I wonder how often we confuse God’s ultimate aim in our missions work with our own. God’s aim is his own glory. Perhaps, more often than we’re aware or admit, our aim can become the saving of souls unto itself as a goal. Or our aim may sometimes become the specific details of the missional work unto itself.
And, of course, seeing souls saved and the missional work is all beautiful, noble, and right! But when people or work have become the object of our pursuit we have begun to stray from what the Bible teaches. Throughout the scriptures we see God in pursuit of his own glory.
We see this illustrated in Exodus when God explains that his purpose in Pharaoh’s hardened heart and the pursuit of the Egyptian army is that “I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.”1 Paul later confirms this in his letter to the Romans when he quotes Exodus, reminding them that God raised up Pharaoh “that [God] might show [his] power in [Pharaoh], and that [God’s] name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”2
Later in Exodus Moses reasons with God that he ought not destroy the nation of Israel for their sin of idolatry because of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to preserve God’s glory among the foreign nations throughout the land.3 In Numbers we learn that Moses will not be allowed to enter the promised land because he and Aaron failed to give God the glory when he struck the rock to bring forth water in his anger.4
God is zealous for his glory and the Bible abounds with examples where God makes this abundantly clear. As we reach the New Testament we see a new connection made clear: to glorify Jesus the Christ is to glorify God the Father. Jesus establishes that “whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him”.5
Throughout the book of John Jesus is seeking to glorify the Father and to help us see the same. When Jesus heard that Lazarus is ill he said, “this illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”6 And you know the rest of the story. After Lazarus dies, Jesus raises him back to life to the glory of God.
Jesus also clarifies the results of Holy Spirit’s work in John. “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”7 And Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 is replete with Jesus glorifying the Father and praying for his own glory to be made known.
So far, we’ve establish that God, three in one, cares deeply about his glory. But we still need to connect that to missional work. In Acts Peter’s report to the church and the clarification that the Gospel is also for the Gentiles results in the entire assembly glorifying God.8 A short while later Paul and Barnabas are teaching and preaching in Antioch. After being rejected by the Jews of the region, Paul announces that they will preach to the Gentiles, which causes the Gentiles of the region to rejoice, glorify the word of the LORD, and believe unto salvation.9 In Romans Paul exhorts the Roman church to live in harmony with one another so that they would be united to “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”10 And he says all of this in the context of strengthening and growing the church.
Fast forward to the ultimate result of missions work. In Revelation God pulls back the curtain on an amazing scene in heaven.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”Revelation 7:9-17
A good portion of chapter 19 of Revelation reveals a similar scene with great glory being lavished toward our God.
Perhaps our first temptation is to regard God as somehow selfish: “how narcissistic that he wants all of his glory”. This this would be a terrible mistake for us to make. Unlike fallible and fallen humanity God actually does deserve all the glory. Perfect and holy and righteous, no one except him deserves and is worthy of all honor and glory and praise. Glory belongs to God alone. To ascribe it anywhere else would be folly and harm to ourselves.
This truth is captured beautifully by creeds and catechisms as well.
[Jesus] shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son: Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified: Who spoke by the prophets.Nicene Creed
Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.Westminster Shorter Catechism
Yes! Jesus came to save the lost who are his! Yes! God loves us and has shown us his love through his Son. But we must be careful to guard our primary motivation in our mission work: God’s glory. Our work, our great commission to go into all the world must be anchored in, rooted in, and directed toward God being glorified. As we labor to help people understand the gospel and believe on Christ as savior and Lord we must do so looking forward to that scene in Revelation when a multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and of every tongue are gathered together bringing all glory to our great God. That is a motivator for missional work.
When we get this prioritized incorrectly our work can be wrongly motivated. How many “Christian missions” have you seen that look a lot more like merely humanitarian aid or social justice efforts? How many times have you see churches lose their first love when they exchange the primary desire to glorify God for the idolatrous motivation of more people in attendance? (Please note: I am not saying that reaching more people is wrong! Only that our desire to reach more people must not supplant our desire to see God glorified.)
With God’s glory as our primary aim, what is our role in missions work? In the next post I’ll explore our role in missions work and the relationship between God’s glory and our brokenness.
How about you, though? Do you need to re-orient your heart and mind and motivations toward God’s glory in your work? I know I do! I need to repent of this all the time! Is God’s glory what we are pursuing above all else? May it always be so!
Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria
Zach
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