The Bible is God’s word to us.
So let’s see what God says.
The first verse of the Bible is:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The 27th verse says:
“…God created man [Adam and Eve] in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Then, verse 31:
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
But why? Why did God who needed nothing create the world and people?
Well, for His pleasure.
In another place the Bible says, “All things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
God is a creative Being, and it gives Him pleasure to create.
God is also a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have people He can know and love.
But let’s see what happens next.
Back to Genesis 2:16-17.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They listened to the serpent (Satan speaking through the serpent, actually) and ate the forbidden fruit.
This was the first sin. It brought trouble and death into our world. And things have been the same ever since.
But God did not stop loving Adam and Eve. He promised an eventual solution to their guilt.
God sent his Son, Jesus, into this world to die for the punishment of sin. Then Jesus rose from the dead. And all who believe, past and present, in Jesus are forgiven of their sins and become children of God.
That was God’s plan even before he made everything.
“…as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
But what about people who don’t receive Jesus?
They have no forgiveness available and will be punished for their sins.
The Bible says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
It is not necessary to experience the wrath of God.
Because,
“…God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God created us for his pleasure to know and love.
When we failed to keep his laws, he provided a way we could be forgiven and become his children.
Jesus is “the way, and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Amen.