The Meaning of Life

Man never tires of asking the same old questions. What is life all about? Who is God? Does He exist at all? If He does exist, just where is He? Why doesn’t He show Himself?

The questions are actually very good. God has instilled that curiosity in us so that we would seek the answer, seek Him. According to Jesus, the answer is available. In John 31:31-32 He says:

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

However, that’s apparently easier said than done because mankind and philosophers are still searching for the seemingly elusive answer. The best they can come up with is I think, therefore I am. They are like those Jesus talked about in 2 Timothy 3:7:

“always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

Why is it so hard? Probably more than not most identify with the frustration of Pontius Pilot who asks the age old question, “What is truth?”

So, what is the truth? How do we find out who and where God is? Well, God is infinite so I certainly cannot fathom the depths of God. But we can answer the question in the limited context of what his purpose is for us, mankind. That means, of course, we need to know the mystifying purpose of life. Why were we created and why are we here? Until we know who we are, we are limited in truly knowing God.

What are we missing? I hate clichés, but I have to employ one here because sometimes “we can’t see the forest for the trees.”

Let me give an example. Take a look at John 14:8-9:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father.’”

Wow! How did they miss that? I guess they didn’t see the forest for the trees, huh? There they were walking for three years with the embodiment and perfect expression of who God is, and they didn’t recognize Him. So what did they see? What were they looking for? They saw the “man” Jesus but they did not see the Christ. Hmmmm . . . interesting.

That might make us wonder what else we are missing. Paul says in Romans 10:8:

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”

He says the word, the truth, is right there in you. If it’s that near, we should be able to see it, but somehow we keep missing it. What is the problem? What is that we see? We walk around looking for God and all the while He is staring us right in the face waving His hands saying, “Wake up. See Me!”

Let’s dig a little further and see what we may be missing. Many think that the sole purpose of man was simply for God to have a companion. While that certainly has an element of truth, it is much more than that, much deeper. God created man to dwell in, to join Himself to, to express Himself through. We are simply vessels created to contain the eternal God.

I’m not sure when Jesus said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father,” why he had to spell it out, but he did. They didn’t get it. So in the same way, it appears we need to spell out the rest of the truth or we won’t get it either. The further truth simply put means if you abide in Christ then you can say in like fashion, “If you have seen me, you have seen Christ.” And if you have seen Christ, then you have seen the Father.

Now that is a mighty bold statement and not all are ready to accept it. You might say, “That is not in Scripture.” Well, I beg your pardon. It may not be in those specific words, but verse after verse is screaming it out. Keep in mind before Jesus spelled it out it was right there glaring in their faces.

Let’s get out of the weeds and see the obvious. God created man so that He could dwell on earth in His creation and enjoy His creation through us. In John 14:2, Jesus says,

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Now if you think there is a three story brick colonial with columns waiting for you, think again. He is saying that God has created dwelling places for Himself. Those dwelling places are people, and those people are those that believe. You are those mansions. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16:

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

Do you not also know that when God comes to dwell in you that you become ONE with God? That is clearly spelled out in 1 Corinthians 6:17:

“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

One spirit! Not two! One! And if one, then when I see you, I see Christ, the one you are in union with. That is why I can say in the current age that I live, yet not I, but Christ:

Gal 2:²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:

And then John spells it out again at the end of the age in Revelation 21:3:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

God does not mince words. The dwelling place of God is with man, but more specifically “IN” man. Man is the dwelling place of God. You won’t see a person called God. There won’t be an old man with a long white beard sitting on a throne. He will be there in all of us. The chaff will be gone and He will be expressing Himself through His ultimate creation, man. That was His purpose all along.

And that is the mystery which is Christ in you.