There seems to be many, many people who believe that they glorify God when they do what they think makes Him look good. That thought only comes from a heart sunk deep into pride. Doing something to make God look good is impossible for a fallen creature. There are numerous groups that teach that God is honored when He gives us wealth in one form of another. There are others that think that as long as we are seeking God as “my ‘Highest Good'” in some way that glorifies Him. It is thought and said that it honors God when we seek Him as our greatest good over the things of the world. This has given people a theological license to seek themselves and their own pleasures and as long as they say they are seeking it in a way they think honors God they think they are giving God the glory. But, as the quote below points out, there is no good but God.
“There is no single aspect of religion which may not bear the marks of egocentricity or theocentricity, according as the one or the other of these constitutes the fundamental character of the religious relationship…Again, God Himself may be conceived as the summum bonum. As generally interpreted, this means that, although I must not seek God for the sake of anything beyond Himself, yet I may and should seek Him as my ‘Highest Good’, as that which alone can give full and permanent satisfaction to my deepest needs. In sharp contrast with this, there stands the witness of the New Testament that there is none good but God, whose ways are to be acknowledged as righteous even when from my point of view they least seem to be so, and whose holy will is to be sought and obeyed as good even though it in no way ministers to my wishes.” (Let God Be God! An Interpretation of the Theology of Martin Luther)
In the quote above the author italicizes the word “my.” In doing this he is pointing out that the focus in seeking God as the ‘Highest Good’ is me or the self. To say that God is “my ‘Highest Good'” is to say that I am seeking Him for my purposes. It is to say that I seek what is best for me and I have determined that He is best for me. It is to say that God is viewed in a manner where He is to provide what is best for me and that is His real purpose. It would appear that this would mean that the chief end of God would be to give me the satisfaction of my deepest needs. This is what appears to be hidden beneath many of the orthodox statements about God being the highest satisfaction of the soul. The soul must be delivered from its pride in order to seek the Lord at all. Scripture is quite clear that no one (unbelievers) really seeks God (Rom 3:11). Even the very religious who appear to be on the straight and narrow way can be seeking themselves rather than God out of true love. While it is true that God is the highest good, there is an important difference between seeking Him from love for His glory because He is worthy and seeking Him for the good that can be obtained. Seeking God in order to escape hell can also be nothing more than a selfish motive though this is where unconverted people start. But unless a person is turned from just seeking God to escape hell that person has not been turned from pride and self and so never truly seeks God from true love.
The proud heart actually hates the love of God. This is why when modern people tell others that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives (or something similar) they are not telling people about the true love of God. We must remember that the unregenerate person hates God and is at enmity with Him. The love of God is not in looking kindly upon a person and doing good things for the person, though indeed the unregenerate will respond to that type of message out of self-love, but the love of God is in breaking a heart from its self-centeredness and pride and then giving that soul a love for Himself. All true love comes from the only source of love which is God Himself as triune. All true love will have God as its chief goal. The proud heart hates the true love of God because God’s love is always for Himself first. The proud heart wants to be first in its own and God’s affections.
The proud heart must be broken from its proud thoughts and desires so that in seeking God it would not be as “my ‘Highest Good,'” but instead seek the manifestation of the glory of God and through faith knowing that is the greatest good possible whether it feels like it or not. It matters not whether my wishes are met or not, I am to bow in utter submission and humility to the living God and seek Him by being an instrument of His glory. It is only pride that would keep me from doing that. He is, after all, God. Since He is God He is wise and good. It is His will that is to be done, but if I seek my own it is an act of pride far greater than I can imagine. I am to seek His pleasure first and find my pleasure in that. It is only when I am sharing in His pleasure that I can have true pleasure. When I seek my pleasure first and expect Him to be glorified in that, I am seeking myself first which is an act of enmity against Him and is the height of wickedness. That is true even if it is in religious things.
God Loves... Himself 
July 8, 2009 at 11:16 am |
Pride and pleasure are two personal unalienable rights in our 21st century. As God has communicated to us ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.’ God is good and the supreme only in regards to that virtue(good). I can also think of God as the only one who possesses feel good pride and not be sinning in that divine possession. Feelings, thoughts and possessions are to be found in Christ for believers. Rights are to be submitted to our sovereign God If we would understand that as a soul (feel good emotion too) response of repentance, faith and glory May our hearts be both full and broken with God as we respond (make Him great) in all humility and love. May we all increase in such ‘Let God be God moments. I think you are doing a good work on your blog. 🙂