Question
How and why did God create us?
Answer
God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.
God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.
God created us male and female in his own image to glorify him.
Scripture
—Genesis 1:27 (ESV)So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
—Genesis 1:27 (NIV)So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
—Genesis 1:27 (NLT)So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Song
Video
Prayer
Adult
“I pray God, for the sake of Christ…to receive me now as entirely his own, and to deal with me, in all respects, as such, whether he afflicts me or prospers me, or whatever he pleases to do with me, who am his. Now, henceforth, I am not to act, in any respect, as my own—I shall act as my own, if I ever make use of any of my powers to any thing that is not to the glory of God, and do not make the glorifying of him my whole and entire business.”
Footnote
Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). A colonial American preacher, theologian, and philosopher, Edwards became pastor of his church in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1726. He is widely known for his famous sermon “A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections”. Edwards died from a smallpox inoculation shortly after beginning the presidency at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University).
Attribution
From “Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards“ in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1 (London: William Ball, 1840), lxvii.
Child
Our God, we were made in your image and we belong to you. Help us to do all things for your glory and to make glorifying you our whole life. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Jonathan Edwards in “Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1 (London: William Ball, 1840), lxvii.
“I pray God, for the sake of Christ…to receive me now as entirely his own, and to deal with me, in all respects, as such, whether he afflicts me or prospers me, or whatever he pleases to do with me, who am his. Now, henceforth, I am not to act, in any respect, as my own—I shall act as my own, if I ever make use of any of my powers to any thing that is not to the glory of God, and do not make the glorifying of him my whole and entire business.”
Footnote
Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). A colonial American preacher, theologian, and philosopher, Edwards became pastor of his church in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1726. He is widely known for his famous sermon “A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections”. Edwards died from a smallpox inoculation shortly after beginning the presidency at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University).
Attribution
From “Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards“ in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1 (London: William Ball, 1840), lxvii.
Our God, we were made in your image and we belong to you. Help us to do all things for your glory and to make glorifying you our whole life. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Jonathan Edwards in “Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1 (London: William Ball, 1840), lxvii.
Commentary
“The glory of God is the first thing that God’s children should desire. It is the object of one of our Lord’s own prayers: “Father, glorify thy name.” (John xii. 28.) It is the purpose for which the world was created. It is the end for which the saints are called and converted. It is the chief thing we should seek, that “God in all things may be glorified.” (1 Peter iv. 11.)… He alone deserves to receive all glory…we give Him all honor and praise and rejoice that He is King of kings, and Lord of lords…. Where are our hearts? What do we love best? Are our chiefest affections on things in earth, or things in heaven?… Singleness of purpose is one great secret of spiritual prosperity. If our eyes do not see distinctly, we cannot walk without stumbling and falling. If we attempt to work for two different masters, we are sure to give satisfaction to neither. It is just the same with respect to our souls. We cannot serve [God] and the world at the same time. It is vain to attempt it. The thing cannot be done…. God must be king over our hearts. His law, His will, His precepts must receive our first attention.
We have all talents in God’s sight…. Anything whereby we may glorify God is a talent, our gifts, our influence, our money, our knowledge, our health, our strength, our time, our senses, our reason, our intellect, our memory, our affections, our privileges as members of Christ’s Church, our advantages as possessors of the Bible, —all, all are talents. Whence came these things? What hand bestowed them? Why are we what we are? Why are we not the worms that crawl on the earth? There is only one answer to these questions. All that we have is a loan from God. We are God’s stewards. We are God’s debtors. Let this thought sink deeply into our hearts.”
Footnote
John Charles Ryle (1816–1900). The first Anglican bishop of Liverpool, Ryle’s appointment was at the recommendation of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. As well as being a writer and pastor, Ryle was an athlete who rowed and played cricket for Oxford University. He also was responsible for the building of over forty churches.
Attribution
From Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Matthew (New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1870), 51–56, 336–337.
Further Reading
“What is Man?” in A Faith to Live By, by Donald Macleod.
“Humanness” and “Creation” in Concise Theology, by J. I. Packer.