Jonathan Edwards, Resolution 1:
“Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory and to my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how ever so many and how ever so great.”
Last time we compared the pleasure that a person might have that is given over to sensual pleasures versus the believer given over to the pleasure of the glory of God. Perhaps that might be thought to be unfair. This time, then, let us consider the successful man that has plenty of money and is faithful at church as well. What are the differences between this man and the one given over to sensual pleasures? In reality there is not a lot of difference on one level. The sensual man lived for himself and used people and things in order to fulfill his sensual pleasures. He was essentially a selfish person that only did what made him feel good. The successful man who also goes to church would condemn the lover of sensual pleasure. However, is there any real difference?
The successful man appears to be outwardly moral and an upstanding man. Sure he drives an expensive care and has an expensive house, but he has worked hard for it. He has not spent his time and money in the pursuit of sensual pleasures so he has time to work hard and enough money to buy these expensive items. But isn’t he really just living for self too? The sensual man uses others to fulfill his sensual pleasures, but perhaps the successful man uses others to fulfill his lusts for success. Either way, clearly, those are selfish drives that have goals to fulfill certain drives and lusts that are not for the glory of God. Both men have ignored God’s clear commandments to love Him and do all for His glory in order that they may live for self.
But the successful man also goes to church. This man attends on a regular basis, perhaps is an officer or teacher, and tithes quite well. Surely, we think, this man cannot be like the illicit man that pursued sensual pleasures with every moment of his day. Well, let us think through this one as well. Why does this man go to church? Many reasons are possible. Maybe he goes to quiet his conscience. Maybe he goes because it is good for business. Maybe he goes because he thinks that he is earning his salvation by good works. But again, this man is doing it all for himself and has no real concept of living out of love for the glory of God. This man is living in sin and his sin is having himself as an idol and his own god. He does all things from self-love and not out of love for the glory of God. This man is also given over to self and nothing but self. His sin is like the sensual man but he has a cloak of respectability over it. Both men are idolaters and live as their own gods. Their way is death and leads to death. Their paths will have misery in them and will increase with the amount of sin they commit.
The advantages of an increase to man’s pleasure in living to the glory of God rather than self are many. The advantages and pleasures of true Christianity over a form of it are virtually infinite. The believer has the pleasure of being the temple of the living God, but the unbeliever is the proud idolater that God fights. The believer has the pleasure of having the love and joy of God in him. The believer has the pleasure of being the recipient of the work of the Spirit in working the character of God in him. The believer has access to streams of living water. The believer is enabled to abide in the love of God and have the love of God abide in him. The believer has the privilege of all that he does is out of love for God and others when he lives for the glory of God.
The pleasure that a believer has is in seeing and enjoying the glory of God, so that all that he does for the glory of God is really doing that which is accordance to his greatest love and pleasure. This enables man to do all of his duties (if done to the glory of God) in accordance to what he was created for and in accordance with the pleasure of God being expressed in and through him. The believer that is content with having what he desires the most (God’s glory) is always content since God’s glory is always seen in whatever happens. The believer that lives for God’s glory is doing what is best for God and others. This is simply holiness in its fullest expression since it is keeping the Greatest Commandments. The believer is able to be blessed as in the Beatitudes while the unbeliever is always cursed in what he does. The believer is able to love the pleasure of God which is real love while the unbeliever can only delight in himself which is idolatry. The differences are huge, but the pleasure in God that the believer has is better than having the whole world and all its pleasures. God’s glory is indeed the greatest benefit and pleasure for all who love Him.
God Loves... Himself 
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