What is the Purpose of Life?

What is the purpose of life? Many people live believe their purpose is their eternal happiness. For some, their ultimate purpose is for their families to live together, forever. For still others, their purpose is eternal progression.

But are any of these things our ultimate purpose? What does the Bible teach us about our purpose in life?

Our Purpose

We exist to glorify God! Christians love to acknowledge that “man’s chief end is to glorify God and to fully enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Larger Catechism Q.1). Nothing is more important to us than glorifying God! Scripture tells us that everything that happens, happens that God may be glorified.

The purpose of eternal life is for God’s glory

We are given eternal life as a gift so that God may be glorified. The very purpose of eternal life is, ultimately, to exalt God’s mercy, grace, and justice! God gives Christians the gift of eternal life so that He may be praised for saving us from the wrath to come!

The Bible tells us that if Christians earned eternal life, then we would have a reason to boast in ourselves (Romans 3:27). But God alone saves us. Therefore, we have no reason to boast or to give ourselves praise! That’s why Ephesians 2 says

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God saves people “to the praise of His glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6)! The Bible even tells us that

“…we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:12).

The Lord saves sinners so that He would receive glory and praise. And then, once a person trusts in Jesus for eternal life, their new goal is to honor and glorify God with their works! This is summarized in 1 Corinthians—

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

God does everything for His own sake. He formed and made people for His own glory (Isaiah 43:7), and He rescues Christians from judgment for Himself—so that His people would praise Him (Isaiah 43:21)! God says of His people

“For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off…For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 48:9-11).

God doesn’t rescue people because they are praiseworthy or deserving of love and compassion. He saves them for His own reputation and glory:

“…It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name….And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes…” (Ezekiel 36:21, 23).

“It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 36:32).

Sin and Evil occur so that God may be glorified.

“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” (Proverbs 16:4).

Even the person who sinfully rejects God unwittingly serves to exalt Him! The judgments of God demonstrate His power and glory! That’s why God told Pharaoh

“…for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16).

In other words, the reason the Lord made Pharaoh so great and powerful was so that when He sent the plagues on Egypt, HE would get to demonstrate his matchless power. God made Pharaoh great in order to demonstrate His power and glory. Isaiah even tells us that God will be glorified by gathering the wicked together for judgment:

“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory.” (Isaiah 66:18).

God made everything that exists for His own glory.

Furthermore, Scripture tells us that the very purpose of Creation itself is for God’s glory. Colossians tells us

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16).

Romans 11 says,

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

Our Chief Purpose is the Glorify God

If we think that our happiness, or even our eternal families, are God’s highest priority, we essentially make those things to be idols. But the purpose of all things is to glorify the one true eternal God. For the person who does not know and love this God, this idea seems unfathomable.

But the Bible is clear about this: everything in all creation: eternal life, judgment, good works, wickedness, famines, plagues—everything that exists serves to bring honor, praise, and glory to God alone.

Psalm 115 says “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).