People have many different purposes for their lives. They have goals that they try to achieve. The scientists and philosophers have tried to come up with a reason for life, but until now they have not come up with one.  People live for a while, and try hard to gain wealth, and then suddenly it is over, and what riches they have accumulated they leave behind.  Others live for pleasure and entertainment. One movie-maker who had done over 150 movies said that he feels that he has wasted his life in wrong things.  Some are fighting for a high position, thinking that that will make their lives worthwhile. Again, there are people who have no goals that they want to achieve. They just live from day to day, and are satisfied with the necessities for survival.  There are also people who see no purpose for their lives and commit suicide.

The only real purpose for human life comes from the Creator, who made man and placed him to live on this earth.  Jesus spoke to the disciples on how to have a perfect, happy life. “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”  John 15:11

David said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”  Psalm 16:11

Misery and unhappiness came to this world when the first human pair lost their righteousness and became sinners. They lost the chance for an eternal, happy life, which was the purpose of God for them.

But in His mercy and love toward the lost human race, God decided to give man a second chance, but with the infinite sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.

Angels of God were rejoicing, thinking that every human being will eagerly take hold of this second chance and return to the original way of living.  But to their great disappointment they saw that so few were interested in this offer from God.  And even many of those who showed interest put out only a half-hearted effort to gain it.

The main purpose of this life, even to most of the professed Christians, is to provide the necessities of life for themselves.  When Jesus saw this He gave counsel to His disciples, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, What Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your  heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matthew 6:31–33

Now here Jesus revealed the real purpose of life on this earth, which is to seek the lost kingdom of God and also to seek the lost righteousness, which is the secret of a happy, peaceful life.  God is freely offering these to everyone who seeks them above all other things.

He said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.”  Luke 14:33

This second chance that God has given us is with a purpose to prove that we love Him and trust His promise to care for us.  Also we prove that we enjoy a righteous life, the life that is practiced in heaven.

“God has a work, a purpose, in the life of each of us.  Every act, however small, has its place in our life experience.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 541

There is a refining process going on throughout our whole lifetime.  God has to remove rubbish and impurities from us.

“And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of sliver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3

To change a sinner into a saint is the work that God is doing in our lifetime on this earth. The righteousness which was lost in the beginning will be gained by ourselves and God working together. This will certainly make this lifetime very important, so, no time is to be wasted in vanity.

“To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life.” –Education, p. 15–16

“Life is not given us to be spent in idleness or self-pleasing; before us are placed great possibilities.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 278

“Here in this life is the testing, trying time. The angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. The whole question is settled in this, Is he obedient or disobedient to the commandments of God? has the sinner been transformed in this world, through the merits of Christ, to an obedient servant, so that he is fitted to join the heavenly society?” –Sons and Daughters of God, p. 50

We must not ignore our great enemy, Satan, who is out to destroy our happiness and our real life purpose. He has experience in deceiving people out of salvation for 6000 years, and he has been very successful in it.  In heaven he deceived one-third of the angels to change their life purpose away from serving God. In the time of Noah, almost the whole world rejected the second chance that God so graciously had offered to them.

Also in the time of the end in which we live today, Jesus said, “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37

Jesus also said, “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Mark 13:12–13

“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.” Matthew 23:28, 34

This hatred and persecution are also in the plan of God. The millions of martyrs prove it.  Paul said, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12. Paul did not say that some shall suffer persecution, but all.  This persecution will separate the lukewarm, half-hearted Christians from the true children of God, who have chosen the plan of God as the only purpose for their lives.

“Of all the gifts that heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honour. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honoured than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon.” –Ministry of Healing, p. 478

The knowledge that we will be in heaven, that we are saved gives us strength to suffer the persecution that is brought against us.

Paul was sure of his salvation. He said, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day.” 2 Timothy 4:8

We cannot rejoice and be full of joy and happiness until we know that we will have eternal life. And to be sure of this reward is the purpose of our lives; all other things are not as important. May the Lord help us to fulfill the part that we must do—the Lord surely will do His part—that our salvation may be complete.  AMEN.

Timo Martin