LIFE’S BASIC QUESTIONS
Some years ago -- a soldier was found wandering aimlessly
-- & in obvious emotional pain -- on the streets of
On the surface of it -- that would seem to be true. And yet there are a whole lot of people -- who have no real sense of who they are! The search for identity is a personal struggle which every person must face for himself -- or for herself. And some people never do finish the search!
In Arthur Miller's play -- entitled The Death of a Salesman -- there is a dramatic moment in which the oldest son, Biff -- stands by the grave of his father, Willie -- a salesman. Biff says sadly: -- "He never knew who he was."
And my friends -- there are a whole lot of people who never really find out who they are.
Life is so full of questions! But none of the questions of life are as basic as the questions we ask ourselves concerning the meaning & purpose of life -- & the here after. Questions like -- who am I? -- why am I here? -- where will I spend eternity?
Somehow we want to know the answers to the basic issues of life -- & of eternity! We like to experience some sense of purpose -- meaning & fulfillment --in our present life. We like to have some kind of assurance that when this earthly life has ended -- we'll have some sort of joyful existence in the world beyond.
Thousands of philosophers over the centuries have said what they think may or may not be true about the purpose & meaning of life -- & what they think may or may not be true about life in the hereafter. If we could put all of their works into a single volume -- it would not tell us very much. That is true because when it comes to life's purpose & meaning -- & what we can expect beyond the grave -- from the human understanding of things -- one guess is as good as another. All philosophers can do is speculate as to what may or may not be true.
Only the God Who created us can give us an ultimate answer to those questions: -- who am I? -- why am I here? -- where will I spend eternity? The only reliable source of information that we have -- which deal with these basic issues -- is in the Bible -- God's Holy Word! The Bible contains the real answers to life's greatest questions!
The reason we can depend upon the Bible is because it was given to us by the inspiration of God Himself! Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. They did not say: -- "This is the way we perceive it to be ..." They said: -- "Thus saith the Lord God!" They weren't simply giving their opinions! -- They were delivering the message which had been given them by God Himself.
Let me share with you a passage found in Psalm 8 -- beginning with verse 3. -- The Psalmist himself was asking a very basic question. He had questions about man -- & God's relationship to him. Let's listen in as he thinks about God -- & about man. He says in Psalm 8:3-5 -- "When I consider thy heavens -- the work of thy fingers -- the moon & the stars -- which thou has ordained; -- What is man -- that thou art mindful of him? -- & the son of man -- that thou visits him? -- For thou has made him a little lower than the angels -- & has crowned him with glory & honor."
In the late 1960's -- the American Ambassador to France
-- Sargent Shriver -- asked Billy Graham if he would
come to his official residence in
The ambassador's wife, Eunice -- sat fascinated through the early part of the discussions -- & then went upstairs to bring her young children down to eavesdrop. After Ambassador Shriver & Billy Graham went outside to say a final good-bye to the students -- Shriver turned to Graham -- & summed up the evening by saying: -- "You know, Billy -- the basic problems these young people are facing is religious."
The same could be said -- not just about young people -- but people of all ages -- every where! The basic questions of life are ultimately religious in nature! The Bible -- God's Word to you & me -- has the answers to the basic questions about life -- & about eternity.
Let me give you an acrostic for the word Bible: -- B-I-B-L-E.
Basic Instructions
Before Leaving Earth: -- BIBLE.
Look with me at what the Bible tells us about the basic questions of life! Who am I? -- Why am I here? -- Where will I spend eternity?
1. The first question is: -- Who am I?
According to the first chapter of Genesis -- God created the world & all that is in it! As part of that creation -- God said: -- "Let us make man in our own image. -- So God created he him; -- male & female."
Here is some truth that is worth knowing! We are not an accident of nature. -- We are not the result of evolution. We are the handiwork of the Almighty God! God created us in His very own image & likeness!
That makes us significant. -- My friends -- God doesn't make junk! Junk we may become -- but junk God never intended us to be.
My significance -- personal worth -- does not spring from the color of my skin -- the size of my bank account -- the degree of my education -- the position I hold in life -- nor the trophies or the awards I have received! My worth for WHO I AM springs from the fact that God created me! -- And the same is true with you!
However -- there is a very sad & tragic story also recorded in Genesis. For a period of time following the creation -- God & man were in perfect unison & harmony; -- they enjoyed sweet fellowship in the cool of the day.
Then a terrible thing happened! -- Satan persuaded man to rebel against his Creator by partaking of forbidden fruit. Man's world came crushing in around him! He had disobeyed God! -- He had sinned against God! At that point God could have walked away -- & allowed man's damnation to stand! He could have concluded that creating man had been a big mistake! God need not to have shown any compassion -- or mercy!
Thankfully -- God did not walk away! Even though man had sinned -- God loved him still. God initiated a plan to bring to man the forgiveness of sin -- to transform his heart -- to put him back on the track! God gave His only begotten Son -- that through His death on the Cross -- we might enjoy divine forgiveness!
That is why Jesus said: -- "I am the Door -- by me if any man enter in -- he shall be saved " (John 10:9). And Jesus said: -- "I am come that they might have life -- & have it more abundantly" (John 10:10b).
Many years ago I heard a story that has remained with me ever since. A small lad worked hard to make a little ship -- the labor of his own hands. Day after day -- he would take it down to the creek -- & watch it move along on top of the water. He got a lot of joy & pleasure from that little boat which he had made. But one day -- the water was moving more swiftly than usual -- & before the boy could pull the boat out of the water -- it was sweep away -- down stream -- beyond his reach -- & out of his sight. The lad went home -- broken hearted & saddened by his loss.
Months went by -- & one day as the lad was passing by a store in town -- there to his surprise -- in the window -- was the boat he had made & lost. He went inside -- picked it up -- studied it closely. There could be no mistake; -- it was in fact his very own creation. He told the store owner that this was his boat -- made by his own hands
The store owner did not dispute him -- but told him firmly that it was no longer his; -- if he wanted it back he would have to buy it. The boy wanted it badly -- so he went to work -- mowed lawns -- raked leaves -- anything to earn the money he needed. When he had earned enough -- he hurried back to the store -- & he bought the very boat he had made. As the boy walked out of the store he was heard to say: -- "You are twice mine. -- First I made you; -- now I have bought you; -- you belong to me."
My friends -- first God made us! -- But we became lost to sin. Then God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to purchase our salvation. We are His by creation; -- we can be His by redemption. He wants us to be His child -- & to enjoy His fellowship. And that brings us to the next question!
2. The second question is: -- Why am I here?
The Bible not only tells us God created man -- it also tells us why God created us! -- God created us so that He may enjoy our fellowship! God didn't create man & say: -- "Go now & do your own thing." Quite to the contrary -- God came down to fellowship with man in the cool of the day. The thing God wants most of us is not our gifts -- or service. The thing God wants most is the love & devotion of our hearts! God wants us to love Him more than anything else in the world!
Just as parents draw pleasure from the love they receive from their children -- God draws pleasure from the love He receives freely from us! Man was created by love -- in love -- & for love!
Once God has forgiven our sins -- transformed our hearts -- & put us back on track -- it doesn't make any difference whether we're a banker -- a school teacher -- a truck driver -- a ditch digger -- or a federal judge! To the extent that we love God -- & are doing those things which are pleasing in His sight -- we are fulfilling the mission for which we were created! Loving God with all our hearts -- & living lives that are pleasing to Him is our highest mission on earth! And to that extent we automatically experience purpose & meaning & fulfillment in our lives!
John writes in his first Epistle -- "truly our fellowship is with the Father -- & with His Son Jesus Christ. -- And these things write we unto you -- that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:3b-4). Fellowship with God has no attraction for the unbeliever. But my friends -- the purest joy this side of heaven is fellowship with God! The closer the walk -- the deeper the fellowship! And the deeper the fellowship -- the greater the joy!
Some people never experience what I'm talking about. They have no interest in God -- or in spiritual things. They are interested in only self-indulgence. They try in vain to find happiness by doing their own thing. They try to quench their inner thirst with fame & riches. They try to quench it with drugs -- sex -- alcohol -- or other things. But it doesn't work -- because we were made to fellowship with God -- & nothing less than God will ever satisfy.
Some people never get beyond an intellectual knowledge of Christ. They may have an intellectual understanding -- but they have no heart-felt understanding of spiritual things! Believing all the right things about Christ is good -- but it is not enough. Only when the Christ of Scripture becomes the Christ of my heart do I come into sweet fellowship with God!
When you do not have God in your life -- you are like a man without a county. -- You have no flag to fly -- no song to sing -- no cause bigger than yourself for which to live! Small wonder your life is meaningless! But all this changes when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We don't have to stumble along any longer wondering why we were created -- or what our reason for being is! Our reason for being is to fellowship with God! Just as the sun was made to shine -- clouds to rain -- & eagles to fly -- we were made to love & serve our Creator! Only to the extent that we do this will we fulfill the mission for which we were created!
Ernest Hemingway made it to the top! He won the Nobel & Pulitzer prizes in literature. He was rich, famous & free to live in any way he pleased. He had always said that if he got to the top & found it empty -- he wouldn't want to go on. He got to the top -- & found it so empty that he took his own life.
King Solomon immersed himself in wealth, power & prestige -- in every kind of pleasure imaginable. None of these things brought purpose, meaning or fulfillment to his life. Temporary pleasure, yes; -- fulfillment, no! Solomon's own appraisal of it was: -- "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity!" Even though he had everything -- he had nothing. And what was true of Solomon is also true of us!
But as Christians -- we do not have a dull or miserable existence. Because Christ has entered into our lives -- we have discovered the joy & delight of Divine fellowship -- which brings us purpose -- & meaning -- & fulfillment! We posses the highest kind of happiness & joy there is!
3. The final question is: -- Where will I
spend eternity?
What can we expect beyond the grave? When our life here on earth is ended -- will there be a joyful continuance of it on the other side?
That depends -- of course -- on what we do with Jesus Christ! It depends on whether we embrace Him as Savior & Lord -- or turn Him aside in your hot pursuit of pleasure.
We do not have to guess at what eternity holds for those who love God -- or for those who do not! -- God reveals this to us in His Word! Everlasting judgment awaits those who reject God's love & mercy. Everlasting life awaits those who give Him the allegiance of their hearts.
Earth is merely the dressing room for eternity!
Before going back to heaven -- Jesus said to His followers: -- "I go to prepare a place for you -- & if I go to prepare a place for you -- I will come again & receive you unto myself -- that where I am there ye may be also."
I don't pretend to know everything God had planned for those who love Him in the world to come. But I do know that when Paul tried to describe it -- he said: -- "Eye has not seen -- neither ear heard -- neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Scriptures gives a preview of what Christians can expect in Rev. 21 & 22. God had all of this in mind for man when He formed him out of the dust of the ground & breathed into his nostril the breath of life!
On one occasion -- Billy Graham visited the Senate dinning room -- when a senator called him over to his table & asked: -- "Billy, are you a pessimist -- or an optimist?" The evangelist replied: -- "I am most definitely an optimist." The Senator inquired: -- "Why?" Graham's rejoiner was classic: -- "Because I've read the last pages of the Bible -- & God is going to win!"
Conclusion: --
Life is full of questions! –
Who am I? -- Why am I here? -- Where will I spend eternity? Only in the Bible -- God's Holy Word -- do we find the true answers to these basic questions!
Who am I? -- God created me in His own image &
likeness. Why am I here? -- God created
me so that He might enjoy my fellowship -- & my devotion to Him. The
Yes! -- We can know who we are!
Yes! -- Our lives can be full of purpose & meaning in this present time!
Yes! -- We can look forward to a joyful continuance of life in the world to come!
We can accept God's plan for our life -- or we can strike out on our own to try to find happiness where it does not exist! The choice is up to you!
Pastor Lyle Pettit -- Wynne Chapel -- Cochise, AZ
www.wynnechapel.org