Why was Man Created?

[Justin Adams]

To answer the OP: Perhaps the Lord High God was dealing with a multitude of disobediant 'sons' that He , amongst other reasons, thought a 'dragon trap' would be a great way of getting it all done in a way that would weed out His detractors. He is Master of all that is and was and is to come.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Justin Adams said:

To answer the OP: Perhaps the Lord High God was dealing with a multitude of disobediant 'sons' that He , amongst other reasons, thought a 'dragon trap' would be a great way of getting it all done in a way that would weed out His detractors. He is Master of all that is and was and is to come.

Interestingly worded! (and fairly close - hint hint)

[walla299]

17 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

So why are we here - what did God have in actually mind for us? 

Was it to:

a) Be nice people?

b) Give Him something to do?

c) Provide amusement?

d) Fulfil a purpose?

If you picked "d" please show the verse(s) that tell that purpose. Chicken dinner* for the winner!

* virtual 

I'll have a go:

From The Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Quest. 1. What is the chief end of man?
Ans. 1. Man’s chief end is to glorify God,(1) and to enjoy him for ever.(2)

(1) I Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36.
(2) Ps. 73:25-28.

 

[Marathoner]

19 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

So why are we here - what did God have in actually mind for us? 

Was it to:

a) Be nice people?

b) Give Him something to do?

c) Provide amusement?

d) Fulfil a purpose?

If you picked "d" please show the verse(s) that tell that purpose. Chicken dinner* for the winner!

 

 

* virtual 

D:

Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NASB)

My short answer.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

D:

Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NASB)

My short answer.

DING DING DING DING - WE HAVE A WINNER!!   We were made in God's image and likeness and purposed to have dominion over the earth and all living things on it.  Verse 28 reiterates this purpose (we should pay attention when God repeats Himself and in the same passage).

Ephesians 3:10 accordingly says, "God's purpose in all this was to use the ekklesia to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The result? "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly."  Romans 16:10

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their soul-lives unto death."  Rev. 12:11

Edited May 22, 2023 by Vine Abider
Just because

[Marilyn C]

2 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

DING DING DING DING - WE HAVE A WINNER!!   We were made in God's image and likeness and purposed to have dominion over the earth and all living things on it.  Verse 28 reiterates this purpose (we should pay attention when God repeats Himself and in the same passage).

Ephesians 3:10 accordingly says, "God's purpose in all this was to use the ekklesia to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The result? "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly."  Romans 16:10

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their soul-lives unto death."  Rev. 12:11

 

Hi VA,

Glad Marathoner won. Now when you said `us` in your first comment I thought of the Body of Christ. However, I see from your heading that you meant `man.` So, I should have read the topic more carefully.

So, I have a question. If that was all God had purposed, (We were made in God's image and likeness and purposed to have dominion over the earth and all living things on it), then why didn`t God send Jesus much earlier, say not long after Cain killed Abel?

Why go through the centuries of sin and horror, and then working with Israel for so long to no avail, and then with us and on and on.

I do have my thoughts.

Marilyn. 

[Vine Abider]

33 minutes ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi VA,

Glad Marathoner won. Now when you said `us` in your first comment I thought of the Body of Christ. However, I see from your heading that you meant `man.` So, I should have read the topic more carefully.

So, I have a question. If that was all God had purposed, (We were made in God's image and likeness and purposed to have dominion over the earth and all living things on it), then why didn`t God send Jesus much earlier, say not long after Cain killed Abel?

Why go through the centuries of sin and horror, and then working with Israel for so long to no avail, and then with us and on and on.

I do have my thoughts.

Marilyn. 

Well the first thing that comes to mind is Romans 5:6 which says, "At the right time Christ died for the ungodly" and Galatians 4:4 which says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law."

One might also consider "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Pet 3:8) and therefore conclude that the Lord doesn't see or experience time as we do, and doesn't think a period long to us has been a very long time at all.

And maybe the physical type needed to be established with Israel as an instruction and warning for us, as it says in first Corinthians 10:11.  And Israel showed that the old covenant of keeping outward demands could not be fulfilled by fallen man - we needed a Redeemer and a new life in us!

And my thinking on why He delays His return now and the wrapping-up of all things is two fold:  1) As many as can be saved will be saved (as per 2 Peter 3:9);  2) Ones are needed to overcome

What are your thoughts?

Edited May 22, 2023 by Vine Abider
Added to it

[Marilyn C]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

Well the first thing that comes to mind is Romans 5:6 which says, "At the right time Christ died for the ungodly" and Galatians 4:4 which says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law."

One might also consider "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Pet 3:8) and therefore conclude that the Lord doesn't see or experience time as we do, and doesn't think a period long to us has been a very long time at all.

And maybe the physical type needed to be established with Israel as an instruction and warning for us, as it says in first Corinthians 10:11.  And Israel showed that the old covenant of keeping outward demands could not be fulfilled by fallen man - we needed a Redeemer and a new life in us!

And my thinking on why He delays His return now and the wrapping-up of all things is two fold:  1) As many as can be saved will be saved (as per 2 Peter 3:9);  2) Ones are needed to overcome

What are your thoughts?

Some good thoughts there VA, and I agree with them. Now, there is a gap that wasn`t talked about from Adam in the garden to the `ungodly.` 

If all God wanted was for man to have dominion over the earth & living things then man would just be an innocent, naive man. He would be `frolicking` around in the garden just eating, sleeping etc. God would have dealt with Lucifer of course. 

But no, that is not what happened. The `gap` was well known of God for He is omniscient. God knew that for man to grow and mature he needed a moral character, and that only develops with choices. Thus, the choice - self or God. 

And God did not desire to be a God `watching from a distance,` (as a song said). God knew that when He made the universe with man on earth that God Himself would need to become man to bring about dominion not only on the earth but in all realms of His great Kingdom. God desired that He would be with man and man would be with Him. 

God the Father - `having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to the good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He might gather together in one, (harmony) all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him. (Eph. 1: 9 & 10)

God has greater purposes than just the earth and its restoration.

[Marathoner]

4 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

DING DING DING DING - WE HAVE A WINNER!!   We were made in God's image and likeness and purposed to have dominion over the earth and all living things on it.  Verse 28 reiterates this purpose (we should pay attention when God repeats Himself and in the same passage).

Ephesians 3:10 accordingly says, "God's purpose in all this was to use the ekklesia to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The result? "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly."  Romans 16:10

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their soul-lives unto death."  Rev. 12:11

I have some Carolina reaper sauce to dump on that dinner! 

[Marathoner]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

Well the first thing that comes to mind is Romans 5:6 which says, "At the right time Christ died for the ungodly" and Galatians 4:4 which says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law."

One might also consider "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Pet 3:8) and therefore conclude that the Lord doesn't see or experience time as we do, and doesn't think a period long to us has been a very long time at all.

And maybe the physical type needed to be established with Israel as an instruction and warning for us, as it says in first Corinthians 10:11.  And Israel showed that the old covenant of keeping outward demands could not be fulfilled by fallen man - we needed a Redeemer and a new life in us!

And my thinking on why He delays His return now and the wrapping-up of all things is two fold:  1) As many as can be saved will be saved (as per 2 Peter 3:9);  2) Ones are needed to overcome

I know this was posted to our sister, but I'm in agreement and that's part of my longer answer which is to say, who is the express image of the invisible God after whom we are made?

The Son of God and thus, the Son of Man: born to a woman under the Law in the fullness of time. I'm on my phone right now so no pasting verses, but I'm confident that scripture references will be evident to most. If not, I can return later and share them. 

(you've shared some of those passages already)

How the Lord God is above and clearly beyond matters of space and time are impossible for us to comprehend living in space and time as we do (and that's all we have known), so we read in the book of Revelation about the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). 

The Son of God created us in His image, to be conformed to His likeness by the Spirit of God from glory to glory. He is the first of many brethren, those brethren being ourselves; and by His power we become joint heirs with Christ.

As I love to say, who among the angels is granted to sit with the Lord of glory upon His throne? Not one. The Lord who created us and also redeems us --- His overcomers --- calls us to be seated with Him. As we read in New Testament scripture, the Lord ascended in a cloud and sat down at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places right now.

The implications are astounding, to say the least. Ah, but time and space are all that we have known, and it pleases the Lord that we see darkly and know only in part at this time. Remember, there's a time for every matter under heaven.