Deep breath. Piper. Honestly, I wasn’t really looking forward to hearing Piper. Last time it was so over my head & I’m pretty sure I fell asleep. I still had to really listen this time, but I really got it. Annnddd…it blew my mind. Rocked my world. Piper basically talked about how God is selfish & created everything for His glory. Created us for His glory. Sent Jesus to die for His glory. Our salvation, yes…but mainly for His glory. To me, this is such a HUGE part of the Gospel. And I don’t remember ever hearing it until recently. And when I did, I ignored it. I didn’t even want to entertain the thought that Jesus died for something other than me. I wanted to be the center of it all. So, clearly…God wanted me to learn this since it was brought up again. God is passionate about His glory & is the most God-centered being in the universe. He is selfish. And that’s not a bad thing. We don’t have to choose between God’s glory & our joy because we can have both by delighting in His glory. C.S. Lewis said that, “We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment.” The absolute best moments in life are when I feel the most insignificant. Looking at the stars presented with His majesty, He just gets bigger & I get smaller & smaller…& I can be thrilled with that. The foundation of my salvation is not based on my value at all, but is based on GOD’s infinite value. Piper described eternity as self-forgetfulness as we behold the beauty of God. Wow. God’s self-exultation is not an act of a needy ego, but an act of infinite giving for our enjoyment. And because of that we won’t be fully happy unless we GIVE GLORY. This is not God’s arrogance or grace. It is not Him being an egomaniac. It’s love. This message seriously made me think more than any other ever has. I feel like I’m looking at everything in a new light. Not that I didn’t understand that all is for God’s glory or that my life is for His glory, but I didn’t get that Jesus came primarily to bring God glory & secondarily to save my life.
I know when you read this you probably think "duh...that's the essence of the Gospel...how did you not get it?" But I really had never heard it put in a way that I really grasped (& realized it's importance) until Piper explained it in such a way. If you know me at all, you've probably heard me reference that sermon...seriously rocked me. And it's been coming up a lot lately, so I just felt like I needed to say it again for any of you hard-headed ones like me who just have to hear it over & over until one day it just clicks.
So, here's what's made me think of it lately...I'll leave you with this today.
"If it is wrong for man to seek a lesser end than God's glory, it would be wrong for God, too."
J.I. Packer
"Our God is God-centered. He saves His people because He loves His glory...if it disturbs us that God lives to exalt Himself, we should ask, 'Who else would we have Him exalt?'"
David Platt
"Before the cross is for anyone else's sake, the cross is for God's sake. Christ died for God."
David Platt
"Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is -- the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord."
Ezekiel 36:22-23
"We're redeemed & adopted for God's glory...not for us. No choosing between His glory & our joy."
John Piper
Link up, share some thoughts, comment & let me know what you think...am I the only one that initially had such a hard time grasping this?
