QUESTION:
WHERE DID I COME FROM?
ANSWER:
You were created by God to live in fellowship with Him, but sin shattered that purpose—yet your past does not have to define your future.
(This article is Part 1 of a 3-part series entitled “Where Did I Come From? Where Am I Now? Where Am I Going?”—a journey that explores the deep, existential questions of life and explains God’s purpose for humanity.)
Humanity has always been obsessed with origins. From ancient mythologies to modern-day laboratories, our race has tirelessly sought the answer to one of the most fundamental questions: Where did we come from?
Today, scientists invest billions of dollars in pursuit of that answer. They launch telescopes into deep space, send robotic missions to distant asteroids, study rock layers beneath the earth’s crust, analyze the DNA of plants and animals, and simulate the conditions of the early universe—all in an attempt to uncover our beginning. Some analyze cosmic background radiation, hoping to catch a glimpse of the origin of the universe. Others search meteorites for prebiotic material, imagining that perhaps life’s blueprint floated in from the stars.
Why this intense pursuit?
Because knowing where we came from holds the key to understanding who we are, where we are going—and the purpose of life itself.
But what about you? Have you ever stopped to seriously ask that question?
Not just in terms of biology or ancestry—but your real origin. Not just what happened in the past, but what is really behind your existence? And more importantly, is your past shaping or even controlling your life right now?
Are you haunted by where you came from—your family, your decisions, your upbringing, your mistakes? Or do you sense there’s something deeper calling you to look beyond all that?
In this article, we will look at where you really came from—not from a microscope or a telescope, but from the One who made both. Because until you understand your true origin, you will never understand your true purpose.
1. You Were Made by God, Not by Accident
You are not a product of random forces. You are not a cosmic mistake or the outcome of blind evolution. You were made—intentionally, personally, and lovingly—by God Himself.
The Bible opens with this foundational truth:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
That very first verse tells us that everything has a Creator—and that Creator is God. But He didn’t stop at forming the stars and planets. He made you.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’… 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)
God made humanity in His own image. That means you were designed to reflect His character—His creativity, reason, love, morality, and ability to relate. You were meant for relationship with Him.
You are not here by chance. You are not the result of a meaningless process. You were crafted by a divine hand with a divine purpose.
The psalmist declared this profound truth:
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)
You are the marvelous work of God—carefully formed, deeply known, and purposefully made.
Even before you were born, God already knew you:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
You are not a number. You are not just another life passing through time. You were created by the eternal God who sees you, knows you, and has a plan for your life. And no matter what your life has looked like so far, that truth remains unchanged.
But Why Believe This—Over Evolution or Other Theories?
Many theories have been proposed to explain the origin of man. The most dominant among them is Darwin’s theory of evolution, which teaches that human beings evolved from simpler life forms over millions of years through a process of natural selection. Others suggest that life originated from non-living matter by chance—through abiogenesis or chemical evolution—and that humanity is simply the accidental result of time and probability.
But these theories fall short in key areas:
a. They Cannot Account for the Origin of Life Itself
Even evolutionary scientists acknowledge that the origin of life remains a mystery. Where did the first cell come from? How did intelligence, consciousness, and morality emerge from lifeless chemicals? Evolution cannot explain these.
b. They Reduce Human Value
If we are just highly evolved animals or cosmic accidents, where does our worth come from? Why do we care about justice, love, and meaning? Without a Creator, human dignity collapses into nothing more than biology.
c. They Require Blind Faith, Too
Ironically, many who reject the Bible for “not being scientific” put their faith in theories that have never been observed, repeated, or proven. There is no observable evidence of one kind of creature evolving into a completely different kind—what is often called “macro-evolution.” Fossil records lack the transitional forms that such theories require.
d. They Ignore the Inner Voice
Deep within, we all know we are more than molecules. There’s a longing in every human heart for meaning, eternity, and God Himself. This longing is not a random illusion—it is a reflection of the truth.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
e. They Cannot Explain Morality
One of the strongest arguments against atheism and naturalistic evolution is the existence of objective moral values. Why do we instinctively know that certain things are right and others are wrong—across cultures and across time? Where does this universal moral code come from?
Why is it wrong to murder an innocent child? Why does something deep inside us cry out when we see injustice, abuse, or betrayal? Why do we feel guilt when we lie—even if no one finds out?
And on the other side:
Why do we love? Why do we celebrate honesty? Why do we admire selfless sacrifice—like a mother giving her life to save her child or a soldier jumping on a grenade to protect his comrades? These are not mere survival instincts. Animals may protect their young, but they don’t write laws about justice or contemplate moral duty.
Atheism may try to explain morality as a product of social evolution or survival mechanisms, but it cannot explain the oughtness of morality—why we believe some things ought never to be done, regardless of consequences or opinions.
If there is no God, then morality is just a human construct—subject to change, manipulation, or rejection. But if we are created in the image of a holy God, morality makes perfect sense. Good and evil are not opinions—they are reflections of God’s righteous character.
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law… these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts.” (Romans 2:14–15)
Even people who have never read the Bible still know it’s wrong to steal, cheat, lie, and murder. That’s because our moral compass is not an accident—it is evidence of our Creator’s image stamped upon us.
So why do we believe the Bible’s account of creation? Because it aligns with what we observe, what we experience, and what our hearts know to be true—and because there is strong evidence supporting it.
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Life is too complex to be accidental.
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Human beings are too valuable to be meaningless.
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The universe is too ordered to be random.
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Our moral conscience is too consistent and universal to be explained by evolution alone.
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And our longing for God is too deep to be denied.
Scientific discoveries—from the fine-tuning of the universe, to the complexity of DNA, to the historical reliability of Scripture—all support the idea that there is a Designer behind it all. And the moral, spiritual, and existential questions of life point unmistakably to the God of the Bible.
You were made—by God, for God. And that changes everything.
2. God Made You for a Purpose
If God created you, then He must have had a reason. You were not only made by God—you were made for God. Your existence is not random; it is meaningful. You are not just alive—you were created to live for something greater.
The Bible says:
“All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)
That includes you.
You were created to know God, to walk with Him, and to reflect His glory in the world. Everything about your life—your personality, your talents, your passions, even your background—is meant to point back to your Creator. God didn’t just make you for survival. He made you for relationship. He made you for purpose. And He made you to love Him.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered with this:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Love is not just a feeling—it means fellowship, intimacy, and shared life. That’s exactly what God had with Adam in the Garden of Eden.
In the beginning, God walked and talked with Adam. The relationship was close, personal, and unbroken.
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” (Genesis 3:8)
This was humanity’s original purpose: to live in unhindered fellowship with God.
But when sin entered, that fellowship was broken. Adam hid. Man was cast out of the garden. The image of God in man was marred. But God’s purpose never changed. From that moment on, all of Scripture tells the story of redemption—a plan to bring us back into that original relationship with Him.
And one day, for those who are restored through Jesus Christ, that fellowship will be fully restored.
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
This is what we were made for. Not just to serve God. Not just to learn about God. But to enjoy Him. To walk with Him, love Him, and live in unbroken fellowship with Him.
The apostle John affirms:
“Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3)
That means your deepest fulfillment is found not in chasing your own desires, but in discovering God’s purpose for your life. It also means you are not defined by your past failures, by what others think of you, or even by what you think of yourself. You are defined by the purpose of the One who made you.
God made you on purpose and for a purpose. And that purpose begins with knowing Him—and loving Him.
Until you find your Creator, your soul will always feel restless. The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, wrote:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
That’s why you sometimes feel that longing deep within—like there must be something more. Because there is. You were created for something eternal. That “something” is not a thing—it’s a Person. And His name is God.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
Eternal life is not just about living forever—it’s about knowing the One who made you and walking in fellowship with Him, starting now.
3. Sin Distorted God’s Original Design
When God created the world, everything was good. Not just good in function—but good in essence, beauty, and purpose.
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
There was no death, no suffering, no shame. Humanity walked in harmony with God, with one another, and with creation. The original design was perfect—untainted, peaceful, and full of purpose. Man and woman were naked and unashamed, living in perfect fellowship with their Creator.
But something happened that broke that design—something that affected not just your life, but the entire human race: sin.
Sin entered the world when the first humans, Adam and Eve, chose to reject God’s command and go their own way. That single act of rebellion brought a curse not just on them, but on all of creation—including us.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
Sin is more than just doing bad things. It is the condition of being separated from God, of living apart from His will and His presence. It is a distortion of what we were meant to be.
And at its core, sin broke the fellowship between God and man. The intimate relationship we were created for was severed. No longer could man walk freely with God in the cool of the day. Instead of drawing near, man began to hide. Instead of communion, there was fear. Instead of closeness, there was distance.
This is the most tragic consequence of sin:
Our perfect fellowship with God was broken—and it must be reconciled.
Because of sin, we no longer reflect God’s image as we should. Our desires became self-centered. Our relationships became broken. Our view of God became twisted. Even our understanding of who we are got lost in the confusion.
Sin broke the connection between God and man—and with that, it clouded our sense of origin and purpose. That’s why many people today struggle with identity, worth, and direction. We were made by God and for God—but sin made us wander away from Him.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6)
Deep down, many carry the weight of that separation. They may not call it sin, but they feel the emptiness. The pain of broken families. The restlessness of never feeling enough. The guilt from past mistakes. The confusion of trying to define themselves apart from God.
What they are missing—whether they know it or not—is fellowship with the God who made them.
4. Your Past Doesn’t Have to Define You
The fall of mankind brought a curse—one that touched every part of human life. Pain, toil, brokenness, and death all entered the picture when sin came in. From that moment on, man began to live under the shadow of a dark past.
“Then to Adam He said, ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life… In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.’” (Genesis 3:17, 19)
But the curse didn’t stop with the ground. It reached into the very soul of man. When Adam sinned, the perfect fellowship with God was broken, and humanity became enemies of God—not only separated by sin, but now standing in opposition to His holiness and truth.
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)
“You who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…” (Colossians 1:21a)
From that point forward, human history has been marked by evil choices—choices that not only offend God but deeply wound one another. And maybe your past bears the scars of that human evil.
Perhaps someone else’s sin has left you shattered. Or maybe it was your own decisions—those moments when you knew better, but still did wrong. Words that cut. Actions that hurt. Betrayals. Addictions. Secrets. Wounds in your family you wish you could undo.
Some damage feels permanent. Some guilt feels unbearable. And sometimes, the evil that people do—whether to us or through us—leaves us wondering if there’s any way forward.
You may feel the weight of that past. Maybe you were born into a broken home. Maybe you’ve made decisions that haunt you. Maybe shame, regret, or identity struggles have followed you for years. But here is the truth:
You were not meant to be defined by the curse.
Your past—whether it’s marked by sin, failure, pain, or generational bondage—does not have the final say. That is not the life God created you for. You were made to be redeemed. You were made to be free.
God never intended for you to live in the chains of guilt and regret. The curse was the result of sin, but God’s desire is restoration. Though the past may have shaped your story, it does not have to write your future.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Freedom is possible. A new beginning is possible.
You don’t have to repeat the patterns of the past or carry its burdens forever.
Final Thought: The Past Doesn’t Own You
Where you came from matters—but it doesn’t have to define who you become.
Maybe your background is dark. Maybe your past is filled with failure, brokenness, or regret. But let this be clear: that is not what God intended you to be.
You were created for more. You were made for Him.
God Himself is your ultimate purpose.
You were created to love Him, to walk with Him, and to enjoy perfect fellowship with Him. But sin shattered everything. It broke the connection we were meant to have with our Creator. It didn’t just affect your spiritual life or your eternal destiny—it corrupted your present. It twisted your choices, wounded your relationships, and dragged your story through pain.
Sin has given many of us a horrible past. A past of addiction, abuse, abandonment, shame, anger, and loss. For some, it wasn’t just a mistake—it was a series of life-altering consequences. And those consequences may still be controlling your life right now.
But this is not where your story has to end.
The real question now is not just, Where did I come from?
It’s Where am I right now?
If you want to make sense of your present condition—why you feel lost, restless, or broken—then join us in the next part of this series:
Your past is real. But so is God’s purpose. And He’s not done with your story yet…
