I used to say: "Do you feel more loved when God makes much of you or when he frees you to enjoy making much of him?" Now I say, “Why does God make so much of us in a way that winds up making much of him?”
In this Piper rightly confronts the weltgeist that God must love us because we are special. I'm amazed when I hear people say that Piper promotes a God of hate and/or fear. When I hear that what I really hear them saying is that they cannot love the God of the Bible, only the one of their imagination - which I guess is true for them since these do not grasp the real meaning of love.
We are to feel loved by God but this is so that He is glorified. This is seen in the following:
- Predestination - Eph 1.5-6
- Creation - Isa 43.6
- Incarnation - Lk 2.10-14
- Salvation - 2 Cor 5.14-15
- Sanctification - Phil 1.9-11
- Propagation - Rom 1.5
- Consummation - 2 Thess 1.9-10
CS Lewis in The Weight of Glory; "'Well done good and faithful servant', and I’m very grateful to those who are sharing the load, the weight and burden of my glory."
Piper gives two answers to “Why does God make so much of us in a way that winds up making much of him?”
- In revealing His love this way, He rescues us from the God belittling idolatry of putting our joy finally in being made much of.
- By revealing His love for us this way, God brings our joy out of self and into the infinite greatness of God and therefore brings us to full and lasting pleasure.
The love of God that makes much of us for His glory is a greater love than a love that would only make much of us. You are precious to Him and the greatest gift He has for you is not to let your preciousness to Him become your God but rather have Him as your God.
No comments:
Post a Comment