The Infinite Glory of Our God

I've always loved this poem by Hildebert, the 12th century Archbishop of Tours. Read it, muse on it, let it stir you to worship the living God.

First and Last of faith's receiving,
Source and sea of man's believing,
God, whose might is all potential,
God, whose truth is truth's essential,
Good supreme in thy subsisting,
Good in all thy seen existing;
Over all things, all things under,
Touching all, from all asunder;
Centre thou, but not intruded,
Compassing, and yet included;
Over all, and not ascending,
Under all, but not depending;
Over all the world ordaining,
Under all, the world sustaining;
All without, in all surrounding,
All within, in grace abounding;
Inmost, yet not comprehended,
Outer still, and not extended;
Over, yet on nothing founded,
Under, but by space unbounded;
Omnipresent, yet indwelling....

Self Righteousness Versus God's Righteousness

Because all of us are inclined by nature to hypocrisy, a kind of empty image of righteousness in place of righteousness itself abundantly satisfies us. And because nothing appears within or around us that has not been contaminated by great immorality, what is a little less vile pleases us as a thing most pure—so long as we confine our minds within the limits of human corruption. Just so, an eye to which nothing is shown but black objects judges something dirty white or even rather darkly mottled to be whiteness itself. . . . For if in broad daylight we either look down upon the ground or survey whatever meets our view round about, we seem to ourselves endowed with the strongest and keenest sight; yet when we look up to the sun and gaze straight at it, that power of sight which was particularly strong on earth is at once blunted and confused by a great brilliance, and thus we are compelled to admit that our keenness in looking upon things earthly is sheer dullness when it comes to the sun. So it happens in estimating our spiritual goods. As long as we do not look beyond the earth, being quite content with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue, we flatter ourselves most sweetly, and fancy ourselves all but demigods.Suppose we but once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and to ponder his nature, and how completely perfect are his righteousness, wisdom, and power—the straightedge to which we must be shaped. Then, what masquerading earlier as righteousness was pleasing in us will soon grow filthy in its consummate wickedness. What wonderfully impressed us under the name of wisdom will stink in its very foolishness. What wore the face of power will prove itself the most miserable weakness. That is, what in us seems perfection itself corresponds ill to the purity of God (J. Calvin, Institutes, 1.1.3).

God's Jealousy For His Glory (Name)

Did you know that one of the central themes of the Bible is God's passion for God? Many preachers and teachers today would have you believe that God is fundamentally man centered. In other words, the highest good is God making much of us. However, if God's priority isn't first and foremost himself and the pursuit and praise of his own name and fame, his love for you wouldn't amount to "a hill of beans" (to use Alabama slang). Let me prove my point. Notice the italics in each of these verses. It may surprise you to know that this idea (for his name's sake) is found in over 200 verses. Here is a sample:
Ps 23:3 "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Ps 25:11 "For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great."
Ps 31:3 "For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me."
Ps 79:9 "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake."
Ps 106:8 "Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power."
Ps 109:21 "But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
1 Sam 12:22 "The Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.
2 Sam 7:23 "And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things."
Jer 14:7 "Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O Lord, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you."
Isa 63:12 "...who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name" (see also Isa 48:9-11).
Ezek "But I [God] acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations" (see also Ezek 20:9, 22)
1 John 2:12 "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."

Did you know that our greatest good is found in our enjoyment of God? Here's how this works: our greatest good consists of enjoying the most excellent Being in the universe (the Living God). Conversely, God's greatest glory is in being enjoyed. Therefore, for God to seek his glory (the fame of his name) in our worship of him is the most loving thing he can do for us. So as God devotes his energy to elicit from us heart praise, he gets the glory and we get the enjoyment.
I believe all sin stems from failing to believe or understand this. We were created for his glory. Therefore, unless we live for the sake of his name, we will end up malfunctioning in dysfunction.

The Everlasting God

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God" (Ps 90:1-2).