{"id":83,"date":"2016-09-18T23:40:29","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T23:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/?p=83"},"modified":"2016-09-18T23:40:29","modified_gmt":"2016-09-18T23:40:29","slug":"why-am-i-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/?p=83","title":{"rendered":"Why am I here?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read Revelation chapter 4.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Why am I here?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan\u2019s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.\u201d (Westminster Shorter Catechism, #1)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ending in God<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

It is increasingly important in our society to think each person\u2019s goal, purpose and \u201cend\u201d in life is up to that person \u2013 and that person alone. The idea is that whatever I desire most, whatever makes me feel best, that is my purpose. There may be a few exceptions to this \u2013 most popular: as long as what makes you happiest doesn\u2019t get in the way of anyone else\u2019s happiness. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, we run into trouble with this. Whose happiness matters the most? If one\u2019s purpose negates the freedom of someone else\u2019s goals \u2013 who matters most? The majority?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan\u2019s chief end,\u201d that is, humankind\u2019s main purpose for existence, that which supersedes all other goals, enjoyments or purpose, \u201cis to glorify God.\u201d Who should get the end opinion, the Creator or the creature? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Isaiah the prophet declared firmly that the Creator alone is to determine our purpose; \u201c<\/span>But now, O <\/i><\/span>Lord<\/i><\/span>,<\/i><\/span>
\n<\/i><\/span>You <\/i><\/span>are<\/i><\/span> our Father;<\/i><\/span> <\/i>we <\/i><\/span>are<\/i><\/span> the clay, and You our potter;<\/i><\/span> <\/i>and all we <\/i><\/span>are<\/i><\/span> the work of Your hand.\u201d<\/i><\/span> (Isaiah 64:8) Jesus Christ, by whom <\/span>all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16), calls upon us to find our purpose in what He desires: \u201cIf you love Me, keep My commandments.\u201d (John 14:15)<\/span><\/p>\n

Our reason for being here is God\u2019s glory \u2013 and He is glorified, not when we follow whatever makes us happiest, but when we follow that which makes Him most happy. His pleasure, not our own, is why we are here. But this does not mean that life is to be a depressing, burdensome slavery, for our purpose also includes enjoyment!<\/span><\/p>\n

Exalting God<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

How then do I exalt, or glorify God? Thomas Watson suggests four key areas. <\/span><\/p>\n

(1) <\/span>Appreciation<\/b><\/span>. \u201cWe glorify God when we are God-admirers; admire His attributes, which are the glistering beams by which the divine nature shines forth; His promises which are the charter of free grace\u2026 the noble effects of His power and wisdom in making the world, which is called \u2018the work of His fingers.\u2019 Ps. 8:3. To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem Him most excellent, and search for diamonds in this rock only.\u201d (Watson, <\/span>A Body of Divinity<\/i><\/span>, Banner of Truth, 1982, p. 7)<\/span><\/p>\n

(2) <\/span>Adoration<\/b><\/span>. \u201cThis divine worship God is very jealous of; it is the apple of His eye\u2026 Divine worship must be such as God Himself has appointed, else it is offering a strange fire (Lev. 10:1). The Lord would have Moses make the tabernacle, \u2018<\/span>according to the pattern<\/i><\/span>…\u2019 He must not leave out anything in the pattern, nor add to it. If God was so exact and curious about the place of worship, how exact will He be about the matter of His worship! Surely here everything must be according to the pattern prescribed in His Word.\u201d
\n(Watson, 8) <\/span><\/p>\n

(3) <\/span>Affection.<\/b><\/span> Deuteronomy 6:5, \u201c<\/span>You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul<\/i><\/span>.\u201d We prefer self-love, making ourselves feel best. But exalting God means turning our affections away from ourselves and toward God. \u201cThis love is exuberant, not a few drops, but a stream. It is superlative; we give God the best of our love.\u201d (Watson, 8) If the young lover goes to any length to bring happiness to the one they adore, how much more should the Christian life be filled with great striving of affection toward the Lover of our souls \u2013 our Creator and Redeemer? <\/span><\/p>\n

(4) <\/span>Subjection<\/b><\/span>. \u201cThis is when we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready dressed for His service\u2026 We glorify God when we stick at no service, when we fight under the banner of His gospel against an enemy.\u201d If we would glorify God, we must serve faithfully in His army and move \u201cvigorously in the sphere of obedience.\u201d (Watson, 9)<\/span><\/p>\n

These are the key areas in which we glorify God. They call us to consider God\u2019s glory above our own glory, our wealth, and earthly security. They call us to pick up our cross and follow Him daily (Mark 8:34). We glorify God in contentment; \u201cwhen we are content to be outshined by others in gifts and esteem.\u201d (Watson, 11) We glorify God in the sincere confession of sin and in believing whole-heartedly in Christ\u2019s redemption alone. We glorify God in trusting His good providence and in pursuing a fruitful life of service unto holiness. We glorify God in standing boldly for the truth <\/span>contra mundum<\/i><\/span> (against the world) and in walking cheerfully in the wilderness of this life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Enjoying God<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Our natures would call upon us to enjoy ourselves, or whatever pleasure comes our way. So 2 Peter 3 warns us what of what Watson calls \u201cthe Trinity [the world] worships,\u201d (Watson, 21): to indulge in \u201c<\/span>the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life<\/i><\/span>.\u201d We are tempted to think that the enjoyment of God in this life is not enjoyment at all! Our hearts are all too often far from that expressed by David, \u201c<\/span>O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You<\/i><\/span>.\u201d (Psalm 63:1-3) David in the wilderness of Judah sees what we so often ignore, that this life holds no pleasure greater than entering into the place of worship and knowing the intimate and personal fellowship that we have with God in Christ. And not only is that the greatest enjoyment we might have in this life, but it is part of our very purpose in living! In a world where so many of us do seemingly pointless tasks each day, we are given a purpose that brings us the best enjoyment!<\/span><\/p>\n

And this purpose does not end with our earthly life. When encouraging the Thessalonian believers, the greatest thing that Paul can say regarding heaven is, \u2018<\/span>then we shall ever be with the Lord<\/i><\/span>.\u201d (1 Thess. 4:17) And those who are with the Lord, never cease to engage in this wonderful dual task of glorifying and enjoying Him, as we see so clearly in Revelation 4. There the singing is continuous, for the One glorified and enjoyed is seen, with the veil removed from our eyes, and He is worthy to receive all glory, honor and power. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is why we are here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 11:36<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read Revelation chapter 4. Why am I here? \u201cMan\u2019s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.\u201d (Westminster Shorter Catechism, #1) Ending in God It is increasingly important in our society to think each person\u2019s goal, purpose and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=83"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83\/revisions\/84"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=83"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=83"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nathantomlinson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=83"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}