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Why Did God Create Man?

From the Scriptures, we know that God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27 for the express purpose of glorifying Him (Isaiah 43:7) including nations (Psalm 86:9). The only people (or nations) who “glorify” God are those who are “called by my name” (Isaiah 43:7). Therefore, we see that God is particular as who will glorify Him. For example, note the phrase, “residue of men” in Acts 15:17, and the word “remnant” used in both the Old and New Testament. From the reading of Matthew 7:14; Matthew 7:21, we know that only a “few” will be willing to glorify God’s name (be obedient to His will) in order to attain Heaven’s portals. We see that God’s name is representative of His holy character which He desires all men to possess (2 Peter 1:2-4; cf. 1 Peter 1:13-16; 2 Corinthians 7:1). In this regard, Paul states, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

The Worthy Name Of Christ

In James 2:7, the scripture indicates the rich were blaspheming, “that worthy name by the which ye are called.” This is a key phrase in our understanding of why God created man. In his commentary on James, Brother Guy N. Woods makes the following comments regarding this phrase:

“Blaspheme” is from “blasphemousin,” present active indicative of “blasphemeo,” derived from “blasphemos,” evil speaking. They (the rich) slandered the name which the disciples wore; and this evil speaking was not momentary or occasional, they did it over and over so the tense of the verb indicates. They habitually blasphemed the name. This name is described as “honorable,” for “kalos,” good, noble, excellent. The phrase, “by which ye are called,” is, to epiklethen eph’ humas, literally, which is called upon you, and such is the marginal rendering in the American Standard Version. The verb “called” is from “epikaleo,” aorist passive participle, and signifies to assign a name to, to place a name upon. This name was most surely that of Christ, pronounced upon us in baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38), and which Christians gladly wear because given by divine authority (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28 1 Peter 4:14; 1 Peter 4:16). It is a further indication of the fact that James, who was prominent in the Jerusalem church, is the author of the book which bears his name, that an expression similar to the words “to epiklethen eph’ humas,” “which is called upon you,” occurs from his mouth in Acts 15:17, it being a quotation from the Septuagint (the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek).”

So we see that taking on the “name” of our Lord is highly significant in “pleasing” God. In fact, the Lord’s name is so significant that Peter declares in Acts 4:12 that, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Another way that man glorifies God is when he obeys God through the “works” that God has ordained (prepared) for man to do or accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). Man then “glorifies” the holy and righteous name of God by which we are “called” (Isaiah 43:7; cf. Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). Also note the example of those God ordained works in James 2:14-24; cf. Matthew 25:34-40. By our obedience to His will, not only does God receive “glory and honor,” but He also receives “pleasure” from his creation (including man) as man fulfills the works God has prepared for him to accomplish (Revelation 4:11; cf. Ephesians 2:10). We also see the angels in heaven willingly fulfilling God’s will and purpose, thus giving Him “pleasure” (Psalm 103:20-21; cf. Hebrews 1:14). Christ glorified His Father by completing the “works” that His Father asked Him to do while here on the earth (cf. John 4:34; John 6:38; John 17:4; John 19:30). Christ’s greatest desire was to accomplish or fulfill the will of His Father (John 4:34; John 5:30; John 6:38-39) and to “please him” (John 8:29) thus giving His Father “pleasure”. At Christ’s transfiguration, God was not only “pleased” with His Son’s obedience to His will but was “well pleased” (Matthew 17:5). As a result, God instructed man to “hear ye him.”

The “Pleasure,” That God Takes In His Faithful People

We see examples of the God’s faithful people throughout both Old and New Testaments pleasing Him by obeying or doing His will (Genesis 6:9; Genesis 6:22; Genesis 7:5,9,16; cf. 2 Kings 20:3; Micah 6:8-9; Malachi 2:4-6; Hebrews 11). We are told in Luke 12:32 that it is the “Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” In Ephesians 1:5, God has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will….” God has also “made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself” (Ephesians 1:9). Then in Philippians 2:13, Paul states that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.” Conversely, God takes no “pleasure” in condemning those who refuse to obey Him (Ezekiel 18:23; Ezekiel 18:32; cf. Hebrews 10:38) but “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4; cf. 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4).

Conclusion:

The Psalmist sums up all of the above when he states, “The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 147:11). May we as God’s created beings always have a desire to “fear him” (honor and glorify Him) and totally rely on His mercy for “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). In this study, we see that the primary reason why God created man is simply because He took “pleasure” in doing so.