If you will do a search on Wikipedia, under the heading Meaning of Life, you will find that the answers proposed are as varied and as diverse as the entire ideological landscape. Simply put, people have ideas. People have opinions. But few, if any, have conclusive, convincing, or authoritative answers.

A Personal Quest

Fifteen years ago, I had two burning questions in my mind: “What is the purpose and meaning of life?” and “How should we human beings live?” I was determined to find the answers, even if it took me the rest of my life.

For many months, I was on a literal quest for the meaning of life. I was not satisfied with simply finding a purpose for living, but the real, true, and ultimate purpose for human life on this earth. I wasn’t all that interested in how people found meaning and purpose in their individual circumstances; I wanted to find the ultimate purpose for humanity. Just what is the whole point in living? Why are we here anyway?

The second question I asked myself was, “How should we (or I) live?” While I realized there were many roads I could travel, I only had one life to live. I didn’t want to embark on just any road. I wanted to find the way—the way to the best life possible. What was that way?

I spent many days and more than a few nights in diligent study and research. I acquired books, articles, tapes and other resources that could somehow shed light on my questions. I spent a lot of time in libraries and bookstores (yes, even bookstores!)—reading, thinking, and reflecting. When a flash of insight would come, I would write it down on my journal. The answer was simply too important for me not to do it. Finding the answer to this question—and sharing it with others—was a priority.

Why was it such a big deal for me?

The power of purpose hit me one night 11 years ago while reading a book. I no longer remember the title of the book, but I will never forget what I read: “Your life is like a coin—you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.”

That thought was so powerful I determined at that moment that one of the best investments of my time would be finding out what life was for in the first place! It made perfect sense to me! I realized that many people are entirely clueless about the real purpose of life. Most people pursue this or pursue that, without knowing why. I asked, “Why do they do the things they do?” Is it right? “Why do they believe the things they believe?” Is it true? It seemed to me that it never occurred to most people to ask those kinds of questions. What a waste of that one precious life! As Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

For me, to continue living my life without a clear understanding of the purpose and meaning of life is like taking a ship to the open sea without a clear destination. I didn’t want to become another ship lost somewhere in the ocean. Before I leave port, I want to know my precise destination. Otherwise, I would be wasting precious time and fuel.

But where do I go for the answers? Can the real purpose of life be discovered? Does God even exist? Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Can it be known at all? If so, why are there so many religions and belief systems? Are they all equally valid and true?

I had to know the answer to all of these questions. And I was determined to find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But can one actually learn or figure out the purpose and meaning of life? Can one “figure out” the way to live? Interestingly, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said, “Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”

Laying the Right Foundation

To get to the right answers, I realized we must look outside ourselves. If you want to know why a certain car exists and how it works, you don’t ask the car. You ask the manufacturer. I realized that we must carefully examine and look at our origins. Where did we come from? Only then will we find our purpose. If indeed we were created, we must look to our Creator for the answers. We cannot reason out the answers on our own.

I learned that many things can be discovered by science, but some things cannot—they must be revealed. The purpose and meaning of life is one of them. No wonder very few, it seems, have found the answer to life’s biggest question. Knowledge about our material universe can be discovered—by the use of our five senses and through observation, experimentation, reason, and the tools of modern technology. But knowledge of spiritual things—the things that existed prior to the inception of the material universe approximately 15 billion years ago—is beyond science. It must be revealed, or else we cannot know it.

Today, it is not intellectually fashionable to believe in God. Some are even embarrassed to admit we were created by Him, and that we owe Him our allegiance, our respect, and—I dare say—our obedience. As human beings, we want to captain our own ships. We don’t want anyone telling us what to do or how to run our lives. We want to be the masters of our own destiny.

So what have we created? What does our track record look like? We’ve created a world of awesome progress. But at the same time, we’ve created a world of appalling evils. We can send man to the moon and back. We can move people from point A to point B at supersonic speed. We can interconnect computers and share knowledge from all around the globe. But we still fall flat on our faces when it comes to addressing our very own basic problems—both individually and collectively.

We have messed up the environment. We have messed up the economy. We have messed up our health. We have messed up our marriages and our families. We have messed up our lives!

Science and technology cannot address our deeper issues. Human governments don’t possess the solution. Higher education doesn’t know the answer! Even religion—including “Christianity”—is hopelessly divided and is itself a cause of a lot of this world’s evils, including many of the bloodiest wars in all history.

Why? Because we have rejected the true God and the true knowledge of the Bible. We have rejected His laws and His commandments. We have taught the “scientific” theory of evolution in our schools as a way of explaining how everything got started without a Creator. We have bought a lie and marketed it to ourselves and to our children. Now we are reaping the consequences.

Growing up, I had always been taught to believe in God. However, when I was 19, I left my home in the Philippines to study in America. I began to unpack my cherished beliefs one by one and studied them objectively for the very first time. I questioned the existence of God. I questioned the veracity of the Bible. I looked at the theory of evolution. In my free time, I hit the shelves and studied volumes on philosophy, metaphysics, ontology, cosmology, epistemology, ethics, and Christian apologetics. I felt I had to personally re-study and reexamine everything. I didn’t want to believe in something just because my parents or my church always believed it. I wanted to be convinced by logic, proof, and objective criteria. More than anything, I wanted to find absolute truth.

After a long and thorough study, I found PROOF of the existence of the Creator God—the One who reveals Himself in the Bible. I also found EVIDENCE that the Holy Bible, the #1 bestselling book of all time, is true, and that it is, in fact, the authoritative Word of God, the Creator of the whole universe.

The Purpose and Meaning of Life

I finally came to understand, from studying the Bible, that our destiny is to become the children of God—divine, spirit-composed members of His immortal family. Unknown to most, God is reproducing Himself through willing and obedient human beings. The desire of God is for human beings to first become as He is in character (righteous, faithful, loving, giving, serving, compassionate, just, etc.) and then also to become as He is in composition (spirit, invisible, all-powerful, immortal, divine). Once we grasp that incredible truth of our true potential, our lives will never be the same!

God is real, and He is the uncaused Cause of the whole universe, including all of life—including human beings! But human beings are unique in all creation. Animals were created after their own kind…

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:24-25, NKJV unless otherwise noted, emphasis added throughout).

… but human beings have been created after “the GOD kind.”

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all [the wild animals of] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-27).

We humans were patterned after God. From the beginning, it was God’s intention that human beings be a special creation. It’s only human beings who are patterned after the Creator Himself!

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:1-2).

Our destiny is to be like Jesus Christ, in spiritual character and in spirit composition. Now who is Christ like?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15).

…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3)…

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9)

Jesus Christ is just like God the Father—like Father, like Son! Now, if we will be like Christ when He returns—and Jesus Christ is exactly like His Father—then we will also be like the Father. Therefore, God has reproduced Himself in us! Therefore, we are called, and shall actually be—literally—God’s children! Here is further biblical proof:

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family [the family of God]. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me” (Hebrews 2:11-13, NIV).

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

Jesus Christ will have many brethren, but He will always be the firstborn. God the Father will always be the Father. Nothing can and will change that. But we shall all be Christ’s younger brothers and sisters, and we shall be conformed to His image—we shall be exactly like Him and like God! Of course, God the Father and Jesus Christ will always have greater authority and power than any of us.

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10).

That is God’s purpose for sending His Son Jesus Christ to come and suffer and die for us—He is bringing many sons [and daughters] to glory.

Glory involves a transformation of our bodies, from a lowly flesh-and-blood composition to a glorious spirit composition!

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself (Philippians 3:20-21).

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

When Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man, he divested Himself of all the glory that He shared with His Heavenly Father. Christ later prayed to His Father to have it restored back to Him.

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).

Then later, His Father did answer His prayer and restored it back to Him.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go (Acts 3:13).

We can see a description of how the resurrected, glorified Christ looks like in Revelation 1:14-16:

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength (Revelation 1:14-16).

Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).

…by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).

Yes, that’s about as clear as it gets! We shall all share in the same nature as the Father and Jesus Christ. We shall be glorified—we will be transformed to immortal spirit, with power and great glory! We will then have a divine and godly nature! That’s our real destiny. That’s the reason why we were born—to be part of the very family of the Almighty God!

You Always Have a Choice

Let’s not forget the big picture. God created you and I for a great purpose! Our life is valuable beyond compare. A loving and merciful Creator God made us, fashioned us, and gave us the greatest destiny and potential there could ever be. God patterned us after Himself, and put a spirit inside of us that would serve as the link to Him—a bridge, if you will, from the finite to the Infinite.

The greatest feat of accomplishment for such a loving Creator God is the creation of holy, righteous, character in us. But God will not “cram his religion down our throat.” God made us a free moral agent, and He gave us the power to choose. We could either serve Him or reject Him. Of course, the way of rebellion against God and His laws is the very cause of all the evil, unhappiness, pain, heartache, sorrow, and suffering that has plagued our world today. On the other hand, the path of obedience to God and His revealed Way causes all the happiness, peace, contentment, joy, abundance, and fulfillment that can ever come upon a human being. Still, God allows us to choose!

How It Changed My Life

Since I have learned the real purpose of life, my life has been richer and more meaningful. I used to be really aimless in life, not knowing what to do with my life. I wasted a lot of time and energy. But the greatest waste was the psychological stress of not knowing who I was and what my life was about. But now I have the peace of mind knowing why I am here, where I came from, and where I am going.

I now know what I want to be. I want to become like Jesus Christ. His character is the character I want to develop in my life. His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the quality traits I would like to develop in myself. Right now, I am still a long way off from becoming like Him, but my purpose is to develop the character of Christ and to be like Him. I want to be found pleasing to Him. As a human, I still sin occasionally, but through the power of God’s Holy Spirit in me, I am slowly overcoming my bad habits, sins, and faults, and trying to be in conformity with God’s will.

I now know what I want to do. All I want to do now is God’s will, and not mine. I used to be self-willed, thinking what I want to do. Now, I care about what God wants me to do, and my desire is to please Him and to glorify Him with my life here on earth. I know I still occasionally fall and do my own will, but when that happens, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and strive to walk more carefully next time. I want to exercise the gifts that God has given me in order to help others grow. My passion is to teach people the purpose and meaning of life and how to live the best life possible. I want to tell people about the hope of God’s soon-coming Kingdom as the only lasting solution to all the world’s problems of today. I want to tell them that Jesus Christ is coming again soon, to correct all wrongs and to bring His wonderful rule on earth. The Bible prophesies a wonderful world coming, when all war, crime, poverty, corruption, deception, injustice, oppression, disease, sickness, suffering, and death will vanish from the face of the earth. Ultimately, God will wipe away all tears from people’s eyes, and pain shall be a thing of the past.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful” (Revelation 21:4-5).

I pray, prepare, and work daily in anticipation of that soon-coming Day.

Finally, I now know what I want to have. All I want to have is God’s promise of everlasting life, or salvation, in His glorious Kingdom along with my family, friends, loved ones and with as many people as I can touch and reach with this my one and only life. I don’t need earthly riches. I don’t care if I’m not rich or a millionaire in this life. All that matters to me is that I gain the eternal riches and rewards in the coming Kingdom of God. I count as far more valuable the authority, power, rulership, and responsibility that I shall be given (if I qualify) when I will be sitting with Christ on His throne.

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

I am seeking for glory, honor, and immortality, which will all be given as I endure and hold fast, persisting in doing good until the end. I know I will face a terrible struggle in this life, since this whole world is under the sway of Satan, the wicked one, and under the Devil’s deception and opposition to God. This world will have to be replaced by the soon-coming Kingdom of God. Thank God a much better world is coming!

How Then Should We Live?

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is [the whole duty, or purpose, of man]. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:6-7).

We need to fear God, love Him, serve Him, and obey Him. God is alive and we cannot pretend that He doesn’t exist or care about sin. There will be a day of reckoning for every single human being.

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10).

We need to take stock of our lives now and ask ourselves some important questions: Do I really have the right respect and reverence for the God who made me? Am I faithfully obeying Him and keeping His commandments? Make no mistake, God is alive, and one day, we will have to face Him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Summary

So, why are we here? What is the purpose and meaning of life? God created us after His own image and likeness—we are created after the God kind! His purpose is to reproduce Himself. The glorified Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. God is in the process of bringing many sons to glory. God is creating a family—His own Family—filled with sons and daughters who share His holy, righteous, and perfect character. Our definite chief aim in this life should be to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all our physical needs shall be added to us as well (Matthew 6:33).

That is the true purpose and meaning of life—the reason we are alive today!

Recommended Reading: For a more detailed study of this fascinating subject, please read, download, or request your free copy of the booklet, What Is Your Destiny?.

“Well, I’m doing great! How about yourself?”

“Couldn’t be better!”

Funny—we live in a superficial age; some of the phrases we use are clichés. We say them to be pleasant. But as Christians, we need to ask ourselves: “How am I really doing?”

1. Did I awake spiritual, in a happy prayerful attitude, and was I watchful to keep my mind from wandering this morning?
2. Have I this day kept my mind clean, my thoughts and contemplations on “the things above,” in a continuous happy, positive, prayerful attitude?
3. Have I partaken three times today of spiritual food, by submissive Bible study and earnest prayer alone with God? Have I grown closer to God? Have I grown today in grace and knowledge?
4. Have I walked by faith, asking God for wisdom and guidance in all things, committing every little problem to Him, trusting Him with it?
5. Have I exercised self-discipline, denying impulse, doing what God’s Word shows I ought to do instead of what I wanted to do?
6. Was my speech and conversation today kind, cheerful, soft?
7. Have I exercised patience today? Have I been charitable toward others, showing tolerance and love, or resentment, jealously, anger?
8. Have I, while putting spiritual interests first, been diligent in performing regular material duties today, doing my very best?
9. Have I made the most of my time, or have I been weakened by unwatchfulness?
10. What have I done for God’s work and for others? Have I spent anything today to please self that might have been saved for God’s cause?

These 10 daily questions were taken from an old co-worker bulletin of the Radio Church of God (published by the late Herbert W. Armstrong), dated February 14, 1941—over 67 years ago! But the questions remain as practical and as timeless as ever.

A diamond is the greatest conductor of heat, is transparent over the greatest number of wavelengths, has the highest melting point (4,090 degrees Celsius—2 1/2 times greater than that of steel!) and has a refractive index greater than any naturally occurring gemstone—giving it its characteristic fire and brilliance. Diamonds are among the rarest and costliest of gemstones.

But you may ask: What magical substance is a diamond made of? Ironically, just about the same substance found in one of the softest of all minerals—the graphite in the lead of your pencil! Diamonds are pure crystalline carbon formed 200 kilometers deep within the earth millions of years ago. The elemental forces of heat and pressure transformed the carbon into diamond in the cauldron of boiling magma that lay deep below the surface of the earth. The volcanic mass in which this crystallization took place then thrust upwards and broke through the earth’s surface to cool in kimberlite pipes. It is in these pipes that most diamonds are found today.

The diamond derives its name from the Greek adamao or adamas, which means “unconquerable” or “invincible.”

A Diamond’s “Four Cs”

But what determines the value of a diamond? In 1939, De Beers, the world’s leading diamond company, popularized the “Four Cs”: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.

1. Cut refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond. A diamond’s cut is what gives it sparkle and fire. The better the proportions, the better the diamond is able to handle light, creating more sparkle and brilliance.

2. Color refers to the degree to which the diamond is colorless. The majority of diamonds range from those with barely perceptible yellow and brownish tints up to the very rare pinks, blues and greens, which are known as fancies. The best color for a diamond, however, is colorless.

3. Clarity refers to the presence of inclusions in a diamond. Most diamonds contain tiny inclusions or feather-like spots or imperfections, not discernible to the naked eye. The fewer and smaller they are, the less likely they are to interfere with the passage of light through the diamond, and therefore the more rare and beautiful it will be.

4. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat is divided into 100 points so that a diamond of 75 points weighs .75 carats (1 carat equals 200 milligrams). Two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values, depending on their cut, clarity and color.

The “Four Cs” of God’s Jewels

In the Bible, God calls us His jewels (Malachi 3:17). I would like to share with you the “Four Cs” of a spiritual diamond—what we should be striving to be as true Christians. These Four Cs are Conviction, Commitment, Courage and Character. They are all important—they all build upon each other.

1. Conviction is the degree to which one knows and believes the Word of God.

Conviction is being absolutely certain of what you believe. In Hebrews 11:6, we read: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We must believe! We must be fully persuaded! We must not leave room for even a little doubt! That is conviction!

Such was the conviction Daniel’s three friends had when they were confronted about their refusal to bow down before King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. They said, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17). They had faith—they knew their God and fully trusted in His power to save them!

Now where does this faith come from? Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We must anchor our beliefs solidly on the unchanging authoritative Word of God, the foundation and wellspring of truth (John 17:17). This is what will give us the same faith that the patriarch Abraham had. In Romans 4:20-21, we read that “he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” That is what conviction is—being fully convinced!

Do you recall what Joseph did and said when he was being seduced by Potiphar’s wife? What made him strong enough to resist? Conviction! In Genesis 39:7-9, we read: “And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’” There it is! Joseph called a spade a spade. He knew what was right and what was wrong! And he took action—he got out of there!

To deepen our conviction, we need to study and meditate on the words of God. Without conviction, we cannot move on and possess the second quality of a spiritual diamond.

2. Commitment is the degree to which one consistently acts on that knowledge and belief.

Here’s another way of understanding commitment—commitment is making a firm decision way in advance of the circumstance you will be faced with. It means binding yourself to a certain course of action, based on the truth of your conviction.

Let’s look at an example from the Bible of one who had commitment. Read Daniel 1:8: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

He purposed in his heart—he made up his mind—he made a firm decision and bound himself to that certain course of action! That is commitment!

Do you remember the showdown of the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel? Elijah called for commitment! He said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

We need to take a stand and be decisive. But we cannot do that if we do not have sufficient conviction. And conviction comes from faith, and faith comes from hearing—and heeding—the Word of God! Unless we have this kind of conviction, we will be compromising left and right. But if we drink in and meditate on what God says in His Word, we will be able to say, along with Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

3. Courage is the degree to which one is able to persevere in the face of trial or difficulty.

Unless we have conviction and commitment, we will not have courage—the strength and boldness to stand by our commitment no matter the cost. Why were Daniel’s three friends bold enough to risk death in a fiery furnace heated seven times? Conviction. Commitment. Courage. How about Joseph? For doing the right thing, he lost in one day his job, his freedom and his “good reputation.” He was willing to go to prison and to suffer ridicule and abuse because he was convicted, committed and courageous.

Look at all the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 beginning in verse 30. Why were they able to risk so much? Why were they able to face danger without flinching? Why did Daniel still pray even after knowing that the law was signed authorizing the death of all who prayed? Why did the apostles still preach Jesus as the Christ even after being arrested, beaten and thrown into prison? Conviction. Commitment. Courage.

Today, we easily become afraid at the thought of losing our recognition in school, the acceptance of our peers and perhaps our job security. We are not even threatened with death and torture like these heroes of faith were. Notice what was said of them in Hebrews 11:38: “Of whom the world was not worthy.” Why? Because they were spiritual diamonds. Only God knew their true worth.

4. Character is the degree to which one is conformed to the image of God’s perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

This is what God is forming in us all along. Picture these Four Cs as levels of a pyramid. The base is conviction, followed by commitment and courage. The capstone is character.

Character is the only thing we can take with us into eternity. Not our houses, our clothes, our appliances or our cars. And character is so precious because even God cannot create it by fiat! Just imagine several robots walking around following and obeying God saying, “Yes, Master!” just because they were programmed to do so. God is not interested in robots, but in children—in sons and daughters—who follow and obey God because they love Him!

No wonder God calls His people His jewels: “‘They shall be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him’” (Malachi 3:17).

There is a Russian proverb that says, “A gem is not polished except by friction.” None of us enjoy the grinding and the heat and the pressure of the trials and difficulties of everyday life. But it’s precisely those very things—the heat, the pressure, the grinding, the cutting and the polishing—that transform ordinary carbon into a precious glittering diamond! The rest who despise the process remain the graphite to be made into cheap lead pencils.

We need to submit to God, the Master Craftsman, to develop in us the Four Cs of a spiritual diamond: conviction, commitment, courage and character. When the process is complete, we will be more brilliant than a diamond. As Daniel 12:3 states, our destiny is to be more brilliant than even the stars shining in the heavens forever and ever! One day we shall become spiritual diamonds—God’s most precious jewels! God can then exclaim: “This is my beloved son [or daughter], in whom I am well pleased!”

Let’s all strive to be spiritual diamonds of unshakable conviction, unwavering commitment, unflinching courage and Christlike character! For a diamond… is forever!

Recommended Reading: What does God have in store for you, and how can you prepare for that future? Order or download a free copy of What Is Your Destiny? to learn more about this fascinating subject. The above article was published in the April/May 2004 issue of Virtual Christian Magazine, under the title, “A Diamond is Forever.”

I don’t know exactly how far away You are—how many light years Your throne is from where I am. I just know you are somewhere behind those brilliant, beautiful stars in the sky tonight. Maybe farther. But I am so happy that I am not cut off from You, unlike most people in the world right now.

The gentle wind blows cold out here in the open. It is so quiet, I cannot hear a sound but the chirping notes of the crickets.

Almighty Father, the world is getting more and more evil and dangerous with each passing day, although it seems to be very peaceful and quiet tonight. I wonder how most people feel, unaware of Your Master Plan. But I know many think the world is marching slowly into the path of a chillingly dark, ominous future. I can imagine people struggling to stay afloat in a Herculean vortex swirling the world down to its deepest, darkest trench.

I could very well be one of those people, were it not for the calling you have extended to me through my parents. And so, we know that even as the world trudges closer and closer to its apparent destruction, it also draws closer and closer to that hopeful, climactic time of Your return to this earth, to usher in the most awaited time since the beginning of the world.

I treasure, beyond words can express, this privilege You have given me, to qualify to help call those living in the Millennium, and beyond. It is, to me, an indescribable feeling, more than unspeakable joy, to be chosen from about 50,000 people, and prepared for a position of rulership and service in that soon-coming world.

This realization often makes me wonder: “I am a nobody.” There are people, like my classmates back in school, who are more rich, more popular, more handsome, more powerful, and more intelligent, than me. But even if it were possible, I will not trade this priceless opportunity for riches, popularity, looks, power, or intelligence.

I realize it is perfect character that You are after. With your Spirit leading me to understand Your plans, purposes, and truths, I am striving to overcome and resist Satan, his present society, and my human nature. Probably Satan snickers every instant I would slip, but I will never give up. I am preparing for that time when Your Spirit will finally be dwelling within me, after baptism, to strengthen me to do Your will, and to develop Your perfect character.

As the days grow more and more evil and dangerous, please remember Your Church, Your called-out ones. Please give us the drive, the means, and the urgency to support the preaching of the gospel of Your kingdom to this sick and dying world. Finally, please abundantly bless Your Work through the increasingly difficult times ahead.

In three more hours, a new day will dawn. Please help me, Father, to make this day—and every day—a day of preparation and growth, toward Your glorious kingdom.

This was an essay I wrote when I was 17 years old.

As for me, I don’t need the treasures of earth
So long as I have from the day of my birth
Some people who care, who love, and who share
Life’s joys and life’s sorrows with cheer and a pray’r.

Friends who fear God are just but a few
On why I found you, I don’t have a good clue
Except to say, God does send on an ordinary day
Friends whom we meet in an extraordinary way.

Thanks for being such a happy, fine friend
For laughing at my jokes, though silly, I contend
But one thing won’t change, time will prove true
I’d always treasure your friendship, as I’d treasure you.

We were now 12,500 feet above the drop zone. Two other jumpers slid the door open and the wind chilled my sweaty skin. I zipped up my jumpsuit and staggered with Kent to the door. Then, I was at the scene I had long imagined—and dreaded.

While the sky seemed inviting, the ground, two-and-a-half miles below, was forbidding. As I got into the jump position, I tried not to think about how scared I was. Just do it, I thought.

Beneath the roar of the fierce winds that clobbered my face, I heard Kent counting: “One, two, THREE!”

Suddenly, buckets of adrenalin flooded my bloodstream. For the first three seconds, I felt my stomach surge skyward out the top of my head. The pale blue earth roared toward me. I was falling close to 120 miles an hour, descending 200 feet every second.

As the winds stormed toward us, I felt my goggles and helmet about to be blown away. My cheeks were drawn back toward my ears. Though we were dropping this fast, I felt like I was simply floating on air. I had a panoramic view of the ground below and I prayed our harnesses wouldn’t separate because Kent had the parachutes!

As I started to actually enjoy the fall, Kent tapped me on the side. I checked my altimeter and it was 5,000 feet. I grabbed the bright red handle and pulled the ripcord. Immediately, the loud rush of air melted into a peaceful calm as a white parachute blossomed over our heads. We were now descending at about 18 feet per second, steering the parachute down, landing about four minutes later.

Becoming a Christian is a lot like parachuting out of a (perfectly good) airplane for the very first time. Both require counting the cost, denying oneself, faith and trust, and being fully committed.

1. Count the Cost

Jesus Christ stressed the importance of counting the cost before undertaking any endeavor (Luke 14:28-32). Before going on this tandem skydive, I had to count the cost. Aside from knowing how much the skydive would cost in dollars, I had to evaluate the risks of skydiving, the safety record of the school, and my own and my family’s feelings about the whole matter. And while I concluded that the odds were on my side, I still had to be prepared for the other alternative. Am I willing to risk what I have now to gain what I don’t yet have? Am I prepared for the worst—should it happen?

Before one decides to become a Christian, one must also count the cost. Jesus taught that those who want to follow Him must not do so thoughtlessly (Luke 14:26-33). Why? Because when Christ calls us to repentance, He expects nothing short of absolute surrender to God’s will (Luke 9:23). Moreover, some of His followers would even have to suffer and die for being a Christian.

2. Deny Yourself

Before I even paid for my skydive, the skydiving school made me aware of the risks involved. The first thing they made me do was read and sign several pages of legal documents releasing the school of any liability should injury or death result. I also had to waive my right to sue or to collect insurance. In doing so I was denying myself my normal rights. I was, in a sense, losing control and signing my life away.

True conversion, likewise, calls for total and unconditional surrender to God. Before becoming Christians, we must deny ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). By this, Jesus means we must deny our right to live as we please—with no thought of or regard for the will of God. We must surrender our self-will and learn to follow God’s lead in our lives.

We must also be prepared to suffer the consequences of our decision—trusting in God—if the worst were to come. Jesus said that one cannot be His disciple if he or she is not prepared to give up everything (Luke 14:33). And yes, this includes our own life as well (Luke 14:26).

3. Trust and Have Faith

Skydiving for the very first time—or perhaps even several times after that—is scary. I had never done it before and I didn’t know what to expect. It was literally leaping into the unknown. And although I knew that my chances of surviving were good, there was no money-back guarantee. What I needed was trust, and a lot of faith. Trust in the sport of parachuting, trust in the parachute itself, and trust in the experienced jumpmaster.

My jumpmaster Kent did not always explain everything—unless, of course, I asked him a question. Not knowing everything there was to know about skydiving worried me. Would I overlook some important piece of information that might cost me my life? But the implicit message from my jumpmaster was that he knew what he was doing and that all I needed to do was trust and follow instructions.

During the freefall, I felt all alone, heading into the ground head first. I couldn’t see Kent who was behind my back. He probably knew how I felt, since he undoubtedly remembers his first skydive, too.

Trust and faith are the same things Jesus requires of His would-be followers. He told them they must be devoted to Him more than anyone or anything else (Matthew 10:37-38). In our Christian life, Jesus doesn’t always tell us everything, but He’s always there—always watching, guiding and caring. Having once been a human being, Jesus understands our fears, our insecurities, our anxieties. In Hebrews 4:15, we read, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

4. Be Fully Committed

Having counted the cost, denied ourselves and trusted in faith, we should be fully committed. Before the actual skydive, they give you many opportunities to say, “No, I’m not going to do it.” Some have quit before signing the legal papers and attesting before a video camera that they have read and agreed with the statement of release. The other time one may want to quit is right before jumping out of the plane.

As time goes on, however, it becomes costlier to quit. For instance, after 30 minutes into the flight, I wouldn’t get any refund should I decide not to jump. According to one of the skydiving personnel I talked to, the two most disappointed people she has ever seen were the two who quit and landed with the plane. Apparently, they were not fully committed.

Christianity, however, is a lifetime commitment. Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). He said anyone who isn’t ready to commit cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:27; Matthew 10:38).

God is not pleased with quitters (Hebrews 10:38). To turn one’s back on God would serve to forfeit the gift of eternal life and warrant eternal death (Hebrews 10:26-27). But Jesus promised that “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). God wants us all to stand firm to the end. He wants us to be as committed to Him as He is to us, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

I believe there can be no greater joy than to embark on the road to eternal life and stand firm throughout one’s Christian life—a more lasting, a more fulfilling, and a more purposeful adventure than skydiving. So get ready to leave everything behind, trusting Jesus to the end.

“One, two, THREE!”

This article was published in the April-June 2001 issue of Youth United E-Magazine (now renamed Vertical Thought, A Magazine of Understanding for Tomorrow’s Leaders). If you would like to learn more about baptism, request the free booklets The Road to Eternal Life and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.

The realization was most powerful—I had only one life to live. There were many roads I could travel, but I didn’t want to take just any road. I wanted to find the way—the way to the best life possible. What was that way?

I realized that one of the wisest things I could do was to invest time finding out what is the purpose of life in the first place! It only seemed reasonable and logical. What’s the point of living if you don’t know what life is for? I realized that many people were like me—clueless. Why do they do the things they do? Is it right? Why do they believe the things they believe? Are they true and correct? Many don’t even care to ask these kinds of questions. What a waste of that one precious life.

Determined to find the answers, even if it took me the rest of my life, I was not interested in simply finding a purpose for living, but the purpose for human life on this earth: What’s the whole point? Why are we here?

Dedicating my life to seek the answers to these two questions, I spent many days and nights in careful study and research. I acquired books, articles and other resources that would shed light on my questions. I was consumed with this topic. Spending more hours than I care to remember in libraries and bookstores, I read, thought, meditated, prayed and reflected. When a flash of insight came, I wrote it down in my journal. Slowly, a rock-solid foundation emerged.

What did I find? Our destiny is quite literally out of this world—the Kingdom of God (John 18:36)! Our greatest goal should be to enter and inherit this wonderful Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). But how? Listen to this precious nugget of wisdom: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [our whole reason for being]” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, emphasis added). That’s the way to get there. It’s that simple—and that profound.

If only we would quit treating that verse as just a nice little quotation and actually do what it says! It’s the ultimate in vertical thinking—building a strong relationship with God, the source of wisdom, life and every good thing we could possibly ask for. I totally believe that if you follow this piece of advice, you too can learn man’s true purpose. To begin your own study of this important subject, please read, download or request the free booklet, What Is Your Destiny? What is more, you will live the best life possible—and it will be out of this world!

Published as a Vertical Thought commentary on November 10, 2006.

My family had barely finished asking the blessing on a Friday evening meal when we were faced with four masked, shabby-looking men brandishing handguns, an M-16 rifle and a dagger: How did these people get in here? What do they want?

“I said shut your eyes!” the leader barked, pointing a revolver straight at Dad.

Dad glanced at my two little sisters, my mom (almost nine months pregnant), my three brothers and me, and said, “Just bow your heads and pray.” My eyelids trembled as I tried to keep them shut. My knees were shaking. I wanted to do something, but if Dad was powerless right now, what could a 13-year old do? I prayed that my five-year old sister wouldn’t open her eyes or cry.

“We need cash, jewelry and guns—and we need them right now!”

We didn’t have what they wanted, and Dad told them so. All the money he had was 300 Philippine pesos (about $6.25), which he gave them.

“You liar!” the leader shouted as he spat on the floor. He pressed the knife on my Dad’s throat and demanded that he tell the truth. While the two men stood by, the other two searched every inch of the house. Finding some drawers locked, they came back furious. I cringed as I heard one of them whack Dad with the butt of his gun.

“Give me the keys! You’re making things difficult for us!” With the gun against the back of his head, Dad led the man to his study. The thief grabbed the keys and brought Dad back to his seat.

After more than two hours of vain searching, the men settled for other valuables: VCR, camera, radio, power tools, camping gear, watches—even my brothers’ and sisters’ savings. They grabbed our suitcases and stuffed them with the loot.

The Escape

“We need the car,” the leader said. Dad offered him the keys, but the leader said, “No, you are driving us.” Dad explained that the car had little gas left, and that there were no gas stations open that late. “That’s no problem—we’ll hold one up if necessary.”

Dad had no choice. He glanced at his family, not knowing whether he would see us again. We weren’t even allowed to look at each other to say goodbye. We comforted ourselves thinking Dad wouldn’t have to drive them too far. Dad didn’t have his wallet, driver’s license or any identification. He could easily be dumped anywhere and no one would know who he was. We’d read about similar cases where the victim never returned alive. We prayed Dad would be an exception.

The leader stuck a gun against Dad’s temple while another held a dagger to his throat. Dad was told to look straight ahead, not to pass by friends or the police and not to stop at military checkpoints. He was not to make any signal or operate any communications equipment. He was even scolded for signaling a turn.

The men took turns guarding Dad while the rest ate or slept. The leader told my Dad that he could go home if he took them safely to their destination. But he threatened to finish us all off if anything ever went wrong.

After two hours, Dad mentioned the gas tank was nearly empty. The leader directed him to an open gas station, and after the attendant pumped about four gallons, they took off again.

While driving farther and farther from home and sources of help, my Dad prayed. He recalled God’s promises and the many miracles in the Bible. Dad asked God more than once to intervene quickly. He expected a drastic solution, such as the car being swept away in a flash flood or zapped by a lightning bolt with him as the lone survivor—anything that would get these men off his back. When it didn’t happen, my Dad briefly entertained the idea of running the car off the road to “end it all.” He then thought about his wife and children, now potentially fatherless. He asked God to hear their prayers and to take care of them. Helpless, he entrusted everything to God.

After five hours of driving, the gas tank was nearly empty again. As the desired destination was still about five hours away, Dad suggested they choose a place to stop for the night.

Sensing Impending Danger

Finally, on a lonely stretch of road, the leader ordered Dad to make a U-turn and park. Dad sensed impending danger. As the men started to get out, the leader turned around and cocked his gun. He ordered Dad to get out and lie facedown on the roadside. Dad refused. He reminded the leader he had promised to allow him to return. Dad was determined that if he was going to die, it would be in the car so there would be evidence. Having prayed and prepared himself the whole night, he wasn’t afraid to die. The leader lowered the gun and started to walk away. Dad requested some money for gas and the leader threw the stolen money on the backseat and closed the door.

Free at Last!

Dad jammed his foot on the gas pedal, flinging dust in the air. As he headed home he gave an audible prayer or thanks and a loud cry of relief!

It was now 3 a.m., and he knew no gas station would be open for miles. He also knew that to travel all the way back on a drying gas tank would require nothing short of a miracle. But his priority was to get as far away from the men as possible. So, on a full tank of faith and an almost empty tank of gas, he sped toward home.

Back at home, it was already sunrise, and Dad still hadn’t come home. We hardly slept—we worried, prayed and waited for any sign of Dad. But about two hours later, I heard the car’s familiar horn. We all rushed outside. It was Dad! With tears streaming down our faces, we hugged.

Through that experience, I have learned that God does hear our prayers, though in His perfect knowledge, He doesn’t always answer in the time or way we expect. Sometimes, we cry out to God and wonder why help doesn’t come. If only we had the eyes—the eyes of FAITH TO SEE—to see Him lovingly hovering over us, always in control, making sure that nothing happens beyond what He would allow.

(My mom gave birth to a healthy baby girl, my youngest sister Meryl, the day my dad returned. She’s now 20 years old.)

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

—Psalm 34:17-19

This article was published in the April-June 2002 issue of Youth United E-Magazine (now renamed Vertical Thought, A Magazine of Understanding for Tomorrow’s Leaders).

Being from a third-world country, I liken coming to America, much less studying at Ambassador College, to winning a million dollars in a sweepstake. Distance was a problem, money was a big problem, immigration was a big, big problem. But I had a dream—a dream to span the Pacific and come to this college.

Like many of you here tonight, I was excited to learn about my acceptance to AC. Little did I know what was to befall me within 12 weeks: three nightmares—three humongous pitch-black monsters—that would threaten to snuff my dream from existence.

To leave the Philippines, I had to obtain a student visa from the United States Consulate. Only three chances for a visa interview is allowed at any one time. If my application is turned down thrice, I would not be able to leave, no matter how much I wanted to go.

Since the Consulate is in another city, in another island, my trip would start the day before the interview. I would leave home in the morning, and arrive there at about sundown. I would spend the night at a friend’s house, be up at five, rush to the Consulate before six, and find about a dozen people ahead of me in the line. For the next three and a half hours, I would plan, hope and pray for a positive outcome. The seconds become minutes, the minutes become hours.

Finally, 9:32 a.m., June 24th, 1992. A voice cracks: “Number 16 to window two please.” With my documents ready, I get up, say a silent prayer, and walk to the window. Pulse: About 120. Blood pressure: 200/130.

The curtains close—and open. I walk out of the Consulate. Reaching the door, I noticed that the sun seemed to be sliding behind the dark clouds.

The outcome I feared most had happened. I was turned down. But never did I realize that this same horror video was to be played back before my very eyes a couple more times: 22 days later, and again, 11 days after that.

My visa applications had been rejected—not once, not twice, but three times. After the first rejection, I was disappointed, but I was hopeful—I had two more chances. After the second rejection, I was upset, but still hopeful—one more chance. But after the final rejection, I was hopeless—no more chance. I said to myself: “That’s it, I’ve had it, AC is not for me.”

Family and friends knew I wasn’t coming. Friends called to encourage me. My parents tried to comfort me. And I thanked them for their concern. But deep inside, my dream wouldn’t want to die.

Many a night I would lie on my bed and gaze at the wall, trying, vainly, to still capture and paint my beautiful, colorful, but dying dream out of the cold, bleak, blackness of rejection, despair and discouragement.

I wanted to let go, but I still wanted to hold on. I was torn between reality and possibility. In my ear Reality shouted, “Don’t waste your time, kid, AC is unrealistic! Haven’t I proven it to you three times already? “Shut up,” Possibility interrupted. “When proof is possible, faith is impossible. Go, Danny, give it ONE MORE SHOT!”

One more shot? I knew that the chances of the three decisions being reversed were next to impossible. They were like layers of steel and concrete reinforcing each other. But at that point, I had nothing to lose. So I wrote a short but forceful letter of appeal to the Consul General and sent it to the Embassy.

Days passed, and not a word from the Embassy. I said this is it. I have failed, but I was happy I was brave enough to try. That night, in utter desperation, I pleaded with God saying, “if it be possible, let not this cup pass from me—please don’t let my little dream die,” I begged, as my pillow received about five millimeters of rain.

As I was having breakfast the next morning, I got a long-distance phone call. The secretary from the Embassy asked me when I could come for a special interview with the Chief of the Non-Immigrant Visa Section. Wow! Either she’s got the wrong number or I’m insane, I thought for a moment. But confident that she was not kidding and I was not yet insane—I finally said “Monday morning at nine.”

The curtains close—and open. I start out the Embassy with passport in hand. Turning to the last page, I read: “United States of America, visa, issued August 10th, 1992, Manila, Philippines.” Reaching the door, I noticed that the sun seemed to be coming out from behind the clouds.

My dream, with God’s help, has just become a reality. Mind you, I have come just this close to “throwing in the towel.” Frankly, I never thought I would be able to come here, let alone speak before you tonight. But in the midst of what I reckon to be the darkest chapter in my life, I heard a faint voice, urging me to persist—to give my dream of coming to Ambassador College ONE MORE SHOT. Looking back, I think it was well worth the effort, and the trouble, for here, on the other side of the globe, I have met some of the most encouraging—not to mention, beautiful and talented—people in the world.

Dear students, faculty, guests—When the path to your goal is blocked from seemingly all directions; when your dreams suddenly transform into ugly nightmares; when you aim for victory but achieve defeat; when you ask and do not receive; when you seek and do not find; when you knock, and the door has not been opened; yes, when you try and try and don’t succeed—persist, knowing that it is often the last key in the ring that opens the door. Bounce back after every defeat, after every rejection.

Give it ONE MORE SHOT, before you bury your dream!

Published as a Vertical Thought commentary on June 1, 2007.

Why are we here? There has to be purpose for our being. We are not here just to “know, beget, and die.” We are here to experience the best life possible—to realize the purpose for our being and our creation—and that is to more completely become what we were created to be. And what exactly is that? Our destiny is to become the sons and daughters of our Almighty Father and to become like Him and His Son Jesus Christ in every way—to be holy, righteous, and perfect as They are—to be spirit, glorified and powerful as They are—immortal and not subject to pain, discomfort, and death.

How then should we live? We need to fear [to have a deep and abiding respect and reverence for] God and keep His commandments. We must strive to obey Him, follow Him, and pattern our life after Him. We need to submit to His authority over our lives. Yes, it’s so easy to go our own way or do our own thing. The Bible tells us that there is a way that seems right unto us, but it only leads to death. We can only find true life and true fulfillment by obeying Him. Doing so will result in the greatest happiness and joy that can ever come upon a human being. We will then fulfill the purpose for our being, and experience real peace of mind and joy that surpasses anything we have ever experienced in life! Our lives will be brimming full with happiness, joy, excitement and real PASSION!