What are the most crucial questions we should ask?

from the old testament

• The three most crucial questions are: 1) why we exist, 2) why bad things happen, and 3) what happens after death. The Old Testament provides answers to each of these.
• Why do we exist? When God created everything (Genesis 1), He explicitly created humans differently from the rest of creation. He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). Unlike the rest of creation, God personally made us (Genesis 2:7) and gave us the task of ruling the rest of His creation. Being in God’s image means we were created to perfectly reflect His characteristics to the rest of creation, serving as a visible image of the unseen God (cf. Colossians 1:15). As such, we are inherently valuable and created to live for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
• Why do bad things happen? God gave the first two humans, Adam and Eve, one command: they were free to eat from any tree except one (Genesis 2:17). Unfortunately, Satan’s temptation to be like God was too appealing, and they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1–7). The result was that our relationship with God was severed, and He judged us and the creation we ruled with corruption and death (Genesis 3:14–19). All sorrow, natural disasters, and death exist because of our rebellion. Note that our rebellion did not remove our image-bearing status but greatly twisted it. However, because it remains, we remain valuable but in need of redemption from our sin.
• What happens after we die? What happens after death? The Old Testament provides a partial picture of that time. It speaks of the nether region as “Sheol,” as is the place where all humans go after they die (e.g., Psalm 16:10; Genesis 37:35). However, at some point in the future we learn that “those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). There is a future resurrection where all of humanity will be resurrected to face either eternal contempt or eternal life.
• God promises that those who seek Him will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13). So, we must ask these crucial questions and seek God's answer them, knowing that He will answer.

from the new testament

• The New Testament also answer the three most important questions we should be asking.
• Why do we exist? Because we were created in God’s image, we are to glorify Him. When we rebelled, we stopped reflecting God rightly. Believers are given the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), who helps transform them into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18), meaning they are being renewed into the image of God in which they were created. Thus, believers are to do everything for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) as that is their purpose for existing.
• Why do bad things happen? Sin started with Adam and Eve’s sin, with death spreading to all humanity (Romans 5:12). All men and women are thus evil at heart and do wicked things, with none able to do what God considers righteous (Romans 3:10–12). Additionally, all of creation was corrupted, and now it groans, longing for God to redeem it from sin (Romans 8:22). The result of our sin, then, is sorrow in both nature and mankind. The ultimate result is that we all die (Romans 6:23).
• What happens after we die? What happens after death? There are two possible outcomes. The first is subjection to God’s eternal wrath in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15). The second is being resurrected and made perfect, living in a new creation where sin and sorrow exist no longer (Revelation 21:1–4).
• What distinguishes one’s eternal destiny? By default, all are born as God’s enemies (Romans 5:10). This means that, also by default, all are headed toward an eternity in the lake of fire. This is because we are unable to do anything to redeem ourselves before God. However, God, out of love for humanity (John 3:16), sent Jesus to earth. Though fully God (John 1:1), He added on a human nature (Philippians 2:6–7), being fully like us except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Because He had no sin, He did not need to die, but He willingly did so (John 10:18) to be a propitiation, a sin sacrifice that appeased God’s wrath (Romans 3:25). When God crushed Him on the cross (Isaiah 53:10), He counted Jesus as a sinner, having placed our sin on Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Having fully satisfied God’s wrath, He rose again (1 Corinthians 15:4). All who repent and confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9–10), God counts them as righteous (Romans 4:5) based on Jesus’ righteousness. Those alone are the ones whose eternity changes from eternal death to eternal life.
• Today is the day to ask these questions, knowing that God will save those who come to Him. 2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us that "now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Today is the day to turn to Him if you have not already, since tomorrow is not guaranteed.

implications for today

Ironically, most people avoid thinking about life’s most crucial questions! Between the busyness of life and the fear of the unknown, some even avoid thinking about them until it’s too late.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said that it’s good to go to funerals (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Not because we enjoy death, but because death reminds us of death! It reminds us that this life will not continue forever. There is a day when we will die, and our worries about work deadlines, seeing our children married, finding the right house, etc., etc., won’t matter at all.

You were created in the image of God, and you were created to display His glory to the rest of creation. However, because you are a sinner (Romans 3:23), what you actually display is a twisted view of who God is and what is good. Such misrepresentation of God comes with a heavy penalty: His eternal wrath (Revelation 20:11–15).

However, though you have sinned against your Creator, you are currently alive. That means that God is demonstrating patience towards you (2 Peter 3:9), giving you time to ask and find answers to life's most important questions. However, as Solomon pointed out, death reminds us that this opportunity will not always be here. Will you seek and face these truths while there is still time to respond? And what will you do with the answers you discover?