Why did God create mankind?

Why did God create mankind? I have been a Christian for a long time, so I am not completely ignorant of the things of God. However, there are many questions and issues that are not answered in the the Bible that make it difficult for many people to really know the answer to this question.

I respect your question and your desire to inquire about the purpose for your very existence. In fact, God created you with the capacity to ponder these kinds of things. I’m also glad that you have assurance that you’re a Christian and are knowledgeable about the things of God. Permit me to suggest that “the things of God” can be in two basic categories: 1) “the known” and 2) “the unknown”.

That which we consider “the known” would include our existence, with all the good and bad of life, along with the reality of our own free will. This is actually the realm of God’s revealed reality for us and includes the option of making choices as to our relationship with God, others, and even ourselves. In this reality, we know only what God allows us to know, but it is still left to us to navigate this revealed reality through the choices we make. This may mean accepting this reality as “of God” and responding accordingly as a believer in Him or it may mean rejecting God and living within the revealed reality on our own terms. Either way, the person is functioning within the category of “the known” (Psalm 139:13-16, Proverbs 21:2, Job 1:21-22).

That which we consider “the unknown” would include all other reality outside of our own knowledge, as it were, only known to God, and therefore, within the realm of His will alone. It is within this unrevealed reality that lies the choice of our existence, in that, the choice is totally God’s. For us, as “creatures”, to possess total knowledge, would make us equal with our “Creator”, which is obviously impossible and unreasonable. Thus, we are called upon to trust our Creator, God, with that which we cannot know – in this case, the choice of our existence. This is one of the most basic elements of “faith” in God; to believe that “He is” and “we came from Him” because it was “His will” for us to exist (Hebrews 11:6, Romans 11:33-36, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 92:4).

My God bless you as you see your very existence as God’s planned and perfect will so that you can have purpose in life – that purpose being to glorify Him through the good and bad of life in order to be conformed to His Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3-6, Romans 8:28-29)!