why did God create the world in the first place?

This has been a year of big setbacks, job loss, furlough, or salary cuts. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that our world is an amazing place that is rich in stories, natural wonders, and beauty. You are not alone if you’re asking, why did God create the world in the first place? Here are the answers we found to remind us about some of the good stuff that can get lost in the shuffle.

Because God is love. 

Brian Zahnd, the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, shared his take on why God created the world. He described his answer as less technical and less thorough, but perhaps it’s more poetic and more accessible. 

“Why are there light and oceans and trees and moose and whales and every grain of sand? Because God is love — love that seeks expression in self-giving creativity. Unless we understand this we will misunderstand everything, and in our misunderstanding, we will harm creation, including our fellow image-bearing sisters and brothers. Existence only makes sense when it is seen through the lens of love. At the beginning of time, there is love. At the bottom of the universe, there is love.”

Read his full article here: https://brianzahnd.com/2020/03/why-did-god-create-the-world/

There is no reason, outside of God himself.

Don Stewart, who has written over twenty books on the subject of evidence for the Christian faith, also listed down the reasons for world creation. 

“Scripture tells us why God created the universe. First, it was for his Person - not for humanity. Creation was also according to his will. There was no one else who advised him. Also, he created everything for his own glory - not the glory of any other. The purpose was to make known his power and wisdom. Consequently, the Bible teaches there is no reason, outside of God himself, for his creative acts.”

Read his full article here: 
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_1365.cfm

love and goodness are things that tend to spread themselves.

Aquinas followed other Christian philosophers and notes that love and goodness are things that tend to spread themselves. People who have experienced love know it is never something they want to keep to themselves.

Those who know and feel love want to spread it as much they can. Love is not something that ever runs out. Even the exclusive love shared between a husband and a wife is spread through having children.

So, love provides a possible reason for why God would want to create.

As infinite love, God most likely created to spread His goodness and love.

If God wants to create to spread His love, this has several implications for what He will create. For one, this purpose entails that God will create beings with intellects and wills. If God did not create beings with intellects, there would be no one to know Him. If God did not create beings with free will, there would be no one to freely choose and love Him. Moreover, if God wants His creatures to love Him, He must also create the world in a way so it communicates His divine attributes.

All of this helps to make sense of the biblical concept of God creating the world for His glory.

God is not a Narcissist

Narcissism entails that someone has an unhealthy, unrealistic, egocentric view of himself or herself, and he or she undeservedly wants praise. However, God wills to create to spread His love to His creatures. Creating and sustaining the universe is not for God’s benefit, and is completely for the benefit of humanity. It is not egocentric for God to create to spread love. 

Read his full article here: https://ses.edu/why-did-god-create-anything/

God is so full. 

The question “Why Did God Create the World?” was also answered by Dear Theophilus writers. 

“God is fully good, fully loving, fully beautiful and absolutely true and these characteristics continually flow out of him. Within the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – three persons, one substance), the relationship of love, grace, goodness and beauty is so full that it overflowed through the act of creating a beautiful and good world. God brought the world into existence and as the capstone of this good work, he created people in his image so that they could share in his overflowing love, grace and goodness through their relationships with the Trinity.”

Read his full article here: https://www.gcu.edu/blog/theology-ministry/dear-theophilus-why-did-god-create-world

God created the world for his glory. 

John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org, had a sermon focused on this topic too. The short answer that resounds through the whole Bible like rolling thunder is: God created the world for his glory.

 

“God created the world for his glory. God did not create out of need. He did not create the world out of a deficiency that needed to be made up. He was not lonely. He was supremely happy in the fellowship of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He created the world to put his glory on display that his people might know him, and love him, and show him.”

Read his full article here:  https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/why-did-god-create-the-world