One thing I remember learning in Catholic Catechism was the command to love one another. You didn't have to like 'em, I was told, but you have to love 'em. Today, I'm reminded why. It has to do with who you are and who God is. This section will focus on who God is.
This is a review of John MacArthur’s book Keys To Spiritual Growth with comments and study questions along the way. Feel free to study along and answer the questions or ask your own in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.
2 THE MASTER PURPOSE – The Glory of God
If you were to go out on the street and ask ten people at random to name what they considered to be the greatest theme in all the world, you would probably get a variety of answers: money, love, marriage, sex, freedom, security, status, pleasure, peace, and happiness.
But from God’s viewpoint, there is only one answer. It is the greatest theme in all the universe. It is the purpose of creation, the primary goal of the Christian life, and the reason for everything God has done or will do.
What is it? The answer is found in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The first question asks, “What is the chief end of man?” And here’s the answer: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”[1] The writers of the catechism believed every Christian should understand that he is for God’s glory and God is for his enjoyment.
Someone may object that we are basing too much on the catechism, even though it is based on Scripture. But the paramount importance of the glory of God is not just someone’s idea. It is supported directly by the Word of God. In Psalm 16:8 David writes, “I have set the Lord continually before me….” That refers to giving God glory. In making this statement, David is saying, “In everything I do, my attention is given to God. All that I do, I accomplish with my focus riveted on God. It’s for His glory and His honor and His will.”
The result of such a focus is found in verse 9: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices….” That is another way of saying that he found great joy in God. So here was David’s goal – to live always to the glory of God and consequently to enjoy God forever. That is the same point that the catechism is making.
The supreme objective in the life of any man or woman should be to give God glory. And the consequence of doing that will be unbounded joy.[2] Spiritual maturity comes from concentrating on the Person of God until one is caught up and lost in His majesty.[3]
God’s Intrinsic Glory
What do we mean by “glorifying God”? We can look at it practically from two aspects. The first concerns God’s intrinsic glory; the glory that God has in Himself. In Isaiah 6:3, the seraphim cried out, “…Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”
God’s intrinsic glory is a part of His being. It is not something that was given to Him. If men and angels had never been created, God would still possess His intrinsic glory. If no one ever gave Him any glory, any honor, or any praise, He would still be the glorious God that He is. That is intrinsic glory – the glory of God’s nature.[4] It is the manifestation and combination of all His attributes. We cannot give it to Him; we cannot diminish it. He is who He is – the “God of glory” (Acts 7:2).
Human glory is quite unlike that – it is not intrinsic; rather, it is imparted to a person from outside his or her essential being. We speak of people being exalted and honored. But if you take off a king’s robes and crown and put him next to a beggar, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. The only glory a human ruler enjoys is that which is given him by the trappings of his office.
All of God’s glory is part of His essential being. It is not granted to Him, nor does it derive from any source outside of Himself. So the glory God possesses is thus very different from any form of human glory.
In addition to various Old Testament references, such as Psalm 24:7-10, the New Testament also teaches that God is a God of glory. The gospels tell us that during His earthly life, the Lord Jesus Christ was divine glory incarnate (John 1:14).
The raising of Lazarus illustrates the Savior’s glory. When Jesus ordered the removal of the scone that sealed Lazarus’s grave, Martha protested. But Jesus answered, “Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
How was God’s glory displayed in that instance? In the manifestation of His power – the same power He used to create the universe. Martha did not give the Lord Jesus that glory; He already had it. In raising Lazarus, He put it on display.
Jesus prayed, “Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me…” (John 17:24). The answer to that prayer will be realized in the time described in Revelation 21:23. The New Jerusalem will have no need of sun or moon, “…for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” How beautifully that shows God’s glory as an essential, intrinsic part of His very nature!
Since the glory of God is part of His essential being, it is something He does not give to anyone else. In Isaiah 48:11 He says, “…My glory I will not give to another.” God never divests Himself of His glory.
Believers can reflect God’s glory, as Moses did when he came down from the mountain (Exodus 34:30-35).[5] More than that, God’s glory shines from within every Christian (2 Corinthians 3:18). But God never imparts His glory to anyone apart from Himself. That is, His glory is in believers only because He Himself indwells them. The glory never becomes ours; God never divests Himself of His glory.
It’s very similar to the relationship between Pharaoh and Joseph in Genesis. Pharaoh gave Joseph his ring, symbolizing royal authority. He also gave a gold chain (Genesis 41:42). Joseph became Pharaoh’s representative, with full imperial privileges. Joseph essentially ruled Egypt. His word was law. But there was one thing Pharaoh did not give up – his glory. He told Joseph, “…Only in the throne I will be greater than you” (v. 40). He did not give up his glory.
Likewise, God’s glory is something that He does not share with any created being. It is intrinsic to Him – the sum of His attributes. It cannot be added to or diminished.
Questions & Notes
- What is the chief end of man? ↑
- The consequence of giving God glory will be _________ _________. ↑
- Spiritual maturity comes from _________ on the Person of God until one is caught up and lost in His majesty. ↑
- What is intrinsic glory? ↑
- Believers can _________ God’s intrinsic glory. ↑
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