Our Highest Purpose

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.  So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.  John 17:1-5

Do you ponder your purpose?  Do you ponder why you are here on earth?  Our highest purpose – yours individually, mine individually, and ours collectively – is to glorify God.

The passage above is rich, deep and full.  Before the world existed Jesus was in heaven, glorified with God the Father.  They were together in glory before Jesus came to earth as a man, and during that brief episode Jesus glorified God the Father by doing the work the Father sent Him to do on earth.  His work on earth involves helping people to know with intimate relationship God the Father and Jesus Christ.  People who truly know God the Father and Christ Jesus lift them up, revere them, and attribute glory to them.

Last week we discussed Jesus’ mission statement set forth in Isaiah 61.  Jesus came to earth to deliver good news, heal, free and deliver joy.  Last week we addressed what He came to do, but why?  Why did He come?  He came to glorify God.  He came to earth so that we might truly know God and so that, with eyes truly opened to experience “the only true God,” we will glorify Him through our lives.  And Jesus explains that a life lived in communion with God is eternal life.

At the foundation of it all, Christ Jesus came to glorify God.  Further, Jesus explains that His followers do what He does saying, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).  If Jesus’ foundational mission is to glorify God and His followers do what He does, it follows that we should glorify God through our lives like He did while on earth.  What does that mean?  What does that look like?

Let’s back up for a minute because Scripture uses the word “glory” in a couple different ways.  Glory is the earthly manifestation of God’s holy presence or a state of being infused with God’s holy presence.  In this sense, Jesus is the glory (see John 1:14), God’s glory appeared in the form of a cloud covering Mount Sinai (see Exodus 24:16), and angels exist in and emit heavenly glory (see Luke 2:9).  We see God’s glory through His signs, wonders and miracles – moments before ordering Lazarus out of the tomb, Jesus says, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).  We also see people glorifying God by lifting Him up, treating Him with reverence, responding to Him with awe, and praising, worshiping and honoring Him (for one example see Luke 2:20).

So God’s glory is revealed through Christ Jesus and His followers, and when others see God through them, many glorify God by believing, receiving and lifting Him up through their lives.  Jesus says those who love Him obey His commands and keep His words (see John 14:21-23).  Why?  This glorifies God.  Jesus says everyone will know His disciples if they have love for one another (see John 13:35).  Why should we do this?  It glorifies God.  Jesus prays that we might be one with God in the same way that the Holy Trinity is one (see John 17:21).  Why?  It glorifies God and the world will believe in Christ Jesus because of the unity.  

We glorify God when we obey His commands.  We glorify God when we hear the good news and accept it as true.  We glorify God when we receive His healing, freedom and joy.  We glorify God when we love our neighbors, revealing our discipleship to them.  We glorify God when we study and meditate on His holy word, and pray, and seek Him, and seek to grow our relationship with Him.  We glorify God when we allow Jesus to continue His mission through us.  We glorify God when we praise and worship Him. 

Our highest purpose is to glorify God.  This thread is beautifully woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture.  God gives the Ten Commandments, guiding us to our best possible lives on earth.  He instructs us to focus on Him and to avoid making “wrongful use” of His holy name (Exodus 20:7), to remember the sabbath day, and to live lives worthy of association with Him.  This way of living positions us to enhance our relationship with God and reveals our reverence of Him to others, allowing them to see that He is God.

Giving the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus guides us to pray, “Father, hallowed be you name, your kingdom come…” (Luke 11:2).  How do we hallow His holy name?  We hallow His name by living lives worthy of association with Him.  We lift Him up, we glorify Him through our lives, we live lives focusing on Him and our highest purpose.  And we cannot possibly do that relying on our own power, so Jesus guides us to pray for God’s help, because through His indwelling Holy Spirit and His power within us all things are possible.

Okay, why?  Why do we keep His name holy?  It is all for His glory.  We revere Him, we humble ourselves before Him because He is who He says He is.  He is the holy, divine, almighty Creator of the universe, Creator of order.  He is love who breathes the breath of life into us.  He is “the only true God.”  In comparison to Him we are nothing.  Apart from Him we are nothing.  But fundamental to all that, we keep His name holy for His glory.

Jesus instructs us to pray that His name is hallowed on earth, but some do not see His name in that light.  God’s holy word explains that a lot of people understand that God exists because they see the things He has made, but “they do not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened” (Romans 1:21).  They do not see God as holy or divine, and they do not see His name as anything special.  I was recently with a friend who was telling a story and to emphasize a point he said this awful word sometimes abbreviated with the letters G and D, and it instantly pierced my soul, upset my stomach and grieved my heart.  I had no words to respond, but my face must have explained the pain he had caused because he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.  It’s just an expression.”  I struggled to understand my reaction.  

A week or so later, I listened to an author on the radio.  He described a similar story and he also grieved, but he explained that what pained him the most was that the person who said the awful word really meant nothing by it.  The awful word truly was a mere expression, which indicates God means nothing to that person.  He does not consider God at all.  God does not enter into his worldview, and that is breathtakingly shocking, awful and grievous.  My friend used the awful word as a mere expression and meant nothing by it apparently because he does not see God as God, he does not honor God as God, and God’s holy name means nothing to him. It grieves my heart, but now I understand my reaction and know how to respond, and I thank that author who spoke on the radio. 

While that may be an extreme example, it causes me to wonder – which, of my actions, thoughts or components of my character are inconsistent with my claim of association with Him?  

I have heard questions posed suggesting God is a narcissist.  The questions go along the lines of, “If God created all of us just to glorify Him, how big of a narcissist does that make Him?”  First, God doesn’t need us.  He doesn’t need me or you or anyone or anything.  He certainly does not need our praise or worship.  But we need Him, we need relationship with Him, we need His indwelling, and this requires that we encounter Him.  Once we encounter Him, we realize who we are in comparison and the proper response is to fall at His feet and lift Him up.  The appropriate response is to glorify Him and as a result our lives become consistent with our highest purpose.

The thread of God’s glory runs throughout Scripture; however, in case we miss it, a few passages state the directive clearly.  We are created for God’s glory.  Our highest purpose is to glorify God.  Consider a few passages.

Through Isaiah, God says:

I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
    and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”  Isaiah 43:6-7 

Paul writes to the church in Corinth:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

As Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount, He says:

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16 

Jesus came to earth to glorify God.  Jesus is light, love and life.  Jesus calls us to allow His light to flow through us.  Why?  This glorifies God.  When others see His disciples doing good works, demonstrating love in real, tangible ways, expecting nothing in return, they give glory to God.  May you glorify God through your life today and always.  Amen.