This being my first post, I would like to start out with a question and an explanation. A very basic question that everybody should ask, but a large number don't; and an explanation for the title of this blog. First the question: Why did God create you? Most people after thinking for a bit will answer: "He created me because He loved me" Tis true that God loves His creatures--"God is love"-- but that is not the ultimate reason. The ultimate reason for God creating you is for His own fame. For His renown. For His own glory. Genesis 1:26 says "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." But really what the heck does that mean? What does it mean that God made us in His image FOR His glory?
Being made in God's image ultimately means that we were made as little mirrors to reflect the beauty of God back to Himself. God is great and all things in creation were meant to display his greatness! You and I were made to exhibit back to God His magnificence! Now for sinful man to do something like that, we would call that person a megalomaniac. But that can't be applied to God. God IS the most beautiful, majestic, loving, truthful being in all the universe. In fact He brings definition to all those things. We wouldn't know what good, beauty, truth, or love were unless God revealed Himself to us.
The most famous question from any of the historical confessions of the faith asks this "What is the chief end of man". The answer is "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" EVERYBODY who called them self a Christian knew this 350 years ago. This is lost in America today. Most people think that God created them so they could be happy. That is a half truth. God does want us to be happy. He wants us to be happy in Him, and Him alone with no other god's contending for our affections. Even the cross of Jesus Christ, the most central event in all of human history was more about God then it was about us. Jesus Christ died for the glory of God--primarily--to save sinners--secondarily. 1 John 2:12 says "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake." (cf Isaiah 43:25) So if our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, God's chief end(since there is NO ONE higher than Himself) is to glorify Himself and to enjoy His glory forever.
Which brings me to the explanation for the title of this blog: "Contending for HIS Fame". The God-centeredness of God, which is the only thing that will bring us happiness and joy in this life and the next, has bubbled it's way up to the surface in the last few years thanks to guys like John Piper and people that run in his circles. But my fear is that in some pockets in the country, where the seeker-friendly trend hasn't died yet, there are still people who are slowly dying of spiritual starvation because they are in a man-centered church. Any church that does not hold Christ up (in deed and the preaching of the word) as the most supreme treasure for any one to have; and any church that does not faithfully preach the Gospel of free, sovereign grace is a man-centered church. I want to contend with those people for the fame of God's name so that they can see and savor Jesus Christ as the highest treasure in their life.
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