the sins committed by the human race(Genesis 6:6). Even though God came to this earth and personally suffered a painful death for the sins of mankind, most people have continued to ignore Him ("He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him" John 1:11).

Ephesians 3:10-11

 

"In order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord"

God’s purpose in creating mankind and then saving mankind in Jesus Christ is part of an eternal purpose. This was not some sort of sideline or hobby for God; rather this is part of a grand plan. "And in this new phenomenon, this new multi-racial humanity, the wisdom of God was being displayed. Indeed, the coming into existence of the church, as a community of saved and reconciled people, is at one and the same time a public demonstration of God's power, grace, and wisdom" (Stott p. 123). "God's wisdom has been seen and continues to be seen in the spirit realm and by all on earth who reflect upon the Lord's provisions...Paul did not say that the wisdom of God is seen in our imperfect human activity in the church. It is seen in the infinite plan of God and in His ability to match any situation of life with which we are faced, nonetheless bringing us together in one body unto Himself...our absurd stupidity is made known when we disregard any aspect of His plan, challenge His authority in the church, or question His revelation of truth" (Caldwell p. 122).

Note: the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places demonstrates this many-sided and variegated wisdom of God. This would include the angels, but it would also include the highly organized realm of evil.

What Does the Church Say?

 

• The church is a living demonstration that every lie that the devil has told, including the lie that no man would simply serve God because he loves Him, is false (Job 1:10-12). The lives of the unfaithful endorse all of the devil’s lies, but the lives of the members of the body of Christ demonstrate that God is right, that God is just, that God is merciful, that God can be obeyed, that His standards are not impossible, that people can understand the Bible and understand it alike, that faith can exist in a secular society, that sin isn’t genetic, and that honest men and women can see that God’s ways are the right ways (Psalm 119:128).

• The existence of a body of people on this earth who understand the truth, are obeying God, are humble and honest, sends the clear message that all unbelief and every sin is inexcusable. You see if one man or woman can serve God acceptably, then that takes away all the excuses offered by the rest who are not so doing.

• The existence of a body of saved people argues that God is merciful, that His laws are not cruel, unfair, confining, or abusive.

• The existence of the church says to the devil and his angels that their rebellion is shameful, without excuse, selfish, willful, evil, and dishonest. If a man or woman on this earth, surrounded by temptations, only able to interact with God by reading the Scriptures and prayer (faith), if that man or woman can serve God in a world with allurements, then what does say a life say concerning a spiritual beings, who were in the very presence of God, but rebelled? (2 Peter 2:4; 1 Corinthians 6:3).

• From the above passage, the message being presented is that God created man and saved the obedient in Christ to send a message loud and clear to every being in the universe, both physical and spiritual, and this message will speak for eternity. Do we comprehend the fact that our faithful lives are making an eternal statement for God? Our existence with God in heaven will for eternity silence all claims against God ("He wasn’t fair, etc"). God created this universe, with free-willed mankind, to (among other things), establish an eternal proclamation of His love, mercy, justice, fairness, holiness, and the ability of a created being like men or angels to serve Him faithfully and happily.

Romans 7:13

 

"Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful"

Paul says, that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 1. First, the Bible or God’s commands reveal what is sin. 2. Secondly, the true evil of sin is further seen in how people react of God’s holy, righteous, and good laws. The true selfishness, self-interest, and pushing everyone aside to get my way is seen when God gives a command and people reject it (Romans 7:8). 3. The deceitful nature of sin is seen in the fact that evil is able to convince people that God’s laws are unfair, restrictive, burdensome, and stand in the way to true happiness (Romans 7:11). 4. In addition, God created man, gave him laws, and allowed man to exercise his freewill in a wrong way, thus demonstrating for all time how deceitful, untruthful, and selfish rebellion to God really is.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017

www.ch-of-christ.beaverton.or.us/mdunagan@easystreet.com