(Updated and Edited, 07-12-07. This is chapter from my book: Where to find the Glory of Jesus Christ) 

Now I would like to show you how important God is to Himself, so you might see more clearly what is being said.

          The end for which God created the world, including human beings and all of Creation, was that He might communicate His majestic glory. In the creation of the universe, God's glory went public. It was all done for His glory, for His name. This is the reason, the one ultimate end for which God does everything. Nothing in Creation escapes this purpose. God did not create because He needed relationships. Rather, He created out of His own happiness in Himself, for He was pleased to express this happiness by manifesting His greatness through creation.  As a fountain is prone to overflow, so God is the endless, overflowing fountain of an absolutely perfect moral nature and glorious attributes. We are the product of a Happy God who created out of His own joy in Himself, for Himself.

          God is the one original being, the one who was here before time began. God is supreme, a law unto Himself. There is no other like Him. All things are done according to His will, which is passionate to show love, patience, and mercy. God made man to display His glory by seeing Him and savoring Him. He made man to understand Him with the whole mind and treasure Him with the whole heart. This is why we exist: so that we can show, by knowing Him, enjoying Him, and valuing Him, that Christ is supreme over all. This will show to the Creation, powers, and all authorities, that Christ is the greatest treasure.

"...then it is reasonable to suppose that He had respect to Himself, as His last and highest end, in this work [creation] because He is worthy in Himself to be so, being infinitely the greatest and best of beings. All things else, with regard to worthiness, importance, and excellence, are perfectly as nothing in comparison to Him."

(Jonathan Edwards)

          First, let's look at Ephesians 1:22-23: "He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." This is just about the only time the Bible gives a direct definition of the church.  The odd thing is that the saints are not even mentioned here. Why? The answer is clear. Beforehand, we see in the same chapter that we were saved  "to the praise of His glory." Now we see the definition of the church in these words: "which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." It is as if the whole sum of the church exists simply for the display of the fullness (i.e. glory, supremacy) of Christ, who "fills all in all."

            Just in case this might seem too singular to our prideful minds, Paul repeats the same thoughts in Colossians 1:18 when he says, "He is the head of the body, the church, that in everything he might have the supremacy" (NIV). Again we see the definition of the church as existing for the display of the excellence and "supremacy" of Christ.  Again, the saints are not even mentioned, as if the sole reason for their existence is to magnify the glory and supremacy of Christ. But this should not be a surprise because we find in Revelation 14:6-7 the same truth in the words, "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people-saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him... worship Him.'"  Thus we see the gospel's purpose summed up as if it exists solely for the purpose of giving  glory and worship to Him who created us.

            This thought was also given to us in the most practical way when God told us through Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

            I have always found Matthew 11:25 amazing, because it is the only time you find Jesus Christ saying the words "I praise you, Father" (NIV). Now, let's see what God was praising God about. "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Here we see Jesus Christ, God the Son Himself, praise God the Father for something. Since this is the only time we see this, it must be very important for us to find out what God is praising God about.  Jesus is praising the Father because He kept godly understanding from the wise and has sovereignly decided to reveal Himself to the poor, ignorant, and helpless instead. We see a clear picture of this in 1 Corinthians 1:23 where Paul says "we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness."

            It should speak volumes to us that the one time Jesus praises the Father, He is praising His sovereignty and freedom to bestow His mercy on whomever He wishes. This is nothing new, for we learn in Exodus 33:19, where God speaks of His own glory with the words, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" (NIV).  You might ask for a further investigation, so we will look here in 1 Corinthians 1:27-31, NIV: "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"

            What we see in these passages is that God has, out of His free sovereign grace, given His mercy to certain poor and lowly people so that no man may boast before God, but instead "boast in the Lord."

            This kind of language is nothing new for Jesus.  In Matthew 13:10 it says," And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?' Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted'" (NASB). Again, in John 6:65 it is recorded, "And He was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.'  As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."

            It only makes sense that if we know the end purpose of redemption, which is the end purpose of creation in general, then we will know God's main passion and goal in creating the universe in the first place. Listen as our beloved Lord and Savior speaks about this issue: "But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:27-28, NASB). Christ clearly states that He came to this earth to save sinners, but behind this purpose was a greater. His chief reason for saving us, the ultimate purpose that drove Him, was to glorify the Father. The same is spoken of Christ's ministry by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor... To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound... That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified" (Isa. 61:1-3)

            Next I wish to point you to the book of Romans, chapters 1-3. First, notice verse 15 in Chapter 1, where it says Paul is about to preach the gospel. Verse 17 tells us the first and most important thing the gospel reveals.  It tells us, "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith."  Notice that this "righteousness of God" which is being revealed is the reason why Paul says, "it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Why is the righteousness of God being revealed in the gospel the main thing, and what about faith shows this to be so? First, "the righteousness of God" is the greatest thing revealed in the gospel because God is the greatest thing in all the universe, known or unknown to us. The righteousness of God is the greatest thing revealed in the gospel because it reveals God. There is nothing above or beneath God. God is the "beginning and the end." God is the first and last cause in everything. "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be the glory forever." We are not the greatest thing revealed in the gospel, nor is our salvation in and of itself.  No, God is the greatest thing revealed. We see Him in the gospel specifically as the righteous God who defends and displays His righteousness and saves us by giving us His own righteousness through imputation in Jesus Christ. Thus He is made more glorious to us through redemption.

            Now, a large part of that which reveals God as great and righteous is that He, through the blood of Christ, brings to undeserving sinners the free gift of salvation and its end result, eternal life (knowing God). But His wrath and judgment of sin also reveal His greatness. We see His righteousness and justice through them better than we would if there was no sin to punish. How would we ever know the beauty and wonder of the stars if there were no night? If the sun never set, the stars could shine the glories of God, and we could not see them. How would we ever truly know the greatness of them unless the night came? We could not know the majesty of the stars without the mystery of night. Because God ordained that sin would be, we are more able to see clearly all the glories of God. Thus, our hearts are caused to worship Him, just as the writer of Philippians says, "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."        

            The songwriter Albert Midlane wrote these words in 1864:

"Who can praise the blessed God

Like a sinner saved by grace?

Angels cannot sing so loud,

Though they see Him face to face

Sinless angels ne'er can know

What a debt saved sinners owe.

"Where iniquity's forgiven,

There the grateful strains arise:

He who knows the love of heaven,

Sings the songs which grace supplies:

Precious songs of sins forgiven,

Sweetest melody of Heaven."

            According to Romans 1:17,  the first thing that is revealed in the gospel is the "righteousness of God." The later phrase "from faith to faith" helps us see how God's righteousness is revealed.  In Ephesians 2:8 we learn that "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." The fundamental thing to see is that faith is a gift, though not just any gift, but a gift of grace. God's righteousness is revealed because, through grace in Jesus Christ, God gives us guilty sinners the gift of faith. This means that God gives us His own righteousness. We know this to be true, for in 2 Corinthians 5:21 we're told that we have "become the righteousness of God in Him [Christ]."  This is why Hosea says in Hosea 10:12, "It is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you." The truth is that God our Emmanuel has come to us, through His Son Jesus Christ, so that all the elect will be saved through the "exceeding greatness of His power...which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand" (Eph. 1:19-20). This righteousness is not of ourselves; therefore we read in Daniel 9:24, "To make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness." Because we know this righteousness is not of ourselves but is an "everlasting righteousness" from God, we confess along with Daniel, "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face" (Dan. 9:7). King David called out, "O God of my righteousness!"(Ps. 4:1). Therefore, the elect and chosen of God "shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (Ps. 24:5).  Let all the saints who have received the gift of faith and of the righteousness of God which comes through Jesus Christ say together, "I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only." Let us utter the words of the Psalmist every day, "My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits" (Ps. 71:15-16).

           Faith is a spiritual work. Since we are spiritually "dead" (Eph. 2:1, 1 Cor. 2:12-14), we are unable to produce faith until we are "made alive" by God through the spirit. Then we are able to "see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) for the first time. Not only did Christ have to buy salvation for us, but He had to give us the faith to even believe in Him. Contrary to popular belief, faith does not magnify people. Our salvation is "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:9). Instead, faith magnifies the "God of all grace" (1 Pet. 5:10), who accomplished His grace through Jesus Christ and made it effective in the hearts of men and women by the Grand Applier, the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, faith is wonderful because it accomplishes two great things at the same time.

        First, because faith is a gift of grace, sinners can be totally forgiven in the sight of God. Thus God will not "give His glory" to anyone. Faith illustrates the truth of this in our case, because faith is a gift given to those who don't naturally possess faith.  Therefore, we cannot boast before God, but instead praise Him for His mercy and righteousness for all eternity. At the same time, faith allows God to be just and righteous and true to His infinite worth because Jesus has absorbed the wrath of God in our place. Second, faith in Jesus allows God's righteousness and hatred for sin to be properly dispensed and poured out on Christ for our benefit.  God's wrath is exerted by God and absorbed by an object, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the sins committed by us are not just swept under the rug of the universe. They are dealt with. Sin is an attack against the worth, beauty, and righteousness of God. God is infinitely worthy, and if sin is committed against Him it has to be punished. Someone has to take the penalty for it. For the Christian, Jesus Christ has taken it. Faith in Jesus helps to consummate the great work of God saving sinners through Jesus Christ. As we believe that Christ is the Son of God as He claimed to be and that He did what He claimed to do, salvation is manifested in the believer. A person believes because it is guaranteed in the Everlasting Covenant of Grace between the Father and Son. Christ purchased with His blood the Church. (Act 20:28) This is the fulfillment of the Covenant on Christ's part as He intercedes for them before the Father. The Father then sends the Holy Spirit to "cause" (Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:34) these persons for whom Christ died for to believe and walk in holiness. Thus when faith arises in a person it is the manifestation of the Everlasting Covenant coming around to its full circle.

            Faith reveals the "righteousness of God" because it allows God to be holy and righteous as sin is dealt with. Therefore, the worth of God's glory and fame are displayed for all to see. Again, faith brings sinners before His throne totally unblemished. All this is done without the help of man, just as scripture says, "Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help" (Ps. 146:3). The marvelous work of salvation is monogenetic: it has come about solely by the work of the Triune God; therefore, God alone deserves the glory for it. Thus the righteousness of God is revealed as God displays His true holy worth and saves sinners at the same time. All this is accomplished in Jesus Christ on the cross. Praise the name of Jesus Christ!

         All this can be seen throughout Romans 1-4, but please look at 1:18 where it says, "The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven." As I said earlier, God's wrath needs to be displayed so that God's glory can be more clearly seen. If God never decreed to permit sin to come into the world, leading eventually to our redemption through Jesus Christ, then how would the angels or we ever really know how much God hates sin? We would not know as we know now. God must really despise sin if He would kill His own Son to destroy it. It is fitting that God would create the world and predestine the work of the redemption story.

        Romans 3:4-7 says, "Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?  Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also judged as a sinner?"

          Why is it important that God judge the world? The ultimate answer is not that we have sinned and therefore God has to judge us. In Romans 11:32 we learn that "God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all." God has committed the whole human race to disobedience because He must "judge the world" in order for the  "righteousness of God [to be] revealed."  This is great news for us because we can enjoy God more as we see the truth of God "increased" to His glory. Isaiah 5:16 says, "But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness."

        Chapter 3:21-26 closes the argument Paul is making. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

            God is both "just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ." This is the heart of the first three chapters of Romans. For that matter, it is the heart of the whole Bible. God's justice demanded death, but glory of God's goodness demanded mercy through the free gift of faith in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 tells us that God's righteousness was in trouble because God, who is the Judge, had passed over previous sin without eternally punishing it as it deserved. "That is the basic issue," says John Piper. "God's righteousness is at stake. His name or reputation or honor must be vindicated. Before the cross can be for our sake, it must be for God's sake." It does not stop here, for we learn from Jesus' own words in John 3:17 that "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." The displaying of God's glory demanded both God's justice and His mercy.  God is both just and loving. Through redemption, the glory of God's righteousness is revealed about as clearly as it gets. God's glory is displayed, and we get the joy of seeing and beholding it forever as forgiven saints.  Our God is an awesome God.

* * *

            Now I want to further expound this thought that the gospel, above all things, "reveals" or "makes known" the glory of God through the person of Jesus Christ.

            God preordained redemption through His Son Christ Jesus to make His Glory known by saving His enemies (2 Tim. 1:9-10, 2 Thess. 2:13-14 and Eph. 1:5-6). I would like to quickly go over the things Christ makes known about the Father's glory and His own glory.       

          We have already learned that God's righteousness is revealed as the first thing in the gospel. This is accomplished because God has "committed them all to disobedience" so that God can judge the world, and so that "He might show mercy to all." When God judges the world, we see His holy wrath poured out on the wicked. In this way, His justice and holy hatred for sin is made known. We also see that God's beauty and worth are so infinite that not one sin is allowed to go unpunished. In this, God's righteousness is defended. At the same time we see God, although He is the judge of the world, because of His great love shining by the mercy through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice giving Hell-deserving sinners the gift of His righteousness. Thus God is both Just and the Justifier. In this, we see that God's love and mercy are made known.

         Now, let's look at Romans 9:22:"What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction..."

        Here we see that God wanted to make His power known. God prepared people for destruction in order to do this. This is nothing new, for Proverbs 16:4 says that, "the LORD has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom." Psalm 106:8 says the same thing: "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power known."

         In Romans 9:23 we learn that God planned things so that "He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory."

         God also wanted to make known the "riches of His glory" to the people of mercy. The phrase "riches of His glory" refers most to the aspect of His mercy. We see this in Romans 15:9, "that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." The glory of God's mercy is made known to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ-so much so, that we will forever glorify God for it.

In Ephesians 3:9-11 we read, "...to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

          Here, we see God making His "manifold wisdom" known through the salvation of the church by Christ Jesus. God's wisdom is behind all creation. It is seen clearly in the design of the redemption of the church through Christ Jesus. God's wisdom is an exceedingly great attribute which He wants to make known to all.  He makes it known primarily through Christ: He who is eternal, yet clothed in time, Christ who is God but made Himself man, Christ who is the eternally blessed, happy God, but became to us the "man of sorrows." Creation as a whole is of little wisdom and glory compared to that which is made known to us through Christ Jesus. Christ has forever made the glory of the invisible God perfectly known to all.

        Through Jesus, the righteousness, mercy, power, and wisdom of God are made known to all beings, whether on Earth or in heaven. This is the primary function of the gospel. This is not the first time we learn of such things, for in Isaiah 43:6-7 we read, "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth-everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him."

            Ezekiel 36:21 echoes this thought: "But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name."'"

            Then again in Isaiah 66:19 we read, "I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations... to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory."

            Now I would like us to look at Isaiah 48: 9-13: "For My name's sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.  Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand up together."

            As we all know, when the Holy Scriptures repeat something, it is very important. Here we have "for My own sake" repeated three times, along with the phrases "for My praise" and "My glory." Thus it is very evident that God saved Israel for the sake of His praise.  His glory is the ultimate reason for what He did. Or do you suppose there is a higher calling in the universe than to further God's praise and glory?  Maybe some would say "free will" is a higher calling. I hope that for us, all such "boasting" is far out of the picture by now.

            In Isaiah 48 we see three clear truths:

1.)    That for His praise and glory God defers His anger.  In the larger picture, He defers His anger off of us and onto Jesus Christ, thus showing us endless mercy and kindness for His glory and praise.

2.)    For God's praise and glory he sanctifies us. "I have refined you...for My own sake."

3.)    Lastly, God will give the glory of the first two points to no one. It is reserved only for Himself.

Here are more examples, from scripture, of the way God does all things for the glory of His Name.

            Philippians 1:11: "...being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

            2 Corinthians 1:20: "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."

            2 Corinthians 4:7, NASB: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."

           2 Corinthians 4:15, NASB: "For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God."

           Ephesians 1: 5-6a, NASB: "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace."

           Colossians 1:17: "And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."