What Is The Answer?

      In response to this question, I have heard some reply – “What is the question?”  Many people even think it’s fashionable to proudly say they don’t have a clue what the purpose of life is.  I have even heard college professors say this.  Before attempting to answer, let’s look at what is NOT the answer.
1.   Pride.  While we all need some pride/self-esteem, it's obvious that excessive pride is why people         & families & cities & nations are burning with hate & violence.
2.  Possessions/Pleasure.  In a hedonistic society and world, we may be laughed at if we talk                       constraint & discipline.  Material things like we all need, but an excessive amount can't be the               answer.  A Biblical character named Solomon deliberately tried to “overdose” on pleasure (even           sexual) and concluded, “All is vanity and striving after wind.”   Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
3.  Power. Seeking status positions, economic positions, leadership positions, political slots, advanced         degrees, or whatever, just for the ego boost or keeping up, cannot be the answer if there is a just       God watching.
4.  Honor – Webster defines it as; High regard or great respect given, A keen sense of right &                 wrong, integrity, High rank or position, dignity, distinction, fame; To respect greatly; to worship.         Too much of this from & towards oneself amounts to self-worship.  It can’t be the answer if there       is a jealous God watching. 
     There appears to be a world of people scratching & clawing to get the above 4, but the few who do achieve it, only have it temporarily.  We recently visited a museum of death called the Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily.  Three thousand people of all classes poor & rich – kings, military leaders, priests, common, all ages & all very dead.   All had the same amount of what is not the answer – P.P.P. & H. - exactly NONE.
    Millions of people have believed – that faith and devotion to God is the answer.  It is this mysterious element that lifts us above and gives the victory.  Catholic or Protestant faiths both alike hold Jesus Christ and His values up as the highest answer.  Christ personally said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. . .”  John 14:6   Also, “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”  John 1:12    And, for over 40 years I have seen that the Christian life has its rewards – some eternal of course, but many in this life.    See “What’s In It For Me?”   link #28 
      While in Southern Europe we also visited many FABULOUS and OVERWHELMING old Christian cathedrals.  They speak loudly of the majesty of God and HIS Possessions, Pleasure, Power, and Honor.  It may be that we do ourselves damage excessively pursuing those things for ourselves when the real purpose of life is clear: “he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him.”  Acts 17:26-27   And all those ancient attendees of those cathedrals are dead & gone but another question is “where did they go?” Those who knew Christ went to the land of glory that He spoke much of – because they knew the ANSWER.   To shed some light on the nature & character of that answer, see "The Names of Christ" link #46.  Choose Jesus and His value system, they are alive.  

Other interesting Titles:  www.gospelnotes.org                                                      *  *  F. J. Stone  *  * 
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