Bible Questions and Answers

Our purpose is secondary to God’s purpose. God created the earth to fill it with his glory. God made man in his own image that in the fullness of time they would fill the earth and be raised to the divine nature.

Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited:

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

God made man with freewill so that he could choose to obey God or not. Disobeying God is called sin. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin and death upon their descendants. To save those of Adam’s descendents who would choose to obey him God provided his son to redeem them from their sins.

Man’s purpose then is to love and obey God. The reward for obeying God is eternal life in the kingdom of God upon the earth. The punishment for disobedience is death.

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

When we come to know what God requires of us we recognise that we have sinned and are condemned to death.

Ezekiel 18:4... the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death

The gospel preached in the New Testament explains that God fathered a son with our nature to redeem us from sin and death.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

His son, Jesus Christ, obeyed God perfectly without sin. He voluntarily gave his life to redeem those who will believe and obey the gospel.

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

God has instituted baptism into Christ so that we can have a new start. When we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ we can repent of our old life and have our sins washed away by immersion in water.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (condemned).

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The commandments that we are to obey are:

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Our neighbour includes our enemy.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

After beginning a new life in Christ we will still sin but we can have our sins forgiven by confession in prayer.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Those who believe and obey the gospel will be raised from the dead when Christ returns. They will be given the divine nature and made equal to the angels.

Luke 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Philippians 3:20... from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body...

At the end of the millennial reign of Christ over the mortal population of the earth, sin and death will be brought to an end and God will dwell in his creation.

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

This will be the fulfilment of God’s purpose. The earth will be filled with his glory. We have the opportunity now to have our part in that glory by believing and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ. The alternative is eternal death.

I hope you have found this helpful.

May God bless you,
Glenn