Most of us who grew up in Christian schools learned catechisms. Remember those? In the past few weeks, one has been brought to mind in a few different settings; it goes like this:
Why did God make me? God made me for His own glory.
Again, this weekend, I've been thinking about this catechism. In my previous post, I asserted that God wants nothing more than a relationship with us. Thanks to the challenge of a friend, I'm rethinking that statement. Here's what I'd like it to read: God wants a relationship with us in order to show His glory. Allow me to share how I came to this conclusion.
I started in Genesis. I wanted to know the basis for the answer to the catechism I learned as a kindergartener. Ironically, written in the margin of Genesis 1 in my Bible is "The earth is God's gift to me so that I would glorify Him. Is. 45:18" Following that lead, I flipped to Is. 45. Here are some snippets:
"...I am the Lord, and there is on other; Besides Me there is no God...That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me...The One forming light and creating darkness...I am the Lord who does all these...Drip down, O heavens, from above. And let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it..." (As a former English teacher, I love the imagery!!)
It's obvious that creation was meant to bring glory to The Creator. Being a part of that creation, it logically follows that I am meant to bring glory to The Creator. Going back to my previous post, I believe that God's pursuit--no fight--for a relationship with me is the way that He seeks to bring glory to Himself in a way that no other part of His creation can.
Paul David Tripp says it better than I in his book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands:
"'The goal of God's grace is his own glory, as he calls out and purifies a people that belong to him alone. When he owns their hearts unchallenged, these people will be eager to do what is good in his eyes.' ...so that people place their perosnal stories in the larger story of God's kingdom, for his glory."
1 comment:
Excellent post. Dr. John Piper drilled this reality into me in the past couple years. It's really found in virtually every book of his, but he continues to help me remember that everything is always to His glory. Once I can put that into perspective, I can be content in whatever situation I am in. Whether it's in plenty or in want, He is always in control and using the situation and me to bring glory to His name.
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