Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Is God SELFISH for His glory?

For the past couple of months I have been working my way through Ephesians and I cannot help come to ask this question.

Is God "SELFISH" for His glory?

In the first chapter alone there are numerous references stating that God does these things for "His glory", "His purpose" , "His pleasure" and a number of other forms pointing back to Himself and His glory. This is truly amazing because for anyone to do this they would be understood as boastful, prideful, egotistical, and completely selfish.

So whats the deal here? How are we to follow in God's footsteps when it states He does this very thing. And how is God found to be righteous in doing this?

This is the conclusion I have come to in meditating on these passages. God is truly worth all that He PROCLAIMS. You see, He is found JUST in doing this very thing! He would be wrong in not doing so. For God not to seek to GLORIFY His name above all other things (first) would be idolatry.

It is wrong for us to be selfish for ourselves and to boast about ourselves because we are NOT by any means worthy of these proclamation (we are not God). For us to praise any other being than God is idolatry and for God to praise any other being (or place any other person as being more valuable) but Himself is also idolatry.

So, in ephesians where God has told us that HE chooses and works all things for His will, pleasure, or glory. God is essentially worshipping HIMSELF. He is glorying in HIMSELF. God is being selfish and HE will do it HIS way.

God is not a contigent being. However, we are! God's choice in us, God's plan of salvation before the foundations of the world is not bethwarted by any means! It is coming about just as HE has "predestined" it to be. And in this He rejoices! And yes!!!! I will rejoice with Him! For I know He is working all things together for according to His good pleasure! and what He desires is "good" and it is, what is, "best".

"Having predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, to HIMSELF, according to the 'good' pleasure of 'HIS' will. to the PRAISE of the glory of HIS grace."

-God through the Apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus

4 comments:

Jenna said...

Good stuff, Steven. I appreciated the reminder of God's holiness and overarching power! Really encouraging.

And the paragraphs were great, too. :)

treasuringJesus said...

Yes! God is so God-centered! He shows us that He is most valuable above all things by treasuring Himself more than anything. Oh, what a treasure is our Lord Jesus Christ! Oh, how glorious is our great and gracious God!

Stephen said...

Thanks for sharing everyone!

Greg said...

You are right to point out that God does not have a double standard. He is not calling us to abstain from something that He Himself does. He is calling us to do what He also does - glory in the truth - praise that which is praise worthy - glorify that which alone is holy.