# Why did God create Man?



## Croghanite (Feb 11, 2007)

Im looking for the classical reformed answer to this question.

1- Why did God create man when He knew that man would sin and suffer?
This goes with Angels as well.


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## MW (Feb 11, 2007)

LAYMAN JOE said:


> Im looking for the classical reformed answer to this question.
> 
> 1- Why did God create man when He knew that man would sin and suffer?
> This goes with Angels as well.



Rom. 5:14, Adam was a figure of Christ to come. In technical jargon, an antithetical parallel. Angels are obviously a different matter, and perhaps best left in the "things too high for me" category. In their case, the most we can say is, "for so it seemed good in Thy sight."


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## bookslover (Feb 11, 2007)

joshua said:


> Chloe's catechism says, "For His Own Glory."
> 
> I echo that.




Mark Twain's answer was: "because He was so disappointed with the monkey". But, then, he _would_ say that.


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## Gryphonette (Feb 11, 2007)

*Not making any claim about this being "the" Reformed...*

...explanation, but I've thought it's because morally culpable beings misbehaving is the only way God can display His innate attributes of mercy, wrath, justice, etc.

As the apostle John noted, "God is love", which is telling as _that's_ an attribute He can display all by Himself, due to His triune nature.

But how does a perfectly holy God display justice if there's only Him? Or mercy? There's no reason for mercy in the Godhead, nor justice either. If no one's doing anything wrong, neither of those attributes come into play.


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## bookslover (Feb 11, 2007)

Gryphonette said:


> ...explanation, but I've thought it's because morally culpable beings misbehaving is the only way God can display His innate attributes of mercy, wrath, justice, etc.
> 
> As the apostle John noted, "God is love", which is telling as _that's_ an attribute He can display all by Himself, due to His triune nature.
> 
> But how does a perfectly holy God display justice if there's only Him? Or mercy? There's no reason for mercy in the Godhead, nor justice either. If no one's doing anything wrong, neither of those attributes come into play.



The simplest answer, I guess, is that those attributes always existed in God, but they didn't need to be displayed or exercised until after creation and the fall. Their use implies their prior existence.

That'll be $5.


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## gwine (Feb 12, 2007)

bookslover said:


> Mark Twain's answer was: "because He was so disappointed with the monkey". But, then, he _would_ say that.



I'm surprised that Mark Twain didn't say that it was because He got tired of talking to His favorite creature, the flies.

From _Letters from the Earth_


> And then, there were the flies. They swarmed everywhere, and persecuted the Family all day long. They were the first animals up, in the morning, and the last ones down, at night. But they must not be killed, they must not be injured, they were sacred, their origin was divine, they were the special pets of the Creator, his darlings.


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## Gryphonette (Feb 12, 2007)

To be sure those attributes always existed; that was actually rather my point. ;^)

They existed but until the creation and fall there was no outlet for them. It'd be like possessing a sense of humor but there being literally nothing amusing so as to elicit even a smile. 

A perfectly holy God, consisting of three perfectly holy Persons, would have no reason to "use", if you will, His attributes of mercy and justice. I've thought that while the primary reason for the creation and fall was so the Father can give a people to His Son and His Son can show perfect obedience to His Father, a secondary reason was so the LORD's attributes of mercy and wrath can be exercised and displayed.

Sort of like the line in "Chariots of Fire" when Eric Liddell tells his sister "When I run, I can feel His pleasure!" 

Odd thought, isn't it? The only way the LORD _can_ run, jump, and so on is through His people. A good reason to keep one's body from sin ("No, no! I don't want to do THAT!" the Spirit groans), as was pointed out by Paul. 

And the only way He can use His attributes of mercy and justice (plus His attendant attributes such as patience and wrath) is with a fallen creation of morally culpable beings.


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## puritan lad (Feb 12, 2007)

[sarcasm]because He was lonely and need our fellowship to fulfill His emotional needs.[/sarcasm]

...at least that's the prevailing view today. One has to wonder how God managed to get along for eternity past without us. 

This simplest answer is for His own glory. He created us because it pleased Him to do so.


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## Gryphonette (Feb 12, 2007)

Just making sure the "lonely, etc." wasn't directed at me?

For that is in no way, shape or form what I said.

You're absolutely correct that lamentable POV is all too common today (last year at a BSF evangelism class, while being the "target" I asked my partner why God would go to such trouble for us and darned if she didn't say, absolutely seriously, that He's lonely and needs us to be happy), but the LORD giving Himself glory by choosing to display His attributes is scarcely the same thing.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Feb 12, 2007)

The reference to God creating man because he felt lonely was immortalized and has influenced many in our culture through James Weldon Johnson's poem _The Creation_ (1919):



> AND God stepped out on space,
> And He looked around and said,
> “I’m lonely—
> I’ll make me a world.”
> ...


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## Croghanite (Feb 12, 2007)

"for His glory", It pleased Him to make man. That is the truth. 
So the next thing people will say is what about love. Is not God love? How does God love the people whom He sends to hell? It doesnt seem loving to make man knowing that most will be in hell. Well, what about it?


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