Good Morning!
Since we completed our time in the Westminster Confession of Faith last week it only makes sense to move on to the Shorter Catechism for our next round of Thursday helps to faith. In addition to this lesson we have the already announced re-introduction of the Shorter Catechism in our Sabbath School classes on the Lord’s Day mornings. Each class, from primary on up to the Adults will be going through the Catechism in a year’s time. We will begin this coming Sunday with Q. 1. It is of course the most well known of all the questions, primarily because it is first, and easy to remember. In this brief post we’ll talk a little about what it means. Going forward we won’t take one question per week, as that would take a while. We’ll bunch them up as possible, especially where they form a cohesive unit. As with the Tuesday prayer/worship helps my hope is that this series will assist each of us as we grow in faith and maturity. Part of the reason of going back to the Catechism at this point in time is so that as the world continues to spiral out of control we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will remember that even if the culture, the schools, or the nation collapses we will stand strong in the truth of God’s word and promise because we know now how God works, and more importantly why He is working for us both this day and forevermore.
If you have any questions or have a need please feel free to get in contact with me at any time.
So without further ado:
Q.1 – What is the Chief End of Man?
A – The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
I am not sure there is a sentence which says more with less. The most central question of human life is why. Why do we exist, what is our purpose, what have we been made to do? The answer is right there. Man was made by God to bring glory to God. But it doesn’t end there. Our creation is not to be automatonic robots just delivering worship to a heavenly deity. God doesn’t need us for that. We are made for so much more. As His special creation we are participants in His magnificence, and through this and the obedience of life we relish the happiness and delight which comes from loving our Lord. There truly is nothing better than this blessing. So why do we fight so hard against the pleasure which we are meant to receive from Him? In a future Thursday catechism lesson we’ll talk about sin more deeply, but for our purposes here the simple response is because we don’t understand our reason for being. The more we rest in the light of His marvelous mercy and grace to us in the making of us in the first place the more we bask in His glory and see the fulness of His splendor the less attractive to our souls will be the ugliness of rebellion and more odious will be the world’s hatred of God. When you’ve had the best, why return back to that which never contents?
The Book of Genesis shows us that when God looked at His making of man the Lord said he was “very good”. The statement is not just about quality, but counts the value of the person formed out of the dust as part of the calculation. It is an expression more akin to the feeling you get in satisfaction than the unfeeling notion of a scientist speaking on the outward qualities of an object. God has made man. He has made him to enjoy God. The more we understand the gravity of those words the more we will appreciate everything the Lord has made, including ourselves. When we look at the law of God through this prism of the purpose of our being created in His image we come to see the beauty of “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery”, for instance. The God who made is faithful and will do it. We have no fear He will turn back on His word to bring peace to us in Jesus Christ. Even though we were unfaithful, knowing that Jehovah will never “commit adultery” against us because He created us to enjoy Him gives believers that peace which passes all understanding. This is a bulwark against our own lusting for any neighboring Assyrians, Captains, and rulers. What can compare to the enormous goodness of God to us?
One of the central arguments of the pro-life movement has always been that every life is precious; special because of the uniqueness of the individual for the tapestry of human existence. A passage that is ordinarily brought up in light of that truth is Jeremiah 1:5 which says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Think about that passage when you look at the catechism question above again. The Lord of glory has made you. He made you and had a plan for your life before you were born. The purpose of that life is to bring glory to Himself and for you to live in felicity both in this life and in the life to come. Being set apart means that God looks at you differently than He does the rest of creation. It is only human beings who have received the spirit of life. It was also only humans that He sent His only begotten Son to lay down His life for. The rest of the created order benefits of course from this saving work, but it is only God’s people who fully receive the blessings which come of it.
So as we go through the rest of the Westminster Shorter Catechism here on Thursday mornings we will see that the next 106 questions are all about helping us to better see what it means to enjoy God forever. As with the previous run of form here is a short essay to give more meat.
https://www.gty.org/library/articles/a181/how-to-live-for-gods-glory
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church