The meaning and purpose of life

Question 1

What are the three meanings/purposes of life?

Answer 1

1) To glorify God and have a personal relationship with him
2) To prepare for judgement
3) To bring Gods kingdom on earth

Question 2

What does it mean to glorify god and have a personal relationship with him?

Answer 2

Christians believe that gods glory was revealed through Jesus and that we are made ‘Imago Dei’ (In Gods image) and so we should reflect Gods glory in our lives.

Question 3

How can Christians glorify God?

Answer 3

.Telling others about him and trying to engage them in the Christian faith so they too can live in accordance with his teachings
.Engaging in worship to reflect Gods glory
. Draw peoples attention to God’s quality in the world by talking and writing about them

Question 4

How are humans ‘Imago Dei’?

Answer 4

We are:
- Creative
- Conscious
- Loving
- Have souls
- Have dominion

Question 5

What does it mean to prepare for judgement?

Answer 5

.Christians anticipate Gods judgement after death when he will decide who goes to Heaven.
. Jesus taught in his parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) that judgement is based on whether you have performed ‘good works’ to help those in need so Heaven is therefore seen as a reward for good behaviour.
. Jesus’ death made up for human sin, called the doctrine of atonement
. Humans were created to be with God

Question 6

What does it mean to bring God’s kingdom on earth?

Answer 6

.Jesus taught his followers that ‘the kingdom of God has come near’ (mark 1:15) some believe this to mean that jesus inaugurated the kingdom in his earthly life and it is their job to continue working to bring about the kingdom.
. The lords prayer includes the line ‘On Earth as it is in Heaven’ - Liberation theologists such as gustavo guttierez believed that the gospel should be used to critique society and bring about social reform.