Our Aim- God's Glory

God's glory...His number one aim and His purpose in all of creation, redemptive history past, present and future, and for the Christian our driving passion. Yet it often seems like something we are always aiming for but maybe never accomplishing, or something that we are always throwing out as our heart's deisre, but maybe never really seeking; for the Christian it has become something we say we are all about, but I often ask myself is it really something I seek? Charles Spurgeon once said, "It is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence – “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy name be glory.”"

Recently I have been wrestling with this whole idea of God's glory, what it really means, and how I might more effectively bring Him glory. I have realized some basic Truths of Scripture that I found both encouraging and convicting and that have drawn me closer to Him and has reminded me continually of the fact that as Piper said, "Nothing makes God more supreme and more central than when a people are utterly persuaded that nothing – not money or prestige or leisure or family or job or health or sports or toys or friends – is going to bring satisfaction to their aching hearts besides God."

God Doesn't NEED You: We need to understand the basic Truth of Colossians 1:16, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." What's this you might ask? It is simple yet so true, God is glorified no matter what. That means that He is glorified in and through both good and evil, by the nonChristian and the Christian, by the work of Satan and by the work of His Son...Jesus doesn't need one ounce of praise, one ounce of worship, one ounce of fame to get glory...He simply gets it all because HE MADE IT ALL. What a humbling reality that is once grasped, yet it is foundational to your salvation. Until someone realizes that they don't bring anything to the table, that everything that comes along with salvation and sanctification is by the mighty hand of God, there is not a true understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is ALL ABOUT HIM!

God Chooses YOU and Uses You: John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." The next crucial Truth we must understand is that God chose YOU, if you are His, from before the foundation of the world! That is a radical Truth and a powerful one at that; to think that the Creator of all the universe foreordained my salvation before there was even a planet earth just blows my mind! Why did he choose to save me or other children of His? Because it brings Him MORE glory; this doesn't mean that He needed me or you to bring Him glory but He chose to use us to bring himself glory! Do you realize that EVERYTHING you do in His name and for His kingdom and for His glory is because He chose to use you for that specific purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are His workmanship created for good works that He prepared beforehand. Is God glorified through your salvation and your good works? Absolutely, but it all is HIM and therefore He gets even more glory!

Striving to Give HIM Glory: John Piper, "Delight in the glory of God includes, for example, hatred for sin, fear of displeasing God, hope in the promises of God, contentment in the fellowship of God, desire for the final revelation of the Son of God, exultation in the redemption He accomplished, grief and contrition for failures of love, gratitude for undeserved benefits, zeal for the purposes of God, and hunger for righteousness. Our duty toward God is that all our affections respond properly to his reality and so reflect His glory." Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." So to the crux of what God has been teaching me, the glory of His name manifested in ALL things, and how? Well here John Piper and Paul give us some great practical tools in how to bring glory to His name...

1) Hatred for Sin- Romans 8:5 says, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." When we fight sin, say no to temptation and chose to follow the conviction of the Spirit, we bring God so much glory; He is working in us to say no to that sin. Think about what it looks like to the world when what seems like pleasure to them looks to us like hatred towards a Holy God and how much of an example that is of Christ in us when we say no to the temporary and fleeting things of the world.

2) Fear of God- 2 Corinthians 5:11 says, "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." Our fear is not the fear that we had when we were unsaved, a fear of judgment and condemnation but rather a fear of grieving our heavenly Father and displeasing Him because of our love for Him. This fear is motivated by who He is, because He is holy. When we fear displeasing Him we say no to sin and we in turn honor and glorify His name.

3)Hope in His Promises- Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." How true that is! When we TRUST God's faithfulness, when we TRUST His providence, when we TRUST Him despite the circumstances in our life and cling tightly to the hope that we have in eternity, we bring Him glory! When we are able to have joy in the midst of trial and conflict and that peace that surpasses the world's comprehension because we are choosing to believe His promises, He is glorified.

4)Contentment in our Relationship With Him- Philippians 4:12 says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Paul got it right here, he had learned the secret of contentment and that was His relationship with the living God and all that came along with that. When we show again peace, joy and hope in all situations God is magnified and in turn glorified! The world will look at see something different and stand in amazement and even then His name will be acclaimed worthy.

5)Desire for His Second Coming- Are we praying MARANATHA, LORD COME? Do we long for Him to come back and reign victoriously and be seen for who He truly is by every eye? Do we long for this with everything that is within us. When we pray for Him to return, when we long for it along with creation as it talks about in Romans, God is glorified!

6) Praising Him for Redemption- 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Everyday we should be thanking God for His work on the cross, we should be praising and exulting His name for it. This in turn motivates us to share His Truth with ALL those we come into contact, and whether they respond rightly is up to God but despite it all HE IS GLORIFIED because His name is being proclaimed, and His great deed manifested. Always praise Him for the gift of salvation.

7) Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness- Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." When we LONG for righteousness, to be made more like Christ and pursue it with our whole hearts we glorify God. For the Spirit is working in us to make us more like Him and in and through that He is glorified, magnified and shown to the world.

8) Doing EVERYTHING With the Right Mindset- Paul said it right, if our aim is His glory we should be aiming for that even in the small things, like eating and drinking, hanging out with friends....every conversation, every thought, every meal, every vacation, every day at work, every day at school, every breath should be unto His name! Does that mean we are saying "To God be the glory" constantly? No, not necessarily, but it means that your heart's passion, your mind's affections, your everything is driven with a pure motivation and aim...HIS GLORY ALONE!

As we seek to be giving Him glory in all things may we be reminded that He is the one working in us to do this. I think John Hannah sums it up well, "Since God is only pleased with the perfections that He alone possesses, and since these have been granted to us through the Holy Spirit, the believer can glorify God. God is glorified when He sees Himself in the character of the believer." May His glory be our only aim!