Do we exist to please God, glorify and honor Him?

Rev 4:11 (KJV): Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Now, some other versions, instead of “for thy pleasure”, have it as “by thy will they … created”.  Is it right to have that translation – “for thy pleasure”?  Yes, when it is applied to God, for no one can obstruct God, and so, for God, whatever He wills, it got to be to His pleasure; why would He do anything if it is to bring NOT pleasure to Him (or it irks Him)?!  These additional verses support it:

Gen 1:31 (KJV) - And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.  This shows a picture of God created for His pleasure, and had that pleasure, and it could be extrapolated to say that God continues to expect pleasure from that Creation.

Col 1:16 (KJV) - For by him {Jesus} were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

We are created by the Lord for the Lord.  I cannot imagine the Lord would create something for Himself to irk Himself; it should only be, to please Him, or serve a purpose that would please Him, don’t you agree?  We have to understand that for God, being Him, God, there could NOT have been coercion for Him to create; and so, correctly He created for His pleasure.

Isaiah 43:6b-7 - Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Here through the mouth of Isaiah, God said He created His children for His glory.

1 Cor 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Here, the apostle Paul commanded us to “always be glorifying God”

1 Cor 6:20 (KJV) - “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Even if we do NOT go further back (to Creation, for example), when we accepted Jesus’ propitiation for us, are already to glorify God, because we belong to God, already; God bought us with the price of the blood and life of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The problem with most of us is that we think “there is no ‘stick’”, it seems matter NOT, we glorify NOT, God! Be careful, you and I can be speaking too soon!  Jer 18:6 has this to say: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Col 3:23 - “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Again, this is an exhortation for us to glorify God, and NOT to dishonour Him.  We profess to have identified with God or the Lord, and non-believers identify us with the Lord or God; and so, when we do NOT carry ourselves well, including the way we work, it reflects badly on the Lord.  Rather it should be, as exhorted in Matt 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  The work we do, including our job or occupation, it is part of good works, for you and I are NOT to be engaged in any bad works, are we?  No.

Eccl 9:10 - “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”  Ps 115:17 - It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence;

What these verses are trying to paint to us is that it is presently, in our mortal life, while we are alive, that we are to be pleasing God, honouring and glorifying Him; NOT when we are dead.  It is possible through our death, we glorify God, but we do NOT glorify God in the time that we are dead (in the grave, so to speak).  So, you and I cannot delay, and think that we can wait till we are dead before we go pleasing or glorifying God!

1 Cor 10:23 -“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.”

Some wonder what they are to do with these words of the Apostle Paul.  Well, the yardstick to use is this: Will it please God?  Will it glorify God? Will it be honourable (honor God)?  If answers to these are “No”, then, it is NOT beneficial; then it is NOT constructive!

Ps 86:12 (KJV) - I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

This was a psalm by David, and it was also a prayer; and it showed David’s understanding of him to please God with his all, and to bring glory to His name all the time; it is no wonder David was said by God as “the man after His own heart”

 

From the above, we can see that indeed we exist to please God, glorify and honor Him. 

"Can I NOT accept that?"  No, this is our purpose, and our lot.  If you and I want true peace and joy, and this true peace and joy is the peace and joy in and of the Holy Spirit, it can only be had when we are in line with the will and desires of God for us, which is to please Him, glorify and honor Him.  In broad stroke, that is what God has designed us for, in specific, the Holy Spirit holds the key, for He knows the mind of God, real-time for you, and He knows your spirit and mind.  What God has in mind real-time for you, is the (specific) righteousness of God for you which you need to pursue, being led by the Holy Spirit.  Indeed, the kingdom of God is about His righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and those who serve God in such manner, will please God, and will find agreement with men (from Rom 14:17-18).  This is what the kingdom life is about - to please God, glorify and honor Him.

"Why would I do that?"  Because I want that peace and joy in and of the Spirit; because He created us; because He first loved us; and because we love Him back.  If you and I truly love Him, and He is worthy of our love, we will please Him, glorify and honor Him.

 

Anthony Chia, high.expressions

Comments are welcome here. Alternatively, email them to me @: high.expressions@gmail.com Or just email me your email address so that I can put you on my blog (new entry) notification list.

To go back to blog main page, click here.