Why Did God Create Us? (Part 4)

For the last 3 weeks, we've been exploring the question of why God created us by asking several other questions in order to get to an answer. So far, we've asked:

1. How did God make man different than the animals?
2. How does the penalty of sin drive us away from our purpose?
3. What is the end result of redemption?
4. What is the goal of our mission?
5. Was there an important story before man was created?
6. What is the ultimate purpose of Christ taking on a human nature (the "incarnation")?

Please refer to the previous posts to see how each of these questions has been answered.

All of the answers keep coming back to this concept of the imago Dei (the "image of God"). We were created with it uniquely, sin damaged it, redemption repaired it, our mission is to bring this repair to others, the angels are watching the drama of it unfold, and Jesus bore the image perfectly, which was absolutely necessary for our salvation.

Clearly, God created us to bear His image, and to bear it well. But since the image of God is what allows us to have a relationship with him, we can also add that God created us to have a relationship with Him. That's why He gave us the image, that's why we had to have it repaired when it was damaged, and that's why Jesus had to bear it perfectly. God created us specifically to bear His image and to be in a relationship with Him.

What's the big deal about bearing God's image? Because that's what glorifies Him most. The best thing we can do to glorify God is to reflect His image with excellence. The more we bear His image, the more we glorify Him. There is nothing in this universe more glorious than God, so it makes perfect sense that the best way to bring Him glory is to bear His image - to be like Him as much as possible. If we are like anything else, we cannot bring Him as much glory as being like Him. The more we resemble Him, the more glory we bring to Him.

Therefore, when God created us in His image, He uniquely created us with the ability to bring Him glory - more than any other creature.

One of the classic statements of the faith comes in response to the question, "What is the chief end of man?" The answer that the Church has taught for centuries is, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That's exactly correct! Specifically, to glorify Him by bearing His image accurately, and to enjoy Him forever by being in a relationship with Him (which is made possible by the image of God created in us and repaired by Christ).

We exist to bear His image in order to bring Him glory and to enjoy Him forever. We have a lofty purpose indeed! God created us for the grandest purpose imaginable.

Next week, we'll close out this mini-study by exploring how to find our individual purposes, now what we know the general purpose of mankind.