You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
#71 – Consequences of Christ’s Kingdom
Why am I here?
by Jim Mettenbrink

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     When we began this series, we acknowledged that at some time in our life all of us have the same three questions.  The first we ask early in life -- “Mommy, where did I come from?”  We considered the evidence for the origin of our existence and reasonably concluded that a supremely intelligent and all powerful being is our Creator.
     The second question we ask some years later is, “Why am I here?”.  In other words, “What is my life all about?” or, “What is the purpose of my existence on earth?
     One occasionally reads that man has three goals -- wealth, power and fame.  Usually men try to realize them, having the allusion that such achievement will give them fulfillment and real security, even though they often ruin their health and even destroy human relationships to reach these goals.  Is this selfishly oriented view of life really why we exist?
     It is logical that if God is our creator, He also had a reason for creating us.  In past articles, we considered the internal and external evidence regarding the divine inspiration of the Bible and concluded that it is God’s communication to mankind.  The Bible reveals the reason why we are on planet earth – the real purpose of our existence.
     Solomon, Israel’s third king, wrote Ecclesiastes (Eccl. -- [Old Testament]), explaining in poetry his search for real purpose in life.  He was the most powerful monarch in the region, having an expansive kingdom from the Euphrates River to Egypt, unimaginable wealth (2 Chronicles 9:22, 26), power and fame (1 Kings 10:1-7), yet the emptiness and despair he suffered, sent him on this soul searching journey.
     Solomon tried to find fulfillment in everything under the sun, but mourned that it was all for nothing (Eccl. 1:2).  He indulged every pleasure (Eccl.2:10).  His grand achievements did not satisfy the soul’s longing (Eccl. 2:11).  Wealth and honor are often fleeting and taken away (Eccl. 6:2).  In his despair to make sense of his existence, Solomon hated life and its problems.  Achieving was like grasping for the wind -- never accomplished (Eccl.2:17).  He couldn’t take his kingdom with him -- someone else would assume it (Eccl.2:18).  After all that Solomon had accomplished, at the end of life, his fate was the same as that of a fool -- death (Eccl. 2:14-18; 12:1-7).
     Finally, at the end of his search, realizing that selfish pursuits did not give meaningful purpose in life, Solomon declared, “
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, ‘Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man’”(Eccl. 12:13).  Our Creator wants us to obey Him – the real purpose of our existence.
     Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 3000 years ago, living under the Old Covenant given by God through Moses to ancient Israel.  His is a general declaration for all mankind.  But what is our purpose today?  Since Jesus is divine, the King of His spiritual kingdom and offering the New Covenant we ask, “What the purpose of His kingdom, the church?”  “What is the purpose of the kingdom’s citizens?

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      © Jim Mettenbrink; used by permission; courtesy of the Brookings church of Christ. rev.140703
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