The Glory of God

I have a lot of ill feelings about the title of this particular post. Not because I have an issue with the concept behind it. Not at all. I have an issue with the shoehorning that has been done with that phrase ever since Calvin decided that God was incredibly selfish and Piper decided that in God's case, selfishness is good. But I don't think that is true.

I think God emptied himself, he gave of himself, he died on a cross. I think God doesn't really care about himself except as far as it is good for others. I see this primarily in the cross, but if Jesus is our best idea and representation of who God is and what he does, then the cross is the ultimate expression of that.

So, according to those guys above, God was so concerned with glorifying himself that he began things by creating beings that were capable of not glorifying him. Then he proceeded to humble himself to their level, die a cursed death and be buried in a borrowed grave because he was so concerned with his own glory. Then, instead of making his resurrected state undeniable, he only showed up to a limited few, and expected these broken, stupid fishermen to carry his glory to the nations. Now, he makes his residence in sinful, gluttonous, lying, lustful people. All to glorify himself...?

Now, the immediate reaction is generally incredulity, because we have always been taught that this is why God did all those things. For his own glory. We have been taught that it is ok for God to break his own rules. But why? By that same criteria, would it have been ok for Jesus to rape women, because they couldn't love anyone more worthy? Or would it have been ok for Jesus to steal from people, because their money is best used in his hands?

God and Jesus are worthy of all the glory, but I think it is partly because the triune God has been so unassuming of it. God has put aside all that is rightfully his because he wanted to be known, to be known and loved. And those things can only be done freely. And if God made his presence known in an undeniable way, then freedom would have been denied. God doesn't require glory because he loves glory, but he will ultimately be glorified because he is love. Love conquers all, and I believe very strongly that God would tarnish his own glory in order to save his beloved creation, what else is the cross?