Why Do I Exist?

“What is the purpose of living?” “Why was I born?” “Is life really worth it?” If you are asking any of these questions, you are not alone. Many people, including myself, have pondered these things. If you are tired of hopelessness and your questions not getting answered, I implore you to continue reading. Introduction In this flyer, I’m not going to lead you to a therapy group, nor am I going to give you a quick pep talk, only to send you back into life’s strong tide. Instead, I’m going to give you the unfiltered answer to the question, ‘Why do I exist?’ to the best of my abilities. We will discuss: How the world began & how we began What the purpose of life is Life beyond the grave Sounds pretty heavy, huh? Well, I have shortened these topics into more bite-sized pieces to help us chew and digest these weighty subjects. You’re also probably wondering how someone could know the answers to such questions, in which you have the complete right to ponder. But that is the exact reason as to why I have written this flyer; as someone who knows the truth, my prayer is to not stay silent. So, hang in there, dear person, and let’s discuss this together. In the Beginning Is there really a Creator? Did a huge explosion really happen to make all the order we see around us? Where did God come from? Where did the dust particles come from? I would like you to take a moment to peek outside and look at a building. Maybe it’s your home, your neighbor’s home, or a store beside you. Do you think that building just randomly appeared over billions of years, or was there a builder? What about a painting? Did the canvas, the colors, and the creativity all happen to develop over time by itself, or was there a painter? To simplify my point with an example: let’s say I’m walking down a street with fallen tree leaves and a bench close by. I decide to carefully arrange ten leaves in the form of a smiley face, and then walk to the bench and take a seat. A little while later, I notice a jogger slow down to look at my design. I then hear them mutter to themselves, ‘Who did that?’ You see, the jogger wouldn’t assume that the leaves fell in such an orderly manner on their own. Instead, it’s reasonable to think that an intelligent mind must have strategically placed them. Intelligent design testifies that there was an intelligent designer. So, where did we come from? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 “In order for there to be a design, there must be a Designer.” Ray Comfort The Purpose of Life “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27) Since God is our Creator, He owns the copyright on each and every one of us. Maybe one can distort their physical appearance, but God is the ultimate Painter of the painting. The Bible, or the inspired Word of God, tells us that God created us in His own image. Not only has God created us to be like Him (or to reflect Him), but He created us to have fellowship with Him (Acts 17:26-28). Like a son resembles and communes with their father, God has created us to reflect Him in holiness and love Him in fellowship. However, once Adam, God’s first ‘mini version’ of Himself, disobeyed Him by eating of the tree He commanded him not to, sin entered the world. What is Sin? To fully understand the purpose of life and the fullness of God, we need to address what sin actually is. According to 1 John 3:4, “…sin is the transgression [breaking] of the law.” “The law” here is God’s law. The Lord goes on to say in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” A “wage” is a payment – rather, your earnings. Due to Adam’s decision to disobey the Lord, sin entered the world, as mentioned earlier. As Adam’s descendants, it continues to affect us. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) According to Romans, death is what we’ve earned. Life Beyond the Grave We tend to lean on the fact that God is loving and good; and if He is loving and good, why would He send people to Hell? Using an example by Ray Comfort, let’s say you’re in the court of law with the judge and jury all having proof and witnesses admitting you’ve committed murder. You then look at the judge and say, “Look, Judge, I know I’ve done wrong, but I believe you’re a good person. So, won’t you just forgive me and put this all behind you?” That would be crazy! The judge would look at you and say, “You know, you’re right about one thing. I am good; and because I’m good, I sentence you to life in prison.” Many people mistakenly cling to God’s goodness as a way to escape condemnation, when in reality, God’s goodness is the very thing that will bring them into judgment. God, like the judge in the explanation, is good; and because of His goodness, He will see to that which is just. Heaven or Hell Well, how can we be sure that we are on our way to Heaven? For the next moment, I would like to walk you through a small test to help you answer this question: The ‘Good Person’ Test This test is a replica of the law of God, according to which He will judge the sinner on that final day. Will You Be Innocent or Guilty? How many lies have you told in your life? Have you ever stolen anything, even something small? Have you ever looked with lust? (Jesus says, “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:28) Have you ever used God’s name in vain (i.e. “OMG”)? Although these are only a few of the Ten Commandments, God tells us: All liars shall have their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). No thieves nor adulterers will inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The Lord will hold no man guiltless that takes His name in vain (Exodus 20:7). Standing next to other people you may look pretty good, but next to God’s holy Law, no man will be found innocent. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) I’m not here to judge you, but if you’re anything like me, you’ve broken at least one of these Commandments. Let’s contemplate for a moment—how many people does someone have to kill in order to be considered a murderer? Of course, only one. Therefore, how many lies does one have to tell in order to be considered a liar? One as well. The point I’m making is that you only need to break one law in order to be considered a lawbreaker. As James 2:10 tells us, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The Good News The Ten Commandments are called the Moral Law. You and I broke this Law, but Jesus paid the fine. That’s the reason Jesus cried, “It is finished!” just before He died. He was saying, “Paid in full.” Say you were facing the judge guilty, and the judge sentences you to pay a fine of $1,000,000. You then tell the judge you cannot pay, and the moment he goes to sentence you to jail, someone in the gallery stands up and offers to pay the fine for you. If you accept this stranger’s gift to you, you can legally walk out free from jail and debt. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, went to the cross, shed His pure blood, and rose from the dead three days later as payment for our sins. By taking our sins upon Himself, He has placed His righteousness upon the believers who, Know and acknowledge that there is nothing in themselves that can and will save them from condemnation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 4:15). Call upon the name of the Lord for Salvation (Romans 10:13). Dear Friend, it’s not some special prayer that will save you. I’ve heard a gentleman named John Van Gelderen use this as an example: Say you were in the water, drowning, and you struggle to the surface. You then see a boat pass your way and cry, “Help!” The people in that boat wouldn’t be focused on the way you said, “Help!” Rather, they would be seeking for the person who cried out (you). Trusting Jesus As we come to a close, let’s finish off with one last example: say you were 30,000 feet above the ground in an airplane when you hear the captain’s voice through the speakers, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, the engines have malfunctioned, and the plane is going to crash. Please put on your parachutes.” The simple belief in the parachute working would not be enough to save you from this crashing plane. You first must put it on. In putting that parachute on, you are placing your entire trust in it. You are entrusting your very life to it. Trusting Jesus is more than a simple belief. You are entrusting your very life into His hands. Fear not, He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). “Heaven is not full of people who know they are good enough; Heaven is full of those who know they aren’t.” Itinerant Preacher, Tom Harmon Conclusion Dear friend, you are here for a purpose. God’s love for you is so great that He willingly sacrificed His Son, offering you the gift of eternal fellowship with Him. All you have to do now, in order to begin fulfilling your purpose of life on this earth, is to simply receive His gift. Now, this topic may not have aligned with what you were expecting—or perhaps hoping for—but it’s the exact topic that must be addressed in the area of life and death. So, in conclusion, dear friend: You are wanted, You are loved, You are not alone, You exist for a reason. Thank you for your time, and may God bless you with peace and assurance of this truth. A simple servant for Jesus’ sake, Kylee