Sometimes I question who I am, what my purpose is in this place and why I should live and die?
This subject may be answered in a whole book, but I will try to answer you briefly.
1. Who am I?
*. You are a human being, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26), and you must try and preserve this divine image.
*. You are a living being with a rational spirit, whose life does not end with death, but will continue. You have a conscience to distinguish between good and evil, and are enlightened by the Spirit of God dwelling within you. (1 Cor. 3:16).
*. You are distinct from other earthly creatures by having an intelligent mind, with all that it contains in the way of understanding and perception.
*. With your mind and will you are responsible for your deeds, firstly before God, secondly before your own conscience, and thirdly before the society in which you live.
*. Whether you receive a reward, or a punishment, in the afterlife, after the judgement before God, will depend on how responsible you have been during your lifetime.
2. Why have I come here?
It is out of His goodness that God has given you the gift of being alive.
Out of His generosity and unselfishness He has given you the opportunity to be, to enjoy life here on earth, and to have a chance to live in eternal happiness, if you wish to, and if you act in such a way as to deserve it.
3. Why am I alive?
You are alive in order to carry out a mission, towards yourself and towards others, in order to enjoy and experience God, here on earth, and to, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. ” (Ps. 34:8).
And also your willpower is put to the test during your lifetime, to see to what extent it is drawn to good or evil. Your life is a period of testing to see if you are deserving of the kingdom of heaven, and to define what degree of life you are to enjoy in eternity. You have to recognise and carry out your mission, and be a blessing for the generation in which you live. The extent to which your mission is powerful and productive will determine the extent to which your life on earth and in heaven is exalted.
And why should I die?
You should die so that you will be able to pass on to a better life, which was refered to as: ” Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man… ” (1 Cor. 2:9). You can then also move into the most wonderful companionship of all, that of God, His angels and His saints. Therefore death is not passing away to destruction, but passing on to another life.
If your life on earth were just to go on and on, you would remain attached to material things and united to the earthly body, which would not be good for you. It is better, though, for you to move on from the life of material things and the body, to the life of the spirit and of eternity, and to be with Christ, “which is far better.” (Phil. 1:23). This is why the saints so yearned to be released from this earthly body. Those who fear death are those who are not prepared for it, and who do not trust that they will pass on to a better life… or who have earthly desires which they don’t want to give up!!
Man dies, because death is better for the world. It would be unconceivable if people were to live without ever dying, and if generation were to follow generation on and on, the earth would not have enough space, the elderly would be overburdened by the increasing weight of old age, and would need people to serve them, care for them and help shoulder their burdens. Thus each generation has to die in order to give the next generation the chance to live on earth and to take its rightful place in the scheme of things.
