It's All About God's Glory

I'm reading a couple of books these days. One of them is by James M. Pendleton, and it's entitled Christian Doctrines: A Compendium of Theology. It was originally published in 1878. The other book I'm reading is by Joshua Harris, and it's entitled Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters. It was originally published in 2010! Both books are basically systematic theology books - they're attempting to systematize what all of Scripture says on particular theological subjects like God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Humanity, Sin, etc.

Of course, everything you and I read must be measured against and filtered through the truth of God's Word. Only the Scriptures are inspired and inerrant (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

So here's a little "nugget" from Pendleton's book which I thought I would pass along to you concerning what Scripture says about the supreme priority of God's glory in all things. I love the message in these words, and I must say I also love the 1878 language, too! Enjoy...

"God in willing to create the universe designed thereby to promote the glory of his own name. It is needless, and indeed it would be untrue, to say that he had no other object in view; but manifestly his supreme purpose was the glory of his own name. All other purposes are inferior and subordinate to this. For men to seek their own glory is selfish and culpable, because in this case they seek a low and insignificant object; whereas the highest and most important object - namely, the divine glory - should ever be had in view. Hence there is a positive command: 'Do all to the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10:31). But how is it with God himself? The divine intellect in the boundless range of its contemplations finds no object of such exalted importance as the divine glory, and God is therefore under the blessed necessity of acting with a view to his own glory, and of subordinating everything to its promotion. He had his glory supremely in view in the creation of all things; and as the purpose of creation is executed in providence and redemption, we see that is one and the same. We therefore learn from the Old Testament that 'the Lord Jehovah hath made all things for himself' (Proverbs 16:4), and that his glory he 'will not give to another' (Isaiah 42:8); while in the New Testament it is said of Christ that 'all things were created by him, and for him' (Colossians 1:16)."

[The above quote is taken from James M. Pendleton, Christian Doctrines: A Compendium of Theology (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1878), 102-103.]

Well, I think the message here is clear, don't you? May we live everyday for the purpose for which we were created - To glorify God!

Blessings...