Does the Bible CLEARLY Teach That Our MAIN Purpose is to Glorify God?

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

I think if I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do is supposed to glorify God, then CLEARLY it is our prime directive.

@Chip … got my response in 1 min before yours! :)

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I’m definitely not glorifying God in taunting you!

Yah, but I explained it better.

You guys argue over that one verse - here’s some more to consider.

Ps. 86:9

Ps. 86:12

John 17:1-3

Romans 15:8-9

I Peter 2:12

I Peter 4:16

Rev. 15:4

Let me propose another way of looking at this. I think if we focus on God’s purposes first, man’s responsibility under those purposes are seen as a response to his Creator’s intentions and will come clearly into view.

If the reason God does anything is to bring glory unto Himself, then it is natural that we, along with the rest of His creation owe Him nothing less. I believe this is the biblical presentation seen consistently throughout the Scriptures and especially in the poetical sections of the OT. Worhisp brings Him glory, the display of His attributes brings Him glory, and bringing many people unto Himself through the sacrifice of Jesus brings Him glory. Soli Deo gloria!

Thanks to Jay, Chip, and Jim for the verses that help illustrate this.

that this is an interesting question, Ed. I will be pondering it and discussing it with Vitaliy.

It is not a broad verse but a narrow verse. It is talking about whether you eat meat offered to idols or not. It is not talking about every activity of life.

There is a similar verse in Colossians…

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

But it doesn’t quite say ‘glorify’ here.

I think the first and second great commandments are more of an imperative for the Christian life than the somewhat ambiguous ‘glorify God’.

Is the reason why we were created the same as our main purpose? Further is giving God pleasure the same as giving Him glory? The following verses tell us why we were created:

Revelation 4:11 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.

Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

These verses spell out the most basic expectations for what we as his created beings should be doing in order to glorify Him.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Ed, if Revelation 4:11 says that God created all things to glorify him, then wouldn’t that mean that we must be working to do so and not that it will happen regardless (which seems to be what you said)? Keeping God’s commandments is a subset of glorifying God and the only means to do so, not the other way around.

You can split hairs, but at the end of the day, it’s still a hair, know what I mean? Our commands are to glorify God BY keeping his commands. Loving neighbor and enemy alike is one of those commands.

All things, even sin and evil, do and will serve to glorify God; there is no other way God will let it happen.

So the fact that God made all for His glory is … why He made it. I will not add or subtract to His glory by my actions/sins/good deeds, right? He gets glory by working out the good deeds in me, He gets glory by the plan of redemption to punish my sins, He gets glory by punishing unbelievers for their unbelief. It all will glorify Him.

I think there is a subjective way I can glorify God before men here on earth, not that they will publicly, correctly respond to that, maybe not even understand it. Until they see God’s glory in heaven with their own eyes.

But I see the argument that my greatest purpose towards God is to love Him.

God is glorified regardless. I believe the main purpose of BOTH the saved and unsaved is to glorify God, but I also believe that we bring greater pleasure to Him when we love Him. If we love Him, keep His commandments.

I agree with Anne’s post and was ready to write something along those lines but she got up earlier than I did and like Chip, she explained it better than I would have :).

The point about even sin glorifying God through redemption helps to answer the question as to why God even allowed it in the first place. Understanding that all things happen for God’s ultimate glory, helps to explain so many things. We may not understand how specific events fit right now, but we know we can trust Him. Even things that others mean for evil, God can use for good.

I must say that I wish I would’ve phrased this statement a bit differently

These verses spell out the most basic expectations for what we as his created beings should be doing in order to glorify Him.

Instead I wish I had said, “These verses spell out the most basic expectations for what we as created beings should be doing as we glorify Him.” I knew better, but these ideas have been ingrained in us so we often forget the theology we have learned. I often catch myself in preaching about to say something like, “we need to do this to glorify God”, and then realizing I need to be saying, “we ought to do this to best glorify Him in obedience.”

Ed’s question is quite important because this truth has not been articulated as carefully as I think it should be and often we (myself included) end up repeating what we have heard about glorifying God instead of carefully articulating the truth of His glorifying Himself.

What about Ecclesiastes 12:13? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Now while it is true that God will be glorified if I fear Him and keep His commandments (so it may be argued that the Glory is theologically deduced) I think a fairly good argument can be made from this verse, and others, that my responsibility is to fear God and keep His commandments, not just “glorify Him.” So at the very least more than one “main” responsibility exists.

[JD Miller] The point about even sin glorifying God through redemption helps to answer the question as to why God even allowed it in the first place. Understanding that all things happen for God’s ultimate glory, helps to explain so many things. We may not understand how specific events fit right now, but we know we can trust Him. Even things that others mean for evil, God can use for good.

Someone - don’t remember who, but I think it’s Piper - likens this concept to a story. What kind of exciting and glorifying story would it be if the hero leaves home, fulfills his quest, and then returns home untouched and unscathed? It would be horribly boring.

God receives more glory because he allows men to choose to sin against him and still brings triumph from (and even through!) their tragic choices to sin against Him. Sin is not a ‘counter’ to God’s glory - rather, it magnifies it!

SD wrote:

What about Ecclesiastes 12:13? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Now while it is true that God will be glorified if I fear Him and keep His commandments (so it may be argued that the Glory is theologically deduced) I think a fairly good argument can be made from this verse, and others, that my responsibility is to fear God and keep His commandments, not just “glorify Him.” So at the very least more than one “main” responsibility exists.

I think SD has hit on something quite important in this discussion- the duty/responsibility of man vs the purpose for his existence. They are not necessarily the same thing. The reason/purpose for which we were made was to glorify God, but as creatures who are created for His glory, we have duties/responsibilities/expectations from God.

I believe we glorify God by making choices that show love to others and ultimately love for Him as well. It is our setting aside of selfishness and loving God and others that glorifies God.

In the section of 1 Cor. 8:1 - 11:1 Paul’s point is they were not showing love for their fellow brother & sisters in Christ by demanding their “liberties” at the expense of spiritual lives of others. He instructs them that our Christian liberty should reflect love and we should be willing to set aside our “liberties” for the best interest of others, thereby showing love for them. He wraps all of it together in verse 10:31 by saying in everything we do, even the mundane things of life like eating and drinking, we need be bring glory to God. Which in context of the section, starting in chapter 8, is shown by loving God and others by the choices we make.

[wkessel1]

In the section of 1 Cor. 8:1 - 11:1 Paul’s point is they were not showing love for their fellow brother & sisters in Christ by demanding their “liberties” at the expense of spiritual lives of others. He instructs them that our Christian liberty should reflect love and we should be willing to set aside our “liberties” for the best interest of others, thereby showing love for them.

That is the argument of chapter 8 only. The arguments of chapters 9 and 10 are quite different. Chapter 9 argues from the standpoint of testimony and damage my action might do to the credibility of the gospel message. Chapter 10 argues on the basis of the sinfulness of the flesh and the ease with which we fall into temptation.

[wkessel1]

He wraps all of it together in verse 10:31 by saying in everything we do, even the mundane things of life like eating and drinking, we need be bring glory to God. Which in context of the section, starting in chapter 8, is shown by loving God and others by the choices we make.

No, not correct. The “whether therefore you eat or drink” clause has to do with the question at hand, whether you eat or drink things offered to idols. It is not meant to communicate anything about the mundane activities of life but about those specific activities that deal with matters of conscience and testimony and whether or not they are matters that are actually sinful in themselves. “I would not have you fellowship with demons”, 1 Cor 10.20-21. The “eat or drink” question has all three of these components - it violated the conscience of some, it had the potential to damage the credibility of anti-idol gospel preaching, and it has the possibility of actual fellowship with demons in certain contexts.

I would recommend the commentaries of Tom Constable or Gordon Fee on these chapters. Both of these writers, especially Fee, have problems in other areas (especially 1 Cor 12-14 for Fee), but I think they get these chapters right.

[JD Miller]

I think SD has hit on something quite important in this discussion- the duty/responsibility of man vs the purpose for his existence. They are not necessarily the same thing. The reason/purpose for which we were made was to glorify God, but as creatures who are created for His glory, we have duties/responsibilities/expectations from God.

But we tend to read it as meaning, what is the chief duty of man. And maybe it doesn’t mean that. It just means, what is the chief purpose of our even existing at all… . . God’s glory.

(And JD Miller, I’m 7 hrs ahead of EST, is why I beat you to it :) )

[JD Miller]

SD wrote:

What about Ecclesiastes 12:13? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Now while it is true that God will be glorified if I fear Him and keep His commandments (so it may be argued that the Glory is theologically deduced) I think a fairly good argument can be made from this verse, and others, that my responsibility is to fear God and keep His commandments, not just “glorify Him.” So at the very least more than one “main” responsibility exists.

I think SD has hit on something quite important in this discussion- the duty/responsibility of man vs the purpose for his existence. They are not necessarily the same thing. The reason/purpose for which we were made was to glorify God, but as creatures who are created for His glory, we have duties/responsibilities/expectations from God.

I think both sides of this discussion are talking from a different starting point. If we look at this from the human agent’s standpoint, there is a lot more to life than glorifying God as an action or duty. Glory is the end or purpose of this action, not the action carried out.

The catechism states that the glory of God is our end, not our path or journey. They journey is different than the destination. If we are trying to identify our end or purpose it must be God’s glory, not keeping commandments or even loving God. That is not a purpose, but a duty. A purpose goes to God’s reasons and motivations. He does not need anyone to obey Him, or even love Him. He exists in Trinity-a perfect, loving communion of total agreement. But through the exercise of His divine attributes He brings glory unto himself through His creation-including us. Are we to keep His commandments? Yes! All to the glory of God!

I do understand your point, and I would agree that I am not aware of any verse that says specifically the chief end is the glory of God. The first poll choice says verses that make it clear. I think is made clear, but not specifically stated. As it has been said above there is our purpose and our means. If we fear God and obey you bring Him glory, if you love Him and other you bring Him glory. So wouldn’t bringing Him glory be what we are to do and the fear, obedience and love all means of doing that. If we are do everything to the glory of God that we would be the goal and everything else just how we get there.

I did read Fee’s commentary and he seems to agree with me. “Paul begins to bring closure to the long argument of chaps 8-10 and especially of 10:23-11:1. He is currently addressing the question of conduct in nonessential matters, which began with the overarching principle that Christian does not seek his/her own good but that of one’s neighbor (vv. 23-24)” (Fee NICNT 487-488). The ultimate point is that whatever we do, even the nonessentials such as eating and drinking we are to do it for the glory of God and not to please ourselves. When we love others and seek what is it their best interest it brings glory to God.

[wkessel1]

I did read Fee’s commentary and he seems to agree with me. “Paul begins to bring closure to the long argument of chaps 8-10 and especially of 10:23-11:1. He is currently addressing the question of conduct in nonessential matters, which began with the overarching principle that Christian does not seek his/her own good but that of one’s neighbor (vv. 23-24)” (Fee NICNT 487-488). The ultimate point is that whatever we do, even the nonessentials such as eating and drinking we are to do it for the glory of God and not to please ourselves. When we love others and seek what is it their best interest it brings glory to God.

Hmm…

Well, at that point I guess I have to agree that Fee seems to be saying what you are saying.

This is really a side issue to Ed’s point, so I guess we don’t need to take it further. I think that 1 Cor 8-10 are largely misunderstood and 10.31 is completely ripped from its context and misapplied. So I pound that drum whenever I get a chance. I wrote a piece on this verse years ago… but let’s just let it rest, since it adds nothing to Ed’s thread.

I agree with Jay that this thread seems to be splitting hairs, and that to glorify God is our primary purpose in life. However, “glorifying God” cannot be done without doing (or not doing) certain things - and the most important guidelines to do so are found in Jesus’ first and second commandments.

[Ed Vasicek]……………..

This does affect our mentality; if loving God coupled with loving others is our prime directive, our church meetings, fellowship, and lives are different that if we believe our prime volitional directive is to glorify God. So this is not merely academic. Even Bach’s “only to the glory of God” idea is affected. It becomes appropriate to pen beautiful music as a way to love people as well as to love God.

Ed, I cannot see how you can disconnect “loving God coupled with loving others” from glorifying God. You cannot say you are “glorifying God” unless you are obeying Him.

I’m surprised no one has brought up 2 Cor. 5:9 - “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” I would say that “pleasing God” = “glorifying God.” I have found this verse to be helpful when making decisions concerning things not directly stated in Scripture: e.g. “Which choice will bring the most glory to God,” rather than “What can I get away with and not technically be sinning.”