WHAT WAS GOD’S PURPOSE IN CREATING US?
According to Scripture God did not create us to start a religious following. As God, He needs nothing. He did not create us to be His servants as God has all the angels in heaven to look after and administer to all His needs. The plain truth is, God doesn’t need us, but we need Him. So, why did He create us? What was His purpose for creating you and me?
Scripture clearly tells us that God created man for His pleasure, for His fellowship, so we can have an intimate relationship with God – it’s called love (1 Cor.1:9). God can choose to live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. God created you and loves you so much that He wants you to get to know Him and to spend eternity with Him in fellowship. It’s not about buildings (churches), rules, priests, ceremonies, religious worship or traditions. It’s all about a relationship and not a religion. Yes, I’m a believer in Christ Jesus and what He did for me on Calvary’s cross, but there is really no religion to it.
Truth be known; God deplores religion and those doing religious works. What, you may say? Didn’t God invent religion? No! God created man and it was man who invented religion. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons that Jesus came to earth was to do away with religion. You just have to read chapter 23 of Matthew and see where Jesus pronounces eight woes (warnings) on the proud religious leaders and the religious establishment. Jesus called them hypocrites and closing off in verse 33, He utters these thunderous words: “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”
Religions are man-made and are based on trying to get to God through rules and regulations and good works, hoping to being made right with God through their own efforts. The problem with religious people is that they use their religion as a substitute for a personal relationship with God. Relationships aren’t built on rules and regulations. They are built on trust. Many religious people on judgement day will say to Christ Jesus, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And Jesus will say to them: ‘Depart from me, for I do not know you’ (Matt. 7:22-23).” What a sad day it will be when billions upon billions of churchgoers throughout the centuries who thought they were saved through their churches or religion will find out that they have been deceived by Satan and will spend the rest of eternity separated from God and thrown into the lake of fire. What a sad day indeed. They were religious but lost, believing in their religion of works, sacraments, tradition, and church to save them. What a travesty indeed!
So, you see friends, it’s not about a religion at all. Religion is a firewall invented by Satan so he could come between you and the one true God, diverting your attention away from God and His word and getting you focused on religion. Religion is a futile attempt by people to reach up with their self effort for the purpose of trying to please God. Religions are based on man’s own efforts to work for salvation. Religion can never change the hearts of people or give assurance of salvation. Salvation is not a matter of being religious, but it is a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ through faith unto repentance. As you may know there is a persistent and ugly problem that rears its head in religion, wherever religion goes. It’s the attempt by the few to gain control over the many.
God’s plan for man’s salvation and for having a restored personal relationship with Him is told throughout the Bible. God’s plan is not based on people’s efforts and good works. His plan is based on His amazing love and amazing grace for us. God’s plan involved His precious Son Jesus paying the price and cost for our sins on the cross.
You need to put all of your trust and faith in Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. Not in any religion or church or in your own efforts. If you put all of your trust and faith in Jesus, repent from your sins, and commit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you can experience the joy of a right love relationship with God.
Oscar