Why Did God Make Humans?
—Why are we here?
People look at the world and ask, “Why did God make humans?” They also look at themselves and ask, “Why did God make me?” These are deep and important questions about the creation of mankind. The Bible answers them for us. We are here on earth to be his children, to seek and worship him, and to be a source of his joy.
1 To Be God’s Children in God’s Image
Genesis 1:25-28
¶“24And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and beasts of the earth as to their kinds.' And it was so. 25Thus God made the beasts of the earth as to their kinds and the livestock as to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground as to its kind. And God saw that what he made was good.” (Genesis 1:24-25)
¶“26Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and the livestock; and over all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” (Genesis 1:26-28)
In this account of the origin of man (male and female), we see that man was not one of the beasts. Man was quite distinct from the animals and other creatures. Certainly, like the animals, man was flesh and blood; created on the sixth day; created male and female. However unlike the animals, man was created in the image of God. Only of Adam and Eve is it said, "in his own image ...in the image of God ...he created them" (Genesis 1:27).
It was always God’s purpose that human beings should live their lives according to that image. Jesus, the Son of God, did that perfectly. "He is the brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his nature" (Hebrews 1:1-4).
Furthermore, human beings are meant to conform to the image of the Son so as to be counted among God’s children. "For those whom he foreknew he also preordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that his Son might be the firstborn among many children" (Romans 8:29).
So we see that right from before the creation of man, God had purposed to have children, and so he created human beings in his own image so that they could be a family of “sons” to him. Satan tried to foil that plan, but God purposed to send his Son to rescue from Satan those who wished to be children of God forever.
2 To Seek and Worship God
Acts 17:24-28
¶“24'The God who made the world and all things in it, he is Lord of Heaven and earth. So he doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, 25neither is he served by men’s hands as though he needed anything; since he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything.' ” (Acts 17:24-25).
¶“26'God made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth. He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling places. 27He appointed that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him. He is not far from any one of us, 28for in him we live, and move, and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.' ' ” (Acts 17:26-28).
Notice what Paul told his audience in Athens. God made human beings that they should seek the Lord (Acts 17:27 above). It is our purpose on earth to "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
Here are just three more of several places in the Bible which show that God intended human beings not to be godless, but to seek God and worship him...
"The dwellers in one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts..." (Zechariah 8:21).
"You have said, 'Seek my face.'
My heart prays to you,
'Your face, LORD, do I seek.'"
(Psalm 27:8).
"Then you will call on me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you says the LORD" (Jeremiah 29:12-14).
3 A Source of God’s Joy
Matthew 25:22-23
¶“22He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord you delivered two talents to me. As you see, I have gained two more talents besides them'. 22 His lord said to him, 'Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'” (Matthew 25:22-23).
An excerpt from the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30.
Our Lord’s parable of the talents shows that God made mankind to work what is good, and be fruitful and profitable. When we do this, we please God and add to his joy. But we also will eternally share his joy. Notice what the lord in the parable said: "Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25:23).
Paul, when encouraging obedience for salvation, said, "God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12). We can give good pleasure to God. Yes, we can cause the Lord to rejoice.
As Ezra said, when encouraging renewed obedience in the people who had lost God’s law, "The joy of the lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
The first principle of the universe is the joy of God. The first item on God’s agenda is that he should find good pleasure in us and we in Him. God rejoices in nothing but what is good. There's no higher goal or purpose than to please God.
It's Satan’s agenda that men should incur God’s wrath. God doesn't want to be angry with us; he wants to smile upon us. Only by bringing joy to God can we find joy and good for ourselves.