What is the Meaning of Life in the Bible?

THAT’S IN THE BIBLE

What is the Meaning of Life in the Bible? 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Does my life have a purpose?  Is there meaning to my existence?  Why am I here?  Questions like these have been posed throughout the history of humanity. People have so often struggled to understand their purpose, and that continues in our time. But the Bible can help us determine exactly what is the meaning of life. 

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The Bible: The basis of our faith in the Church Of Christ which answers questions about proper worship, the right relationship with God and most importantly, salvation. That’s in the Bible. 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: I’m Bob Pellien and welcome to the program, That’s in the Bible. We have received over the years many questions about the meaning of life. Here’s one from Chuck Swift: 

When living this life, seeing the ups and the downs, and you know the happiest we can be, to as low as life can get, are we supposed to be saved in this world like Jesus Christ? Or are we meant to live through this life and experience whatever it might be? 

Chuck Swift 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: And we received one from Cynthia Daicus, and Cynthia asked: 

How do you know when your life has been fulfilled? 

Cynthia Daicus

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Thank you Chuck and Cynthia for sending to us your questions on this important topic. So, let’s break it down into these four questions:

What gives life meaning?

How do you know when life’s purpose has been fulfilled?

What is at the end of a meaningful life?

Are there different roads to a meaningful life? 

Before we start, we can all agree that there have been people that have gained fame, they’ve gained honor, they have amassed great wealth, but still, they find themselves unhappy. They find themselves unfulfilled. They find themselves just not satisfied or content. It is a natural, universal human drive to assign meaning to our being. So what are some of the ways that people think they can give meaning to their life? Many might list family, or maybe career success as a source of purpose. Some will innumerate many things like that and measure their purpose in life by such things. But really, will those things give any true meaning to our lives? Let’s start with our first question, What gives life meaning?  What are we here for? We turn to the Holy Bible, Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 13, and it reads: 

So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don’t enjoy life.”

After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.

Ecclesiastes 12:1,13 Good News Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: What are we here for? First, to remember that God created us. It is so important to know the purpose for which we have been created, that we will come to remember God in all that we do, and come to serve God, and be obedient to Him.

But I know there are those that would consider this absurd because some believe their purpose is simply to enjoy as much as one can in this life before we die and that’s it. Does the Bible though also acknowledge that there would be people like that? Well, Isaiah the prophet put it in these terms in his writings recorded in Isaiah 22:13: 

Instead, you laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat, and you drank wine. You said, “We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we’ll be dead.”

Isaiah 22:13 Good News Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: What have some found in life to give themselves purpose? “Well, let’s eat. Let’s drink. Let’s just enjoy life!” It’s an excuse or a justification, right, or fulfilling all their human impulses. Their purpose in life becomes self-gratification. To become more comfortable. But for those who possess this way of thinking, how do they measure the value of their life? How would they say their life will have purpose? Well we continue in King Solomon’s pronouncements here in the Holy Bible, dear friends, on this topic, he wrote also in Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 he goes on to say this: 

Here is what I have found out: the best thing we can do is eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for during the short life that God has given us; this is our fate. If God gives us wealth and property and lets us enjoy them, we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 Good News Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: At one point in the life of King Solomon when his life’s purpose was to eat, drink and be merry, he lived his life at that point for self gratification. And that’s similar to some people today, right,  who would say “You only live once. Live for the moment,” “Life is short,” they would say. For them, life can really only have significance or importance if they’re enjoying it. If they’re not enjoying it, it can’t be valuable. That’s their way of thinking. But do people with this way of thinking, really understand yet the true meaning of life and the true purpose of our existence? Dear friends, are we here just to wake up every day, eat, breathe, go to sleep and wake up on another new day and do the same thing? That’s not it. They do not yet know the meaning and significance of life. But there is hope, there is always hope for our knowledge to grow, our understanding to deepen. 

So let’s ask then, how do you know when life’s purpose has been fulfilled? And how does knowing this give purpose to our life? I’d like to turn to this time to the writings of Apostle Paul where he gave some additional insight on this in his writings recorded in his letter to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 5:10, I quote: 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10 New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: What cannot be forgotten however, is if we want to have our life mean something, is knowing that we are going to have to answer for every action that we take. Dear friends, the Bible describes very clearly to us that we’ll be standing before the judgment seat of the Lord and we’re going to be judged, not simply by what we believe is good, what we believe is right, but whether or not we’re doing it. Whether we have done good things or done bad things, that is the determining factor whether or not what we have done is relevant and makes life meaningful. And, you know, of course, we should note, God doesn’t set us up to fail. He provides us guidance in this life so that our life will truly have value, it will truly have meaning. 

So, why then do we exist? And what is it that God wants all of us to learn? What does He want us all to remember so that your life, my life, will have meaning to it? What does He want us to understand? Dear friends, the Bible’s response, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Dear friends, that’s it. We are here for a purpose and it’s not just living for the moment and never mind anything else. Just make sure to grab all the self-gratification that one may acquire in this life, others would say. That is not the end-all for humanity. 

If we just eat, drink and be merry and die at the end of it all then we’re no different than any other animal or biological entity that lives here on planet earth, right? No different at all and we would have the same end. Anyone in denial of that, their search for the true meaning of life and justification for their existence would be an abject failure. Their “live for today, for tomorrow we will die” mindset and outlook on life will have caused them to live their life based upon a wrong principle. Therefore they end up confused about the purpose of their life. So they attempt to give their life meaning, to give their life importance, in all the self-gratifying ways imaginable. 

To really give life meaning and importance we need to learn God’s ways, live our life guided by them, and bring ourselves to be worthy therefore of true life, real life, eternal life with Him in His kingdom. A place much different than the life we experience here in this world. That would be a life, that would be a life that truly has purpose. And that is what King Solomon learned too, which we just read, that our whole duty is to keep God’s commands. 

And Katie asked us for more information about that Kingdom of heaven and how to be sure to take the right path to get there. Here’s Katie’s specific question, she wrote: 

Is there one end goal in life? Is there one destination that we’re going towards and, if so, do all of our day-to-day decisions change that and affect that? And is there one road that leads to that goal? Or can you take a million different paths to get there?

Katie 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Thank you Katie for your question. Yes, there is definitely a very clear destination, a very clear goal, that we are all on our journey to, here inside the Church Of Christ. Our life is not a random journey without purpose or direction. Although many people today, just like King Solomon in his time, pursued much self gratification, the writings of King Solomon also teach us how our life can have more purpose. What is at the end of a meaningful life? Here King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:9 where it says this: 

Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do and follow your heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 Good News Translation

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Is God against anybody enjoying life? No. So is God against people being happy? Of course not. God is not opposed to anyone’s happiness. But, dear friends, what is going to give life meaning? If it’s not just enjoying every moment that we are here in this world; we have to understand that everything that we do in our day-to-day existence here is going to be judged by God. Everything that we say, everything we think, everything we do has a purpose, has meaning. And once a person realizes that what we say and what we are doing is important to God and, in fact, will be judged by Him, that’s what gives life meaning. That’s what will give a person direction and purpose. That’s what will give importance to what we do each and every day of our life, each and every moment that we are alive as it will also lead us to follow His will, not merely our own desires. 

Where does life’s race end? Where is the finish line? Where is the goal, as Katie put it in her question, dear friends, what’s the goal that we should all be aspiring for and towards? Revelation 21: 2-4 reads this way: 

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:2-4 New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Dear friends, the Bible’s description of that place is a place without tears, without grief, sorrow, pain, suffering of any kind. The end of this journey in this life is there. We have a clear vision of what lies ahead; a place of peace and security for all true and faithful servants of God. But Katie also asked, are there many different roads to the Holy City? Are there many different roads to that meaningful life? Can we just journey the Protestant way or any other religious way and end up at the same end destination? Well, Katie, in the book of the writings of the prophet Isaiah 59:8 gives a response to your question: 

The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Isaiah 59:8 New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: All roads travel to that same end destination? Oh, no. The Bible makes clear, there are crooked roads, and if we end up traveling one of those crooked paths they do not lead to the correct end destination. The consequence? Also recorded in the Holy Bible, Proverbs 14:12: 

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 14:12 New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Not all roads lead to the destination of that Holy City; the New Jerusalem, the kingdom without pain and without suffering. There are roads that lead to death. 

What is the only road to the Father and the eternal life He offers, dear friends? Here’s the answer of Jesus in John 14:6:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6  New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: As we have studied on this program before, dear friends, our Lord Jesus Christ further teaches us how to use Him as that way to the Father.  In John 10:9 He instructs us to enter through Him as a doorway, into the fold or flock and Acts 20:28 identifies that flock. How? Church of Christ.  So, dear friends, let’s review what the Bible has shown us here. We began with questions and let’s see what the Bible has revealed to us. We asked:

What gives life meaning?  The purpose for which we have been created is that we will come to remember Him in all that we do, and come to serve Him, and be obedient to Him knowing also that everything that we do in this life we will be judged. 

How do you know when life’s purpose has been fulfilled? We learned that everything that we say, everything that we do has a purpose, has a meaning, once a person realizes that what we say and what we do is important to God and, in fact, will be judged by Him. That’s what will give life meaning. That’s what will give a person purpose.

And, what is at the end of a meaningful life, we asked? It is entering the Holy City where there is no pain, suffering and troubles of this present life anymore. 

Are there many roads to that meaningful life? No. The only road is the road of obedience to God’s will over our own pursuit of self gratification. 

The meaning of life is valuable; life itself is valuable, you are valuable, you matter, because we are to use our life to show to the Lord we’re fulfilling our duty to know Him, to understand Him, to serve Him, to be obedient, and to be judged worthy to enter His kingdom on the Day of Judgment. 

We’d like you to continue learning about the teachings of the Bible taught here inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ, please visit online and browse the different topics or set up an appointment to meet with a minister of the gospel. If you have any questions about the Bible or salvation, please email them to us. I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching. See you next time on That’s in the Bible!