Latest / Reformed Thinking / Brothers, God Loves His Glory | John Piper

Transcript

Brothers, God Loves His Glory | John Piper · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome to Reformed Thinking. We're doing another deep dive
0:02
today looking into scriptures, truths and how they, well, how
0:06
they still speak to us now. That's right, and today's topic
0:09
is really foundational. It gets right to the heart of
0:12
who God is. It really does.
0:14
We're going to explore something central to our understanding of
0:17
God himself, actually. A truth that might just reshape
0:20
how you view, well, almost everything.
0:23
It's an idea that often takes people by surprise when they
0:26
first hear it. It can sound a bit jarring
0:28
initially, but for Christian faith, it forms an absolutely
0:32
essential, secure foundation. It's a perspective that really
0:36
shapes our view of God's very being.
0:38
You know his character and everything he does.
0:41
Absolutely. So for this deep dive, our main
0:43
sources are built around John Piper's insights.
0:46
We're looking particularly at his book Brothers.
0:48
We Are Not professionals, but also drawing from some related
0:51
theological notes and works. Right, good material there.
0:54
And our goal today, our mission, is to really get to grips with
0:57
this astonishing idea that God's ultimate drive, the supreme
1:01
purpose behind everything he is and does, is actually his own
1:05
glory. And maybe even more surprising
1:07
for some, how that truth, this seemingly inward focus of God,
1:11
provides an incredibly stable, unshakable ground for the
1:15
security of all believers. So let's get started.
1:18
Let's dive in. I startling idea of God's God
1:21
centeredness. OK, so let's unpack this core
1:24
concept. Our sources.
1:26
They introduce this idea that honestly, at first hearing, can
1:29
feel really counterintuitive, especially today, right in a
1:33
world that tends to put humanity right at the center of the
1:37
story. Yeah, that's the default, isn't.
1:38
It it is, but the idea here is this.
1:40
The most God centered person in the whole universe is God
1:44
himself. What does that actually mean for
1:47
God's ultimate purpose, His chief end?
1:50
OK, yeah, it's striking how the source material defines God's
1:53
chief, and it pulls from, you know, classic catechism
1:55
language, but boils it down. God's chief end is to glorify
1:58
God and to enjoy his glory forever.
2:00
It means his ultimate purpose, his highest delight, his deepest
2:04
satisfaction. It's all found completely within
2:06
himself. So he's not looking outside
2:07
himself for meaning or happiness.
2:09
Exactly. He doesn't need anything
2:11
external. He finds his reason for being
2:15
his ultimate joy in his own nature, his own perfections.
2:19
He is utterly complete in himself.
2:22
And that's foundational, you're saying, because it means his
2:25
motivations are internal, not dependent on us or anything else
2:28
he made? Precisely, and the sources jump
2:30
right on a potential concern here, which is natural for us.
2:34
Yeah, the idolatry question, if we were totally self focused,
2:37
that would be the definition of sinful self worship.
2:40
So how is it different for God? That's a vital distinction,
2:43
Absolutely. The source points out God isn't
2:45
an idolater because, well, quite literally there are no other
2:48
gods before him. He is the one true God.
2:51
The ultimate reality. The ultimate reality, the source
2:53
of everything. So for him to worship anything
2:55
else would be to worship something lesser, something
2:58
created that would be inappropriate.
2:59
It would be diminishing himself in a way.
3:02
It would for any treacher like us.
3:04
Self worship is idolatry because we put ourselves a created thing
3:08
in the Creator's place. But for God, for him to take
3:11
ultimate satisfaction in himself, is simply him affirming
3:14
His own infinite worth. It's unique to Him.
3:17
It flows from his perfect nature.
3:20
OK. And the sources describe this,
3:22
this internal dynamic using some beautiful language.
3:25
It talks about God the Father's delight in the panorama of his
3:28
own perfections, reflected as a perfect image in his Son.
3:31
Can you unpack that a bit? The panorama within the Godhead.
3:35
Yeah, it's rich theological language, isn't it?
3:37
It points to the inner life of God, the Trinity.
3:39
Yeah. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
3:40
Right. So imagine all of God's perfect
3:43
attributes, His wisdom, holiness, goodness, power,
3:46
justice, mercy, love, just laid out this incredible,
3:49
breathtaking display. That's the panorama.
3:51
OK, Now the Son, Jesus Christ, perfectly embodies and reflects
3:55
every single one of those perfections.
3:57
He's the perfect image. So the Father looks at the Son
3:59
and sees his own infinite worth, his own beauty, his own
4:02
character, perfectly mirrored back.
4:04
And finds joy in that. Infinite, unceasing joy and
4:07
affection. It's this perfect internal
4:10
appreciation of his own value that exists eternally within the
4:14
Godhead itself. It's not a flaw, it's part of
4:17
what makes him God. His worth is so immense.
4:20
Only he is worthy of infinite regard, even from Himself.
4:23
OK, here's where I think it gets really challenging for many of
4:26
us. The sources just state it
4:27
plainly. God loves His glory more than He
4:30
loves us. That line often stops people in
4:34
their tracks. It does.
4:35
It sounds harsh, maybe even unloving from our perspective.
4:38
How can that be true and why would the sources present it as
4:41
well as good news? It's a very fair question.
4:44
It sounds like God's prioritizing himself over us.
4:48
But the text immediately follows that statement with a crucial
4:50
explanation. This truth is actually the
4:53
foundation of His love for us. The Foundation.
4:56
How does that work? OK, think of it like this.
4:58
If you're building a house for someone you really care about,
5:00
you make sure that foundation is absolutely solid, right?
5:02
Perfect. Strong.
5:04
Why? So the house won't fall down for
5:06
the good of the person inside. Exactly.
5:08
You love the quality of that foundation because it guarantees
5:11
the safety and permanence of the house for the person you love.
5:13
It secures the structure. OK, so apply that.
5:16
If God's highest allegiance, his ultimate commitment, was
5:20
primarily to us, well, what do we like?
5:24
We change, we mess up, we're inconsistent.
5:26
Right. Our own love for each other
5:28
often shifts based on performance or feelings.
5:31
If God's life for us was rooted primarily in our worthiness or
5:34
our consistency, it would be built on shaky ground, wouldn't
5:38
it? Yeah, incredibly unstable.
5:39
We could never be sure. But because his highest
5:42
allegiance is to himself, to his own infinite, unchanging
5:45
perfection, his glory, then his life for us, which flows out of
5:49
that perfect, unchanging self love, is absolutely steadfast.
5:53
It's immovable. So his commitment to his own
5:55
perfect character guarantees his commitment to us.
5:57
Precisely. His self love provides the
6:00
bedrock for His love toward us. It makes His love reliable,
6:02
constant, something you can actually build your life on.
6:05
It guarantees His love won't diminish because it's source.
6:08
His glory is infinite and never changes. 2 God's glory, the
6:13
motivation behind all divine actions.
6:15
All right, So if God is fundamentally God centered,
6:18
focused on his own glory, what does that mean for how he
6:21
actually acts, you know, in history, in the world,
6:24
particularly in how he relates to humanity?
6:27
How does this play out? Well, the source material is
6:29
really consistent on this. It states clearly God does
6:32
everything for his glory. You see phrases repeated
6:35
throughout Scripture like for his own sake or for his name's
6:38
sake. It's.
6:38
Not just an occasional thing then.
6:40
Not at all. It's presented as this ever
6:42
recurring motif all through redemptive history.
6:45
You know, God's big plan from creation to salvation to the end
6:49
of all things. This core allegiance to himself
6:52
guides every single divine. Action every single.
6:56
One, That's the claim. It's the foundational reason
6:58
behind everything he does, big or small.
7:00
Nothing is random. Everything serves this ultimate
7:02
purpose of displaying his worth. OK, let's get specific because
7:06
the sources give some really concrete examples that help make
7:08
this tangible. First one, God's handling of
7:11
anger. How does His glory shape that?
7:14
We usually think of anger in terms of justice or punishment.
7:17
Right. And this example from Isaiah 48
7:19
is quite revealing versus 911. God says he holds back his
7:23
anger. He restrains it.
7:25
Why? For my name's sake and for the
7:27
sake of my praise so he doesn't cut you off.
7:30
For his name's sake, yes. And you repeat it for my own
7:33
sake, For my own sake, I do it. Why?
7:36
So his name isn't profaned, So his glory isn't given to
7:39
another. So even his patience, his mercy
7:42
in not judging immediately, it's ultimately about protecting his
7:45
own honor. That's what the text suggests.
7:47
He holds back judgement not primarily because the people
7:50
deserved it or suddenly became worthy, but because his own
7:53
name, his reputation for faithfulness and glory, is
7:56
paramount. His patience itself displays his
7:58
character, his sovereignty, his commitment to his purposes, all
8:02
for his own praise. Wow.
8:03
OK, What about salvation itself, The act of saving people from
8:07
sin that feels so completely focused on our benefit?
8:09
How does God's glory fit there? This is often one of the most
8:13
surprising points for people. The sources draw heavily on
8:16
Ezekiel 36. Here God says He acts to save
8:19
and cleanse his people. He justifies them in order that
8:22
he may be glorified. In order that he may be
8:24
glorified. Yes, he says very clearly.
8:27
It is not for your sake, O House of Israel, that I'm about to
8:30
act, but for the sake of my holy name.
8:32
So salvation isn't primarily about making us feel better or
8:36
meeting our needs, even though it does.
8:38
That those are gracious outcomes, definitely.
8:40
But the primary driver, according to these texts, is God
8:43
acting to vindicate His own holy name, which had been dishonored
8:46
by his people sin. He rescues them to show His own
8:49
righteous and merciful character to the watching world.
8:52
Our rescue is fundamentally a demonstration of His glory.
8:55
That really shifts the perspective.
8:57
OK, what about the act of creation itself?
8:59
Why did God make, well, everything, people, The
9:02
universe? The text in Isaiah 43.7 is
9:05
incredibly direct. God says, Speaking of his
9:08
people. Everyone who is called by my
9:10
name, whom I created for my glory.
9:12
For His glory, Simple as that. Simple as that.
9:14
Our very existence, the existence of the cosmos, it's
9:18
all meant to display and reflect His perfections.
9:21
We exist, ultimately, to showcase the infinite worth and
9:24
beauty of our Maker. So creation isn't just a stage
9:27
for humans, it's an arena for God's glory to be seen.
9:31
That's the idea. Every part of it, from the vast
9:34
galaxies down to the smallest detail, is intended as a witness
9:37
to his nature. Which gives us a profound
9:40
purpose, doesn't it? If we're made for His glory, our
9:43
fulfillment comes in reflecting it.
9:45
Now, what about predestination? Choosing some before time began?
9:48
How is that about His glory? Ephesians one is key here.
9:52
Verses 5 and 6 say God predestined believers in love to
9:56
be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ to the praise of the
10:00
glory of his grace. To the praise of the glory of
10:03
His grace. Exactly even this incredibly
10:05
gracious act of choosing specific individuals isn't
10:08
primarily about those individuals in themselves.
10:11
Its ultimate aim is the magnified praise of God's own
10:14
glorious grace. So our being chosen highlights
10:17
His grace, not our merit. Precisely.
10:20
It shows that salvation originates entirely from Him,
10:22
from his free choice, which makes his grace shine all the
10:25
brighter. It wasn't because we were
10:27
better, It was purely his decision for his praise.
10:30
This connects also to that difficult passage in Romans 9
10:32
about vessels of honor and dishonor.
10:35
How does that relate to God's glory?
10:37
Yes, Romans 9.2223 It speaks of God enduring with much patience
10:43
vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction in order to.
10:45
Make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy.
10:48
Right. The passage suggests that even
10:50
in the reality of judgment, vessels of wrath, God's
10:54
attributes, His justice, His patience, His power are
10:56
displayed, and against that backdrop, his mercy towards
11:00
those he saves, vessels of mercy appears even more stunning, even
11:04
richer. So his sovereignty in both mercy
11:08
and judgment serves to reveal the fullness of his character,
11:11
his worth. That's how the source is
11:12
interpreted. It's about God displaying His
11:14
various perfections, including His righteous wrath and His
11:17
amazing mercy, all ultimately contributing to the revelation
11:21
of His glory. OK, let's look at a specific
11:23
story. Pharaoh and the Exodus.
11:24
We all know it. How does that famous narrative
11:27
fit this God's? The sources point straight to
11:29
Exodus. God says about Pharaoh, I've
11:32
raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show my
11:34
power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the
11:36
earth. Exodus 9.1's team.
11:38
And later that he hardened Pharaoh's heart so he can
11:41
multiply his wonders and signs. Exodus 14.4.
11:44
So Pharaoh's resistance was actually part of God's plan to
11:47
display his own power. Yes, God's dealings with
11:51
powerful rulers, even resistant ones, are designed to showcase
11:54
his own supreme authority and renown.
11:57
The plagues, the Red Sea crossing, it was all a
12:00
demonstration of God's unmatched power intended to make his name
12:03
known not just to Israel, but universally.
12:06
The whole event becomes a stage for God's glory.
12:09
What about Israel's history? Constant theme of rebellion, yet
12:13
God preserves them. Why is that?
12:15
Also for His glory? Absolutely.
12:16
Ezekiel 20 is explicit. God spared rebellious Israel in
12:20
the wilderness. Why, for the sake of my name,
12:23
that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations he
12:26
acted to protect his reputation. Even when they didn't deserve
12:29
it. Especially then and later when
12:31
they rejected God as king and wanted a human one.
12:33
Samuel assures them the Lord will not forsake his people for
12:37
His great namesake for Samuel 12.22.
12:40
So God's faithfulness to his promises, even when his people
12:43
are unfaithful, demonstrates his character, his commitment to his
12:45
own name. Exactly.
12:47
It shows he is loyal to his covenant and His Word, not
12:50
because the people earned it, but because his own glorious
12:54
character demands faithfulness. His steadfastness reveals who he
12:58
is. This principle seems to touch
13:00
everything, even prayer. How does prayer, which feels so
13:04
much about us asking for things, become God centered?
13:07
It really does transform how we view prayer.
13:10
The sources highlight that God responds powerfully to prayers
13:13
that appeal directly to His glory.
13:15
Think of prayers like Daniels for your own sake, O Lord, make
13:19
your face to shine upon your sanctuary.
13:20
Daniel 9.12. He's asking God to act for God's
13:23
own sake. Precisely or Jeremiah Act, O
13:26
Lord, for your name's sake. Jeremiah 14.7 Believers are
13:30
encouraged to, in a sense, stake their requests on God's own
13:33
passion for His glory. So the most effective prayers
13:36
aren't just give me this, but maybe glorify your name through
13:39
this. That's the shift.
13:41
It aligns our desires with God's ultimate purpose.
13:43
We're appealing to His highest motivation, His deepest
13:45
commitment. It's less about getting what we
13:47
want and more about seeing His worth displayed.
13:50
OK brings us to the absolute pinnacle, the coming of Jesus
13:53
Christ, His death on the cross. How does the ultimate act of
13:56
salvation fit this framework of God's glory being supreme?
14:00
This is where it all culminates, really.
14:02
Romans 15 says the Father sent the Son to confirm the promises,
14:06
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy,
14:10
His coming was aimed at God's glory.
14:12
And Jesus himself, what was his focus?
14:15
In his final hour, facing the cross, his prayer was Father,
14:18
Glorify your name, John 12.28 the sources explained.
14:21
His death itself is intended to glorify the Father.
14:24
How? By dealing with sin.
14:25
Yes, by repairing the dishonor our sin brought upon God's name,
14:29
it satisfied God's righteous claims to receive proper glory.
14:32
Humanity had rejected God's worth.
14:34
The cross was the ultimate vindication of God's
14:37
righteousness and holiness. So the atonement, our only hope,
14:41
was fundamentally about restoring God's honor.
14:43
That's the perspective. For God to forgive sin without
14:47
satisfying His Gerger would have compromised his own perfect
14:51
character. Christ's death upheld God's
14:54
righteousness while showing mercy.
14:56
It was the supreme act of God, glorifying Himself, His justice,
14:59
His love, His Holiness, all displayed.
15:01
Perfectly. It ties everything together, a
15:03
truly cohesive picture, every divine action pointing back to
15:07
His glory. Which explains that verse.
15:09
Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful.
15:12
Why? Paul gives the reason right
15:14
after in Second Timothy 2.14. He remains faithful, for he
15:18
cannot deny himself. He cannot deny himself right.
15:20
The sources say this shows God's most fundamental allegiance is
15:23
to his own glory. He is committed first and
15:26
foremost to being true to who he is.
15:28
And his faithfulness to himself means he's faithful to us.
15:31
Paradoxically, yes, because His promises and His character are
15:34
part of His glory. His commitment to His glory
15:36
means He must be faithful to His promises and His people.
15:40
Our security rests not on our faithfulness, but on His
15:42
unwavering faithfulness to His own perfect nature.
15:46
Three God's self love, the basis of divine love for humanity.
15:50
OK, we keep circling back to this core idea.
15:53
God loves His glory more than He loves us, and that is the very
15:57
basis of His love for us. It still feels, while
16:00
challenging to our usual way of thinking, we tend to put
16:03
ourselves humanity at the center.
16:05
Can we unpack that connection again?
16:07
Make it crystal clear how this is actually good for us.
16:10
Absolutely. Let's try the sources describe
16:12
God's self love, his delight in his own glory as the spring of
16:17
free grace and the rock of our security.
16:19
The. Spring and the rock, OK.
16:21
So let's imagine the opposite for a second.
16:23
What if God's highest commitment was to us?
16:26
Think about human love. It can be wonderful, but it's
16:28
often. Conditional fickle based on
16:31
performance. Exactly.
16:32
If God's love for us depended primarily on our worthiness, our
16:36
performance, our consistency, how secure would we feel?
16:39
Not very. We'd always be wondering if we'd
16:41
done enough, if we'd finally crossed a line.
16:43
There'd always be that underlying anxiety, but because
16:45
God's highest elite is to himself, to his own perfect,
16:49
infinite, unchanging glory, his love for us, which flows
16:52
directly from that unchanging nature, is absolutely constant.
16:56
It's reliable. It's secure.
16:58
Like an anchor that's fixed to something immovable.
17:01
That's a great image. His love for us is anchored in
17:04
His own unchanging perfection, because he cannot deny Himself,
17:08
because He is always true to His glorious nature.
17:10
His love for us, which is an expression of that nature, is
17:14
therefore utterly constant. It cannot fail.
17:16
So his constancy to himself makes him constant to us.
17:20
His love is stable because he is infinitely stable.
17:23
That really is a shift in thinking.
17:24
It is, and the source has really emphasized this.
17:27
His prior, deeper, ultimate love for His own glory is called the
17:31
foundation, the means and the goal of God's a gate for
17:33
sinners. Agape that unconditional divine
17:36
love. I can break that down.
17:37
Foundation means goal. Right Foundation, God glory is
17:40
the reason why he loves sinners. His love isn't sparked by
17:43
something lovely in US, it overflows from the infinite
17:46
goodness and perfection within himself.
17:48
Means. How does He express that love?
17:51
Through actions, especially Christ's death, that
17:53
simultaneously uphold and display his own glory.
17:57
The way he saves magnifies his righteousness and His grace
18:01
goal. What's the ultimate aim?
18:03
That we, the redeemed, would see His glory, delight in it, and
18:06
glorify Him forever. Our worship completes the circle
18:10
reflecting His worth back to Him.
18:11
So his grace, his love for sinners, it's all deeply rooted
18:15
and His commitment to his own glorious nature, it's truly free
18:18
because it doesn't depend on us earning it.
18:20
Exactly. It flows from his own fullness,
18:22
not our emptiness. It's an outpouring of who he is.
18:25
Now the source is also mentioned, a subtle danger here.
18:27
When people hear this, how can our natural inclinations twist
18:30
it? Yeah, Piper warns about this.
18:32
He talks about the danger of being God centered as long as
18:34
they feel that God is man centered.
18:36
OK. What does that mean?
18:37
It means we have this subtle tendency, maybe unconsciously,
18:41
to make God just a means to an end our end, like making him a
18:45
tool for boosting our self esteem or ensuring our comfort
18:48
or fixing our problems. Instead of seeing him as the
18:51
ultimate end himself, valuing him for who he is.
18:56
Precisely. It's the risk of keeping
18:58
ourselves at the center of our faith, using God to serve our
19:01
own perceived needs or desires, rather than worshipping Him
19:05
because He alone is intrinsically worthy.
19:07
So it looks like God centeredness, but it's really
19:09
self centeredness in disguise. It can be, you know, I'll follow
19:12
God as long as He makes me happy or I believe because it gives my
19:15
life meaning. Those things might be true
19:17
byproducts, but if they're the foundation, what happens when
19:21
following God doesn't make us feel happy or when life gets
19:24
hard? The foundation crumbles because
19:26
it wasn't really built on God himself.
19:28
Exactly. It turns God into a cosmic
19:30
vending machine or a therapist, rather than the sovereign Lord
19:33
worthy of worship for his own sake.
19:35
So how do we fight against this, this deep seated tendency to
19:38
make it all about us, even in our relationship with God?
19:41
The sources point us back to humility, quoting Isaiah like
19:44
Isaiah 2.22 stop regarding man and whose nostrils is breath,
19:48
for of what account is he? That's pretty blunt.
19:51
It is and Isaiah 40 verses 15 and 17.
19:55
The nations are like a drop from a bucket.
19:57
All the nations are as nothing before him.
19:59
They are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
20:02
It's about getting a right perspective, seeing our
20:05
smallness and his infinite greatness.
20:08
Yes, it calls for a radical shift in focus away from
20:12
ourselves, our abilities, our problems are worth and on to God
20:15
alone. And when we see that contrast.
20:17
When we truly grasped how vast and glorious He is, and how
20:20
relatively insignificant we are apart from Him, it changes
20:24
everything. Our security can't come from
20:26
ourselves or anything created. It can only come from Him, the
20:29
one who is infinitely worthy, unchanging, and whose very
20:32
nature is defined by His commitment to His own glory.
20:35
That perspective actually frees us.
20:37
Frees us from having to be the sender, from having to measure
20:40
up. Exactly, our stability isn't in
20:42
our performance, it's anchored in His perfect God centered
20:46
nature and that is incredibly liberating news. 4 implications
20:51
for believers living a God centered life.
20:54
OK, so understanding God this way, seeing His glory as his
20:57
ultimate motivation, it really does reframe everything.
21:00
What does this look like practically then for believers
21:03
living day-to-day? How does it change how we pray,
21:06
how we act, how we think? Well, First off, it gives real
21:09
substance and grounding to that command we hear often. 1st
21:12
Corinthians 10.31 Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
21:15
Right. Eat, drink, whatever.
21:16
Exactly why should we do that? Because God Himself loves His
21:21
glory with infinite passion. Our purpose becomes mirroring
21:24
His own ultimate purpose. We're called to live lives that
21:27
reflect His supreme worth back into the world.
21:30
So our actions, even small ones, become opportunities to echo
21:33
God's own nature. That's the idea.
21:35
It's not just a duty, but an invitation to participate in the
21:38
very purpose for which everything exists to magnify
21:41
him. And this isn't just something we
21:42
achieve through willpower, is it?
21:44
The Holy Spirit has a role in making this real in US.
21:46
Oh, absolutely essential. The sources describe the Spirit
21:49
of God as being ablaze with this love for God's glory.
21:53
He shares the Father's passion. Ablaze with it.
21:55
Yes, and it says that children of God, true believers, grow to
21:59
love God's glory because they are led by this blazing spirit,
22:03
as Romans 8.14 puts it. So the Spirit actually works in
22:06
us to change our desires, to align our hearts with God's
22:09
heart. Exactly.
22:10
It's a supernatural work. He instills in us that same
22:14
passion for God's glory that God has for himself.
22:17
It moves from being just a theological idea we agree with
22:20
to becoming a living, driving reality in our hearts, shaping
22:24
what we love and how we choose. Which brings us back to prayer.
22:27
If the Spirit is shaping our desires towards God's glory, how
22:30
does that change our conversations with God?
22:32
It's not just a list of wants anymore.
22:34
Definitely not. We're encouraged, as we saw, to
22:37
stake the answer to their prayers on God's love for his
22:40
own glory, to base our requests on the fact that God does
22:43
everything for his own name's sake.
22:44
Meaning our ultimate plea becomes less about our comfort
22:47
and more about His honor. Right when we pray, we're
22:51
appealing to God's deepest commitment, His own reputation,
22:54
His own worth. We might ask for healing, for
22:57
provision, for guidance. But the underlying plea becomes
23:00
Father, glorify your name. Through this situation.
23:04
May your character be seen. That feels like a much more
23:07
powerful way to pray, aligning with his ultimate purpose.
23:10
It is. We're tapping into the very
23:11
reason the universe exists. And the sources gave those
23:14
biblical examples of prayers that do exactly that.
23:17
Can we recall a few? Sure, there was Jeremiah's plea
23:20
Act O Lord, for your name's sake, just direct appealing to
23:23
God's own character. And the psalmist in Psalm 79.
23:26
Right. Help us, O God, of our
23:28
salvation, for the glory of your name, deliver us, and atone for
23:32
our sins for your name's sake. Salvation and forgiveness
23:35
requested on the grounds of God's glory.
23:37
Also Psalm 25 for your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my
23:41
iniquity, for it is great. Even forgiveness is sought for
23:44
His name's sake. Yes, acknowledging that
23:46
forgiving great sin displays God's great mercy, bringing him
23:50
glory. Then Psalm 1 of 15 not to us, O
23:54
Lord, not to us, but to your name, give glory, just
23:58
explicitly directing all praise away from humans and towards
24:01
God. And you mentioned the Lord's
24:02
Prayer too. Hallowed be thy name.
24:05
The sources interpret that simply as a plea.
24:08
Father, glorify yourself as God. Cause your name to be treated as
24:12
holy. Set apart, supremely valued by
24:14
everyone, everywhere, is perhaps the most fundamental God
24:18
centered prayer we can utter. Wow.
24:20
OK, so pulling it all together, this God centered view of God,
24:23
it does two things, doesn't it? It guards us from that trap of
24:26
making everything about us which.
24:27
Leads to instability and disappointment.
24:29
Right. But it also gives us this
24:31
incredibly solid, firm foundation for our faith.
24:34
Our security is rooted in Him, not us.
24:36
It gives us an unshakeable ground because God's ultimate
24:39
loyalty, his ultimate commitment, is to his own
24:42
perfect, unchanging, glorious nature.
24:45
And that truth that God loves, his glory above all.
24:47
The sources call that the great ground of the gospel.
24:50
The ground of the Gospel itself. Yes, because it guarantees that
24:53
His love for sinners, why He loves us, how He loves us, and
24:56
the goal of His Love Is All rooted in something infinitely
25:00
stable and trustworthy, His own unchanging glory.
25:03
Our security isn't in our ability to hold on to Him, but
25:06
in His unbreakable commitment to Himself, which gratefully
25:10
includes his commitment to those he has redeemed for his praise.
25:14
Outro. Well, that was quite a deep dive
25:16
today, really grappling with this maybe startling idea that
25:20
God's ultimate desire, the engine behind everything, is his
25:23
own glory. It does put a different lens on
25:25
everything, doesn't it? Creation, salvation, even our
25:28
prayers. It certainly does.
25:30
It calls us, I think, to see God as infinitely worthy of all
25:32
praise in and for Himself, and then to find our own security,
25:36
our deepest rest, in the fact that His supreme allegiance is
25:39
himself. It's paradoxically freeing.
25:41
It is. So maybe here's a thought to
25:43
take away and, you know, Mull over this week.
25:46
How might really taking hold of this idea that God loves his
25:49
glory supremely? How might that shape your own
25:51
desires, your own actions? Good question.
25:54
What might it look like, practically, to consciously try
25:57
and live for His name's sake in the everyday stuff, trusting
26:01
that His highest aim for himself is actually the most reliable
26:04
foundation for His goodness and His grace towards you?
26:08
Something to think about.