Another Civilization in the Universe?

The last lecture of my astronomy course was on the possibility of finding other intelligent life in the universe. Starting from the assumption that all the forms of life on earth were produced by a series of chance events my professor reasoned that intelligent life forms must be very common in the universe. His argument was very logical because the number of stars is so vast that any chance event associated with one star must have happened many times. He then asked us to discuss the possible effects on our society of establishing radio contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization.

The Real Question

Actually my professor's question has little value. It only leads to idle speculation. A much more meaningful question is, "Why does life exist at all? Is it a product of chance or has it been designed for a purpose? If there is a universal design and purpose, what is it?

What Does the Bible Say?

According to the revelation of the Bible, God created the heavens and the earth including everything in them (Rev. 4:11). Through God's creation we can understand something of His eternal power and divine nature (Rom. 1:20). The central item and focus of God's creation is man. When God created man His creation work was finished and complete (Gen. 1:27; 2:1).

Why did God Need Man?

The Bible mentions two things in Genesis 1:26 which reveal why God needed man. First God created man in His own image. An image is an expression. God's attributes are infinite and exhaustless, yet without a proper environment and situation they cannot be exercised or expressed. Thus God created man in his own image in order that man could be His complete expression.

Secondly, God also made man to have dominion. God had already created spiritual beings, the angels, to serve Him (Psa. 104:4). But the leading angel, whom God had made perfect in beauty, became proud and took the lead to rebel against God. This angel is Satan, the source of all evil in the universe ( John 8:44; Rev. 12:9). God disdained to execute judgement on the creature He had made directly by Himself. Instead He created man with a free will with the intention that man would choose to side with God and exercise His authority over His enemy.

What Happened?

However, before this glorious purpose could be fulfilled, Satan through his deception influenced man to also rebel and sin against God (Gen. 3:1-7). This brought man under God's judgement and death. Man had not only disobeyed God, but man's nature became sinful and rebellious. The reason that all men die is that all have been poisoned by sin. Today rather than expressing God, the whole world expresses the evil nature of Satan. Seemingly Satan has fully thwarted God's purpose for man.

So What Did God Do?

But God can never be defeated. All His purposes, including His purpose for man, are eternal and must be fulfilled. When man was fully estranged from God because of sin, God Himself became a man, Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14). As a real man He passed through all the human sufferings and temptations for 33½ years. Then He, the sinless One, suffered God's full judgement for sin. He was without sin but He died on the cross for our sins. We are forgiven by God and reconciled to God simply by believing in Jesus and His substitutionary death for us. But that is not all. After three days He rose from the dead becoming a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45).

What Does This Mean to Us?

When we believe into Christ the divine, life-giving Spirit is born into our spirit (John 3:6). Then as much as we allow Him and cooperate with Him He grows in us and lives in us a life that expresses God and overcomes His enemy. Of course, no believer by himself could ever experience or express God to the full. So God desires to build up one new man, a corporate expression of Himself on the earth (Eph. 2:15). Not all men will believe in Jesus Christ. Not all who believe will be faithful to Him. Nevertheless, God will gain a people with whom He will fulfill His purpose. When this is finished Christ will return to establish an eternal kingdom in righteousness and peace (2 Pet. 1:11; Isa. 9:6-7, Rev. 11:15). Then God will dwell with men for eternity (Rev. 21:3).

God Needs Man!

With this view of the Bible it is easy to see why it leaves no room for intelligent, meaningful life elsewhere in the universe. On the one hand, it presents a unique god whose creation reveals both His eternal power and divine nature. On the other hand, the Bible also shows us that God needs man! Not only did God create us so that we need Him and cannot find reality apart from Him; He Himself needs men, each with a free will, to choose Him, love Him, and cooperate with Him to fulfill His eternal purpose (Eph. 3:9-11).

What Difference Does This Make?

Why is this so significant? If man's existence is a product of chance then it means almost nothing. What difference does it make if the universe has one more or less civilizations if the total number of them is countless? What difference does it make for an individual to be moral or immoral, God fearing or godless? We might as well find whatever pleasure we can in life before we die. A lot of people would like this to be the case because they realize that they will be in trouble if they have to face an ultimate justice. The Bible tells us that the creator of the universe is all knowing as well as all powerful (Jer. 23:24). One day each of us will have to give an account of ourselves before His judgement seat (Rom. 14:10-12). Who dares to say that he will be found blameless?

Jesus is Coming Again

God has made a way of salvation for man. Man had no way to come to God but God came as a man to display and declare Himself to man. He opened the way for man to come to Him. Soon He will come again to put an end to all the evil on this earth by His judgement (Rev. 11:18). Eventually when He has fully gained everything He desires in man, God will replace the old, sin-corrupted heaven and earth with a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:10-13). There He will dwell in perfect harmony with His redeemed for eternity.

What About You?

Do you want to find God? Even though He has come to man and wants men to come to Him God has hidden Himself so that man's highest reason cannot find Him (Isa. 45:15, Luke 10:21). No objective proof can force man to believe in God--He doesn't want that. He wants you to seek Him, to call out to Him, and to believe in His word, the Bible. Simply call, "Lord Jesus! Oh Lord Jesus! I need You! Cleanse me Lord! Fill me Lord!" If you seek Him with your whole heart (Heb. 11:6) and call out to Him from the depth of your being (Rom. 10:11-13), He will come to be your life and reality. Not only will you rejoice in Him, He will rejoice in you.