The short answer to the question “why did God create us?” is “for His pleasure.” Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Colossians 1:16 reiterates the point: “All things were created by him and for him.” Being created for God’s pleasure does not mean humanity was made to entertain God or provide Him with amusement. God is a creative Being, and it gives Him pleasure to create. God is a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have other beings He can have a genuine relationship with.
Being made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27), human beings have the ability to know God and therefore love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him. God did not create human beings because He needed them. As God, He needs nothing. In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness, so He was not looking for a “friend.” He loves us, but this is not the same as needing us. If we had never existed, God would still be God—the unchanging One (Malachi 3:6). The I AM (Exodus 3:14) was never dissatisfied with His own eternal existence. When He made the universe, He did what pleased Himself, and since God is perfect, His action was perfect. “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
Also, God did not create “peers” or beings equal to Himself. Logically, He could not do so. If God were to create another being of equal power, intelligence, and perfection, then He would cease to be the one true God for the simple reason that there would be two gods—and that would be an impossibility. “The LORD is God; besides him there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:35). Anything that God creates must of necessity be lesser than He. The thing made can never be greater than, or as great as, the One who made it.
Recognizing the complete sovereignty and holiness of God, we are amazed that He would take man and crown him “with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5) and that He would condescend to call us “friends” (John 15:14-15). Why did God create us? God created us for His pleasure and so that we, as His creation, would have the pleasure of knowing Him.
Below a question on the topic was answered by Walter and Martin in detail – follow the link below
Please see another What’s Up Prof episode where this concept of “the jury” is discussed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X731Q8wj1Nw&t=2274s – 37min:54sec and onwards
In the below quote from the Spirit of Prophecy, it is clear that this plan was “an eternal purpose” – God knows the end from the beginning, something we as humans cannot always grasp fully, but this wasn’t an arbitrary decision made by God after the fall of lucifer and his angels.
“Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determined counsel of God that man should be created and endowed with power to do the divine will. The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for the blessing, not only of this atom of a world, but for the good of all the worlds that God had created.” — ST Feb. 13, 1893.
Another quote from the Spirit of Prophecy as to why we were created – how amazing to be part of this plan, and to think that we would repopulate heaven as stated below – God will forever miss His covering angel “Lucifer”, but God grants every one of us freedom of choice, and unfortunately Satan chose rebellion, which hardened his heart over time to the point of no return – what is a father to do?
“God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human family might become one with the heavenly family. It was God’s purpose to repopulate heaven with the human family, if they would show themselves obedient to His every word. Adam was to be tested, to see whether he would be obedient, as the loyal angels, or disobedient. If he stood the test, his instruction to his children would have been only of loyalty. His mind and thoughts would have been as the mind and thoughts of God….” God’s Amazing Grace
Additional quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy for your perusal.
“Man was to be tested and proved, and if he should bear the test of God, and remain loyal and true after the first trial, he was not to be beset with continual temptations; but was to be exalted equal with the angels and henceforth equal” (RH Feb 24, 1874).
“He came to restore the defaced image of God, to raise him, elevate him, fit him for companionship with the angels of heaven, to take the position in the courts of God which Satan had forfeited through rebellion” (RH, May 8, 1894).