Chopped Liver?
So, as I wrote previously, if God’s ultimate or overall purpose is to bring glory to himself, where does that leave us? In the words of the old Jewish expression, “What are we, chopped liver?”
No we are not inconsequential to him; for there are also sub-purposes to God’s ultimate purpose. These include salvation, his purpose for angels, his purpose for creation, etc. He has wisely ordered his purposes in such a way as the ultimate purpose and his sub-purposes may be attained simultaneously. These purposes are not self-exclusionary or in opposition. For instance, God’s ultimate purpose of glorifying himself can lead to the salvation of human kind – accomplishing a sub-purpose.
Here is how that works: when God reveals his holy character it brings glory to himself. When we see that glory we are attracted to it, and begin to know God. In this process he makes us aware of our sinful nature and of our need for him. The Holy Spirit of God works through that awareness to bring us to salvation. Thus it was God being glorified that ultimately led us to salvation. How does that process even begin if God does not make his glory know to us?
When God judged Egypt his purpose was that the Egyptians might know that He is the Lord (Ex. 7:5,17). God explains his purpose for those judgments in Egypt: “to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth” (Ex.8:22). And also: “that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth” and that “my name might declared throughout all the earth” (Ex.9:14,16). God’s purpose has always been that His glory be declared among the heathen (I Chron.16:24).
Even when God is protecting and blessing, rather than judging, His purpose is to “make (His) holy name known in the midst of (His) people” (Ezek.39:7) because He is “jealous for (His) holy name” (Ezek.39:25b). Whether in blessing or in judgment, God’s purpose is always the same - to make Himself known. Any time God’s character is made known, He is glorified, because everything about God is glorious!
So, no we are not “chopped liver”. The Bible says that we are the “apple of his eye” and that his “banner over us is love”. One of his most important sub-purposes is our salvation - the Father sacrificed His Son to accomplish that. But the one grand end of that sub-purpose is also to bring glory to God; “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Rom. 11:36).
Blessings, Kerry.
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