The three most important questions that must be answered by all men on earth are as follows: (1) What is the meaning of life? (2) What are we on earth for? And (3) What is the meaning of death on earth?

We have so far answered the third and second questions in our previous articles. Today, we will look at the first, which is:

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE ON EARTH?

Scripturally speaking, any time life questions are raised, one personality readily comes to mind; His name is Jesus Christ! No prophet or religious sect can either contest or deny the level of authority Jesus wielded while He walked the surface of the earth. He said: “I am the resurrection, and the LIFE: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…” – John 11:25.

Obviously, it is justifiable to focus on Jesus Christ alone when discussing life matters, not just because the prophets of old prophesied about His coming before He finally came (Isaiah 9:6), but also because of the things He did and the statements He made, while on earth. In John 11: 43-44, Jesus raised the dead! In John 14:6 Jesus said “…I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE…!” In John 10:10, He said “…I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly!” All these can only come from someone who has full authority over life.

In Deuteronomy 8:1, the Scriptures says: “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live…”. In other words, our life on earth depends on our doing the commandments of God our creator. Hence, some religious sects only believe in an invisible God. That sounds like, men telling God,“stay invisible and we will accept you as God; become visible and you cease to be our God”!

During the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, one of the religious folks, who believed obeying the commandments of the invisible God, is what life on earth is about, said to Jesus: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus’ response was: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 22:36-40. Jesus said, “loving God and our neighbour” is the most important activity needed on this planet earth. This answers our question:

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE ON EARTH?

Loving God and our neighbour, is the meaning of life on earth. (Note: Every man on earth is your neighbour). Loving God and man, is therefore the reason for our living on earth. 1 John 4:16 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

The scripture says “God is love” and “dwelling in love means dwelling in God”. Explaining this with our physical environment, we can say: just as we live in oxygen in the physical, and oxygen is in us to sustain our physical lives, so also spiritually, must we live in God, and God must be in us, to sustain our spiritual lives. Better still: if God is love (according to the above), then we must live in “love” and “love” must be in us, to sustain our spiritual lives. Living in love therefore, is what it takes to enjoy eternal life.

LOVE EXEMPTS US FROM HELL

The next verse to the above scripture says: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” – 1 John 4:17.

It is generally believed that, judgment follows death on earth (Heb 9:27). If the scripture says our practice of love, is what will give us boldness in the day of judgment, then it means, if you live your life on earth loving God and man genuinely, judgment shall favour you after death. The end part of that scripture says: “…because as he is, so are we in this world”. Meaning, we behave like God when we love, and that enables Him to gladly welcome us to where He is, after we depart from the earth. ‘Like begets like’. Love, is therefore what exempts us from going to hell after we depart from earth.

CHALLENGE IS YOUR LOVE-TEST

Many today, have relegated love because of the challenges they face or go through in life. Such fellows fail to consider that, challenges usually serve us with the opportunity we need to prove the magnitude of our love. Matthew 24:12 says, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold”. Because challenges shall abound, many will fail the love-test.

Beloved, the difficulties that abound around you, are to prove how far you can go in love. While hanging on the cross in pain, Jesus’ love was tested: one of the robbers on the cross beside Him, pass an annoying comment. He said: “If you are the Son of God, save yourself and us”, but Jesus was not offended. He simply ignored him and rather ministered salvation to the other robber (Luke 23:39-43). Jesus passed His ‘test of love’ even on the cross. Stephen had a similar test: while being stoned to death, Stephen didn’t curse his murderers. He rather prayed for them, saying: “…Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”– Acts 7:60.

Beloved, the meaning of life is to love God and mankind.  1 John 4:20-21 says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also”.  The proof of our love for God is our love for man. Therefore, if we live our lives in quarrels, malice, bitterness, hatred etc., and still attend church, we are liars. The relevance of your church attendance is known by how much you love your neighbour.

Attending church is good, but then, walking in the spirit, does not necessarily mean attending church or making long prayers. It simply means walking in love. Galatians 5:14-16 says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.This I say then, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh”. So, “walking in the Spirit” means walking in “love”. 

Friend, if you live with the mentality of loving every human being you meet on your way, you will realise how amazing life is. Imagine a world in which everyone loves their neighbour; what will you call that world? Heaven! So, love is the answer to all of life issues. Remain blessed!

Dr. Frederick France (Author: Divine Keys devotional)                                

Blog: pastorfrederickfrance.wordpress.com

Contact: 0208111227 or 0244416603.

Email: pstfrance40@yahoo.com