Glory

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11 ESV)

What is God's motivation? Why does God do what he does? The short answer is that God does everything that he does for his own glory.

Be honest. That comes across as egotistical, doesn't it? I mean, who does God think that he is . . . ?

Well, he's God.

The reason why we initially shrink back from the idea that God does everything for his own glory, that God's purpose in all that he does is to glorify himself, is because when we as humans behave this way we are behaving badly. We are being arrogant or egotistical or selfish. Self-glorification is bad behavior . . . for humans. But there's a reason for that. The reason it is bad behavior for us to promote ourselves, to live for our own glory, is because there is something, or more specifically someone, who is more worthy than ourselves. That someone is God.

When we do things to glorify ourselves we run the risk of earning the condemnation of Jesus:

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"--John 5:44

As God's creatures we were made to glorify Him, not ourselves, for he alone is infinitely worthy of glory. But what about God? Whom should he honor most? Whom should he seek to glorify? The answer is himself. Just as there is no higher being for us to glorify than God, there is no higher being for God to glorify than God. And just as it is the highest virtue for us humans to glorify God in everything we do, it is also God's highest virtue to glorify God in everything he does. As God he can do no less.

Thus everything God does is for his honor and glory. Everything. Because he is God. And that is as it should be.

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (Isaiah 42:8 ESV)

Even our salvation is primarily for his glory alone. Witness these words from Isaiah:

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25 ESV)

And there you have it. God always acts for his own sake. He acts to honor and glorify his own name. He does what he does for his own glory. Anything less would make him less than holy, less than righteous, less than God. His glory will he not give to another.

That's why we are saved by his grace alone. God is not about to share credit with you or me or anyone else for his great work of salvation that he is accomplishing in the world and in us through Christ.

Think on these things. Think deeply. Tomorrow we will look at how this fits into Paul's prayer for them and God's work of sanctification in them (and us).