In three simple words, the meaning of life is "To Serve God". The only real life is in being in Christ, and our purpose consists of living to the glory of God. Ultimately, it's the only thing which is truly worth anything in this world. It is that which is infinitely substantive and which lasts forever! When you live without Christ, you live in veiled emptiness. Hidden is the fact that no matter what you do, or how you succeed, or what earthly wealth that you accumulate, it is somehow all in vain and un-fulfilling. Man can choose to deceive himself and deny this, but God knows the heart of man and can discern between soul and spirit, and He has stated it accurately in the wisdom of the Preacher.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

• "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of Spirit, and there was no profit under the sun".

All is vanity! We can spend our entire lives building and doing for ourselves, but ultimately, in the final analysis, there is no lasting profit for our labours in this world. What meaning has it? It is all temporal. When we die and the bones are dried up, a few years pass, we are forgotten and our labours given to others, or turned to dust.

The truth is, he who is without Christ, is without meaning of life and in a real sense, lives for himself in vanity. He lives for today where all is vanity. There is no purpose, and the end thereof is the judgment. But those who live for Christ have the joyous fulfillment in the Peace that passeth understanding. For they have the blessed expectation of what God has promised them that love Him. To these Blessed souls, in sojourn in their bodies they labour for Christ, but their death is not a cause for sorrow or completion, but one of joy and a beginning.

Philippians 1:20-21

• "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

• For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain".

To live is Christ and to die is gain because we magnify and serve the Lord on this earth that others may know such hope as we have, and when the believer goes to be with Him, they have gained an everlasting splendor which is far superior to anything this world can offer.

The real meaning of Life in Christ is that we work the Spiritual fields of this world which are ripe to the harvest. Not the literal fields in the work of men, it's the work we have in Christ of serving and obeying God where the fruits of our labours are not temporal, but eternal. The labours, without which, Life has no real meaning. For this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

• "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments; For this is the whole duty of man"

This is the "whole" of man! The purpose of man is to glorify God faithfully in reverential fear and obedience in servitude. In doing this, all good works in this life will follow naturally. i.e., we will take care of our family, we will preach the gospel, we will love others as ourselves and Glorify God. The meaning of Life is summed up in this! As Ecclesiastes says, it is the whole (complete purpose) of man. It is the Love of God wherein we will fear Him, Keep His commandments, and therefore do the good works.

1st John 5:1-3

• "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

• By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

• For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous".

In this is our lives given meaning. The Greatest Commandment, love the Lord thy God! And that love is shown by serving Him in obedience. So while this is probably not be the answer that many who ask this question are seeking, it is the only answer which God gives! The love of God (and thus a Love of God's Word) is paramount in this life. Those who Love God, keep God's Word. Likewise, those who love the children of God, bring the word that these may also know the joy that we have in Him! And we show a love of God by the faithful bringing His gospel to them! I.e., we show love to them by serving God and keeping His commandments. This is the Love of God and the meaning of life for God's Children.

1st John 5:2-3

• "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

• For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous".

In 1st John 5:2-3 we see God's definition of duty and love of the Brethren. It is not man's definition to be sure, and it is not the World's definition, but it is God's definition of love of God and the Church! The faithfulness to His Word "is" love of God! Those who claim to love God, and yet have no faithfulness to God's word, are those with a form of Godliness, but who deny the power thereof. For the Word is with power. It is not "just words", it is fire from the mouth, and rivers of living waters from the belly. He who comes with the Word of God, comes with power.

Acts 1:8

• "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth".

So often people misconstrue and think that life is in meat and drink, or that it is in the pleasures of this world. But these things are of the temporal, which in the end are worthless. Just fuel for the end fire. The meaning of Life is not in feeling good, it's not in amassing possesions, it's not in friendships, in worldly politics, or power, or vain glory. It's in serving God that His Kingdom (not our own) be advanced. This is our life's work that will last forever because the fruits of that labor last forever. This is the Love of God, and the first commandment.

Matthew 22:37-40

• "Jesus said unto him. Thou shalt Love the Lord God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

• this is the first and Great commandment,

• and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

• On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".

This is consistent and what we would expect. For if we love God, we will keep His Word. And if we keep His Word, we love God and will love our neighbor as ourselves. And the Power wherein we were given to be witnesses will manifest itself in our spreading the gospel message to our neighbors. The Greatest desire we have for ourselves is the kingdom of Heaven. And so (loving our neighbor as ourselves), we desire the same for them! For this cause we do feed the hungry, give the cup to them that thirst, clothe the naked and heal the sick. By the gospel message which we bring. On these two commandments hang all the other commandments. In other words, if we love God, and love our neighbor as ourself, we will keep all the other commandments. For they hang on these. In the great Westminster confession the question is posed, "What is the Chief end of man?" The answer is, "To Glorify God!"

This is the meaning or purpose of life! It is not in serving yourself or felling sorry for yourself when things don't go well. We weren't put here so that we could lay in a bed of Roses and then die. We were put here to serve God and then to live! Obey, Love God, and keep His commandments. This is the whole of man (ecc. 12:13).

With this most basic of truths as your banner, may you go forth in renewed vigour and purpose of duty. And may the Lord who is Gracious above all, richly bless your endeavor.