The Purpose of This Life

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

KelbyofGod

Senior Member
Oct 8, 2017
1,881
717
113
#21
God gave mankind the freedom to make choices in how he wants to live his life here in this world, and by God's foreknowledge, he saw that no one would choose to follow him (Psalms 53:2-3). That is why God choose a portion of fallen mankind to be quickened to a new spiritual life, so that he would have a people who would show praise and honor to Him. Sense mankind did not choose Him, 1 Cor 2:14, God had to choose to have mercy on those that he had elected. None of us choose to seek God, until he regenerated us and has given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Eph 2
You mention the importance of the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit.

What was it like when the first people received the Holy Ghost (the Holy Ghost that was made available only after Jesus departed/ascended to go to his Father)? Does the bible tell us what it was like when they first received the Holy Ghost?

Love in Jesus,
Kelby
 
Dec 30, 2019
1,266
290
83
#22
"The purpose of this life is for man to CHOOSE."
Actually I wish He would choose for us so. Although He does tell us what the right choice is. We can choose life or death, sickness or health, poverty or prosperity and so on. It amazes me that so many people make the wrong choices in life.
 

KelbyofGod

Senior Member
Oct 8, 2017
1,881
717
113
#23
Actually I wish He would choose for us so. Although He does tell us what the right choice is. We can choose life or death, sickness or health, poverty or prosperity and so on. It amazes me that so many people make the wrong choices in life.
I wished the same thing a while ago. It's scary to think we can make choices that can stop God from performing his will toward us. But it also causes us to seek him MUCH more than we would if we were overconfident.

Love in Jesus,
Kelby
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#24
You mention the importance of the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit.

What was it like when the first people received the Holy Ghost (the Holy Ghost that was made available only after Jesus departed/ascended to go to his Father)? Does the bible tell us what it was like when they first received the Holy Ghost?

Love in Jesus,
Kelby
The old testament saints were born again with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the same as everyone else that is born again. Isaiah 63:11, Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him?
 
Dec 30, 2019
1,266
290
83
#25
It's scary to think we can make choices that can stop God from performing his will toward us.
We should rejoice that God keeps His promises. There was a pastor once that wrote a book called "Tying God's Hands". People got very upset with that title. But we have a covenant relationship with God. This is a legal contract. IF we do our part of the covenant then we can be sure that God will do His part. There are Hebrew letters that take four strokes of the pen to make. There are promises that have four conditions. For example 1Timothy2:5 "But women will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety." We see four conditions, five really, the women must continue in faith, love, holiness with propriety. The fifth is she must continue in this. More then a one time event when she is excited or inspired during a church service. Then IF we do our part of the promise God will be faithful to do His part. God will keep us safe and save us. It is through the birth of Jesus, that we are all saved. Jesus is a descendant of Adam and Eve. A descendant of Seth He is a descendant of Abraham and Sarah through Issac, He is a descendant of David and Solomon. He is a descendant of Mary and He has been adopted into the family of Joseph as the Gentiles are adopted into Abraham's family. Also we are told that we are the Bride and Jesus is the Bridegroom. So we are Co-Heirs with Him. "And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ— if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans8:17)

A king has ultimate authority because a King has an army. We have an army of Angels. They are trained and ready to do battle for us, They follow the book of life that God wrote before we were born. (Psalm 139:16) "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be." I have a daughter that never made it to the womb. Yet God had already written her book and the Angel reads this book and help her to become the person God created her to be. Even in Heaven.
 
Dec 30, 2019
1,266
290
83
#26
The old testament saints were born again with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the same as everyone else that is born again. Isaiah 63:11
The Spirit of God was upon them under the Old Covenant. God was with them but He did not dwell IN man until after Calvary. The temple has to be cleansed with Blood.
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#27
The Spirit of God was upon them under the Old Covenant. God was with them but He did not dwell IN man until after Calvary. The temple has to be cleansed with Blood.
So then, Do you think that the writers made a mistake when they wrote Isaiah 63:11? I do not believe that there any contradicting scriptures, and that they all harmonize, if we are interpreting them right. What do you think? Isaiah 63:11, Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of the flock? Where is he THAT PUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT "WITHIN" HIM?
 
Jan 10, 2020
18
5
3
#28
Ecc 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecc 1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecc 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Ecc 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Ecc 2:2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Ecc 2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Ecc 2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
Ecc 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
Ecc 2:6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
Ecc 2:7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
Ecc 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ecc 2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ecc 2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The purpose of life is to follow God and keep His commandments, for the only thing pleasing to God is we follow Him.

Jud 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

But the wicked are like wandering stars and not put in the position that God wants them to be.
I recently watched one of the most breathtaking videos that I have ever seen in this life about Ecclesiastes. They made the first chapter into something like a short movie. It was the most calming and reassuring video I have seen in a long time. It is all vanity. Isn't it? Somehow this really got through to me, and I've been re assessing everything in my life.
 
Jan 10, 2020
18
5
3
#29
Ecc 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecc 1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecc 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Ecc 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Ecc 2:2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Ecc 2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
Ecc 2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
Ecc 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
Ecc 2:6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
Ecc 2:7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
Ecc 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ecc 2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ecc 2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The purpose of life is to follow God and keep His commandments, for the only thing pleasing to God is we follow Him.

Jud 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

But the wicked are like wandering stars and not put in the position that God wants them to be.
I always thought of Ecclesiastes as a cynical and depressing book. But there is a strange beauty about it, I have come to realize.
 
Jan 10, 2020
18
5
3
#30
God gave mankind the freedom to make choices in how he wants to live his life here in this world, and by God's foreknowledge, he saw that no one would choose to follow him (Psalms 53:2-3). That is why God choose a portion of fallen mankind to be quickened to a new spiritual life, so that he would have a people who would show praise and honor to Him. Sense mankind did not choose Him, 1 Cor 2:14, God had to choose to have mercy on those that he had elected. None of us choose to seek God, until he regenerated us and has given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Eph 2
Have you ever read any Jean Paul Sartre? His ideas on choice and free will are quite astounding.
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#31
Have you ever read any Jean Paul Sartre? His ideas on choice and free will are quite astounding.
I do not read other men's interpretation of the scriptures to help me understand the scriptures. I believe that scripture proves scripture, and if there are scriptures that seem to contradict each other, then we are misinterpreting them. The scriptures must harmonize if we are interpreting them right. The KJV bible is my only source of study.
 
Jan 10, 2020
18
5
3
#32
I do not read other men's interpretation of the scriptures to help me understand the scriptures. I believe that scripture proves scripture, and if there are scriptures that seem to contradict each other, then we are misinterpreting them. The scriptures must harmonize if we are interpreting them right. The KJV bible is my only source of study.
Forgive me!!! I did not mean it in that way! Jean Paul Sartre is a philosopher. He does not write about the Bible, but his own experiences! And some of his work is quite beautiful! And yes. You are right. The Scriptures will harmonize if we are interpreting them right!! Some people are too quick to turn their blame onto the Word of God, in my opinion...
 
Dec 30, 2019
1,266
290
83
#33
So then, Do you think that the writers made a mistake when they wrote Isaiah 63:11?
No I think you made a mistake in your translation & interpretation of that passage. Errors in the OT are almost non existent. The basic Bible college response to that is: "In regard to the indwelling or filling by the Spirit in the Old Testament, most scholars believe the indwelling was selective and temporary. This is in contrast to the New Testament where the Spirit permanently indwells believers (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20)." So I am not giving you my own opinion. I am just telling you what most scholars believe. In my 40 plus years of being a Christian you are actually the first person to come up with something different from what everyone else tends to believe in regards to this. You are the first person to claim the old was as good and the new and Moses knew as much as Jesus knew. If that were the case then Jesus would have died for nothing.

Hebrew 8 "6Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises. 7For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. 8But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#34
No I think you made a mistake in your translation & interpretation of that passage. Errors in the OT are almost non existent. The basic Bible college response to that is: "In regard to the indwelling or filling by the Spirit in the Old Testament, most scholars believe the indwelling was selective and temporary. This is in contrast to the New Testament where the Spirit permanently indwells believers (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20)." So I am not giving you my own opinion. I am just telling you what most scholars believe. In my 40 plus years of being a Christian you are actually the first person to come up with something different from what everyone else tends to believe in regards to this. You are the first person to claim the old was as good and the new and Moses knew as much as Jesus knew. If that were the case then Jesus would have died for nothing.

Hebrew 8 "6Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises. 7For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. 8But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."
You must have misread me. I do not claim that the old law is as good as the new law. The Saints of old, even though they had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, did not have the full knowledge of Jesus and his teachings. We are in the same position as they were, because, as newborn babes in Christ, we are on the milk of the word, unable to digest the meat of the word. We grow in faith the more that we feed upon the word. Most of the regenerated children of God are still on the milk of the word. All scriptures must harmonize, or you are not interpreting them right.
 
Dec 30, 2019
1,266
290
83
#35
Most of the regenerated children of God are still on the milk of the word.
I do not worry to much about that. We will learn what we need to learn in Heaven when we do not have all the false teaching that we have to deal with here. If we have a question there we can talk to the author himself to have him explain it to us. I would love to talk to David and have him explain to me in person his love for the law of God. "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord". (Psalm119:1) My first question would be: Really? Our ways can be blameless before God?
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#36
I do not worry to much about that. We will learn what we need to learn in Heaven when we do not have all the false teaching that we have to deal with here. If we have a question there we can talk to the author himself to have him explain it to us. I would love to talk to David and have him explain to me in person his love for the law of God. "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord". (Psalm119:1) My first question would be: Really? Our ways can be blameless before God?

Jesus paid for thee sins of those that his Father gave him, which makes them blameless before God, and their paid for sins will not be held accountable to them.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#37
Depends on who you ask....acccording to Conan the Barbarian.....To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women! ;)
 

Whispered

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2019
4,551
2,229
113
www.christiancourier.com
#38
For me, there is no debate.
Seriously, yes, that's coming from me. :p
Because everyone who answers what they personally believe is the purpose of this, their, life, is right.

For me, the purpose of life is to realize the divine isn't out there. It is within. Everything is of and from the divine Holy Spirit. And the purpose of this life, is to realize that, re-alize, re-align, with that fact.
Jesus said, did I not tell you? Ye are God's. One can see that one of two ways, or both, as I choose to do. And I agree, life is choice. Ye are God's meaning, we belong to Holy Spirit. And also, since God created all things of and from himself, we are also of God. God in human form. Made in the image and likeness of. I think that is also what Jesus meant, as God in flesh, Emmanuel=God with us, when He said, no one
no
one (singular)
comes
to
the
Father
but
through
Me.

Think about it.
 

Robo36

Active member
Nov 27, 2019
186
58
28
#39
Correct me if I’m wrong, I admit I haven’t read every post to this thread, but as far as I can tell the original question of this thread hasn’t been fully answered. “What is the purpose of this life.” The answers here only gives “purpose” for “us,” the living flesh and blood beings on earth. The rest of the question is “what is God’s purpose for this life?”

Why couldn’t/didn’t an all knowing perfect, loving creator have made humanity sinless and perfect and spared us the tragedy of sin and death?

I have never found the answer for that, thus I simply choose to abide in Christ by faith that the living, loving God has a perfect purpose and one day he may reveal it to me and all. After all aren’t we saved by “faith alone?” I would appreciate though any biblical scripture someone might be able to provide.
 

ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,315
1,184
113
#40
Correct me if I’m wrong, I admit I haven’t read every post to this thread, but as far as I can tell the original question of this thread hasn’t been fully answered. “What is the purpose of this life.” The answers here only gives “purpose” for “us,” the living flesh and blood beings on earth. The rest of the question is “what is God’s purpose for this life?”

Why couldn’t/didn’t an all knowing perfect, loving creator have made humanity sinless and perfect and spared us the tragedy of sin and death?

I have never found the answer for that, thus I simply choose to abide in Christ by faith that the living, loving God has a perfect purpose and one day he may reveal it to me and all. After all aren’t we saved by “faith alone?” I would appreciate though any biblical scripture someone might be able to provide.
We are not saved eternally by our faith, but by the faithfulness of Christ going to the cross. Our faith can deliver us here in this world, but it can not deliver us eternally.