God has made us as factories of praise. By nature, we cannot help but praise whatever we find amazing, beautiful, creative, spectacular. We break out into praise in many ways and places. Yet the one worthy of the highest praise above all others is God himself.
He is worthy because God is transcendent. He is eternal, all-powerful, and wise. He is magnificent in his nature and his works.
What is the glory of God? Definition: The glory of God is not one divine attribute among others, as if God's glory is competing with or at odds with his love or just one aspect of his being. Rather, God's glory is the beauty of all of God's attributes, the perfectly harmonious way they relate to each other, and how they are expressed in creation, providence, and especially the work of his son, the Lord Jesus.
One of the defining revelations of the glory of God in biblical history is Moses' encounter with the "I AM." He reveals His name, communicable attributes, and providential purpose in his creation and governing of mankind.
The ultimate goal of God in the entire plan of salvation before the foundation of the world was that he would be praised for the glory of his grace: "forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."
And if creation is made to glorify God, and Jesus Christ was incarnate to purchase his bride to the glory of God, what is our purpose as redeemed creatures? To glorify God, and in so doing, we find our greatest good and happiness. |
