Why God created us

[WTL]

There is only a limited explanation of why God created us in the CCC. I could defend the faith better against an atheist if I had a more comprehensive understanding of this point. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Humbly in Christ.

 

[VociMike]

What’s wrong with “to exist forever, perfectly united to all Truth, Beauty and Goodness”?

What is the atheist objecting to that you feel you need a better answer?

 

[CentralFLJames]

There is only a limited explanation of why God created us in the CCC. I could defend the faith better against an atheist if I had a more comprehensive understanding of this point. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Humbly in Christ.

From the Old Boston Catechism:
Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.

That tells it all at a high level. But there is much more implied in the details and meanings of “know Him, love Him and serve Him”.

We can not ever fully know or love God as He knows and loves himself since we are created creatures - and fallen at that. And so we can only serve him to the extent of our knowledge of what God wants from us and to the extend of our created human nature. But our human nature limits our deeper understanding and the ability for a higher natured relationship with God

Here is the crux to it all. God ELEVATES those reborn in Christ (new Adam) from our humanity toward the standard of Christ’s very own divine-human stature. We will never attain to equality with Jesus (‘equality with God is not to be grasped at’) but we can be elevated way above even the purity and sanctity of pre-fall Adam and Eve!!! This is the huge good news that most Catholics fail to grasp. In order to Love God in a way He wants to be loved and for Him to love us in a manner He wants to love us He is going to not only restore our fallen human nature He is going to elevate it to a level that can relate to Him in a similar way that Christ can. This will make it possible to be in eternal beatitude with God in heaven and share in God’s mind and will and grace to the elevated capacity of our transformed and elevated divine-human souls. Our current humanity limits us - but our elevated humanity is Christ-like and way above our current nature.

This is amazing news. Right now, compared to angels we are barely above animals in our nature - there is a huge quantum leap to get to the level of spirituality of an angel. But God is going to elevate our nature to make it possible for humans (reborn humans) to be even at the level of angels and in some cases higher so we can more fully love and serve God and to become creatures that God can relate to literally as His divine children.

The implications for those elevated to this new divine-human nature and their participation in the 2nd creation and eternity are staggering…

James

 

[WTL]

Foremost, thanks so much for replying to my question.

My reply and thoughts:
Why does an all powerful, all loving God need children to know him, love him and serve him ?

The implication is why does God NEED anything ? Does he NEED love ? Does he NEED servants ?

As I contemplate what “all loving” means…Does perfect love, as God is, necessitate service ? And does service necessitate creation (someone to serve) ? And, then is the perfect creation result in us, created in the image and likeness of God ?

 

[CentralFLJames]

Foremost, thanks so much for replying to my question.

My reply and thoughts:
Why does an all powerful, all loving God need children to know him, love him and serve him ?

The implication is why does God NEED anything ? Does he NEED love ? Does he NEED servants ?

As I contemplate what “all loving” means…Does perfect love, as God is, necessitate service ? And does service necessitate creation (someone to serve) ? And, then is the perfect creation result in us, created in the image and likeness of God ?

This is just it - God is complete without us. He does not need us in anyway. But it is His profound love and harmony with Himself that compels Him to want to share that with Himself through the Trinity. It is God’s love for His Son in the 2nd person (who is Jesus and who is in love with the Father’s vision for man) that God creates all of Creation. It is all to express love for His Son and to bring Him Glory. The 2nd person of the Godhead is in Love with the Father’s Plan and wants to reciprocate that Love and manifest itself in a symphony of love. Thus Creation is a labor or a passion of love. It’s all about God loving His Son and we are all brought into existence as instruments of that love to give perfected glory to God. God is infinite in his perfection. Therefor God can not ever “rest” in love since infinite love demands infinite perfection and that implies a continuity of perfection.

It is The Son who desires to share His honor with The Father and in doing that has consented to being cast into a lower form of created being called “man” in order to manifest God’s glory in elevating man to His very nature. We are expressions as well as instruments of God’s love and His love necessitates it be shared and exchanged in a bi-directional giving and receiving relationship. For man to be able to love God in the way that is worthy of God he therefor must elevate us and perfect our capacity for love.

And divine service is not to be taken as a slave relationship. No, service to The Lord implies participating in God’s works - its a passion of existence no different than the angels doing God’s works and consenting and conforming their will to the burning desire to please God in doing His will. Service is a labor of love that is to partake in God’s divinity to the extent our natures permit us to participate.

We should burst our souls in joy at trying to contain the fire of God’s love that He is going to put into each of His Children.

1 Cor 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”

We will not be able to contain our joy when God reveals all His Children and shows us what He has in store for us. His nature requires that He share His Glory. I fully expect God will give amazing powers to His Children to permit them to participate in the creative acts of His new creation and much more…

James