Edwards on the God Centeredness of God 8

THE END FOR WHICH GOD CREATED THE WORLD

Whatsoever is good and valuable in itself is worthy that God should value it with an ultimate respect. It is therefore worthy to be made the last end of his operation, if it be properly capable of being attained. For it may be supposed that some things, valuable and excellent in themselves, are not properly capable of being attained in any divine operation; because their existence, in all possible respects, must be conceived of as prior to any divine operation. Thus God’s existence and infinite perfection, though infinitely valuable in themselves, cannot be supposed to be the end of any divine operation; for we cannot conceive of them as in any respect consequent on any works of God. But whatever is in itself valuable, absolutely so, and is capable of being sought and attained, is worthy to be made a last end of the divine operation. (Jonathan Edwards, The End for Which God Created the World)

As a holy, holy, holy God the living and true God would always have the greatest and most valuable goal in mind and intent in whatever He did. While fallen man thinks of self as the greatest and most valuable goal to have in his own mind and thinks that God should also have that same goal in mind, it is easy to show that the infinite God should not have a particular and very finite human being uppermost in His mind and affections. God alone is valuable and absolutely valuable and as such God alone is worthy to be the chief end and goal of all that is done in the entire universe.

The Scriptures are quite clear that this is the true goal of God in all things. In reality, a thinking person can easily see that it is utterly preposterous for man to think that God would have a lesser goal and end than God.

Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Isaiah 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.

Romans 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

1 Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.

A cursory reading of these verses will show the same thing that a deep and prayerful reading shows, though not to the same depth. God created all things for His glory. God saves sinners to make known the riches of His glory and to the praise of the glory of His grace. God created man with a mouth so that man may speak to the glory of God. God created man with some strength so that man may do all he does with the strength which God supplies in to the glory of God. In all things, then God has set out the standard for man that man is to do all he does to the glory of God. This is the standard of man because it is the standard of God and as such it is a holy standard. Man, as the image of God, could have no standard other than God. Since God does all for His own glory and as thrice holy can have no other standard or goal, this is the goal and standard for man himself and all that man does. It is sin for man to have himself as his goal and end in anything (Romans 3:23) and when man does this, he is at odds with his Creator. What a beautiful thing it is for man to have purpose and a goal in the universe for himself and all that he does. It is a goal far higher and far more worthy than himself as it is living to the glory of the living God.

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