Our Existence

Why do you exist, and what are you doing with your existence? I have some thoughts and personal experiences with that question, and they are all summed up on this page.

According to the CDC, as of 2001, the average life expectancy for the U.S. is 77.2 years. And taking into account birth year, as of 2003, I am expected to have 70 years of life remaining (with a total life expectancy of 90 years). That sounds like a long time, but historically, it's a very brief moment. So what are these 90 years going to be for, anyway? Where did it come from?

There would be no point to anything I do in life, if there was no Creator of life. Computers, cars, and highways remain in existence because they serve a purpose. If they become obsolete or broken, they have lost their purpose, and unless another purpose is found, they become ignored and rot into dirt. What about my life? It has to have a purpose, or else it will rot into dirt. An eternal purpose. We, as humans, must have a Creator that exists eternally.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:31)

God created everything on this Earth to be very good, perfect, in fact. He meant for our existence to be perfect. However, I can definitely say my existence is not perfect.

Our Problem

If God loves us and created this world so perfectly, why isn't it perfect anymore?

"For although they [people in the world] knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became little and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21)

Every hurtful thought, harmful word, and wrongful act is a result of sin that contaminates every living person. Regardless of hard I try to be as perfect as God had originally created us to be, I will never be perfect. God has given us the freedom to chose to accept or reject Him as the Creator and Master of our lives. However, it's a constant battle between what I (being a sinful person) want to do and what God wants, and what God wants is perfection. It feels so good, initially, to say that hurtful word, think that hurtful thought, or commit that wrongful act. It feels good for everyone who does these things, or else we wouldn't do such things to begin with. But the eventual consequence of our sin is very bad. Sin causes guilt, shame, regret, and grief later in our lives.

"I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.... Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who does it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:18,20)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Sin also causes us to die. We can try, but eventually there is nothing we can do to eliminate the guilt, shame and grief. And there is nothing we can do to prevent death. Our existence is currently one where we are separated from God, because our sin is a rebellion against our Creator. So I have approximately 70 years of existence left on this Earth, and at the end of the 70 years I am expected to pay the price for all the sin that I've lived in for 90 years.

Gift?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

But wait, there is a second part to what God has to tell us. There is a way out - I don't have to just die in 70 years. God loves us enough that he has given us the gift of eternal life. How does this work, since I an condemned to die? God sent someone to die in our place. Jesus came onto this Earth, and lived a sinless life. He did not have to die for anything that He did. But He did die, one full of suffering on a cross.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

But because Christ was sent by God, He triumphed over death, and was resurrected from death. Because Jesus has paid the price that we must pay for our sins, we no longer have to bear guilt, shame, regret, and grief in our lives here in Earth.

As with any gift, in order for you to have it, you have to accept it.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

All we have to do is believe and accept the gift.

Perfection Again

Accepting the gift does not instantly cause us to ascend to heaven and be perfect with our Creator. For as long as I live on this earth there will be tension between what I want (sin) and what God wants. What's the deal, I have already believed, why do I have to suffer another 70 years of sin controlling the way I think and act?

Our Creator is more powerful than the source of sin, and as a believer we also accept the Holy Spirit, who changes us to become more like God and perfect.

"The mind of a sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)

God our Creator will one day judge and sentence to destruction and punishment all sin and the sources of sin, so that we no longer have to deal with any of the tension anymore. But thank God that before He judges all the sin, we are given a chance right now to receive the gift, the way out of this destruction!