There are few guarantees in life. You aren’t guaranteed your next meal. You aren’t guaranteed to make a lot of money. You aren’t guaranteed to have people think highly of you. Many would disagree with me in this and point to the provision of God to take care of His children — I would give a resounding “AMEN. Yes He does!” But God’s greatest work in taking care of His children was by the cross of Christ that made a way for us to become children of God through adoption and secure for us a home in heaven. Indeed, our beloved John the Baptist was described by Jesus Christ this way: “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). John the Baptist was beheaded and humiliated on a whim and God’s plan never wavered for a moment in that event. So if we aren’t guaranteed even “life” in this life, what can we bank on as a guarantee? Here is the greatest guarantee God gives that has been so persistent and permeating in my life.
God is dedicated to His glory.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
And again, referring specifically to Jesus Christ, Paul writes
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)
Both verses plainly state God’s intentions — that everything is from God and everything is for God. He doesn’t need a new car, so what could God desire us to be for Him? Simply for His value to be seen and treasured as it is. God is supremely valuable and our word to describe that acknowledgement is “glory”. God has made a plan wrapped around His glory that we see from Genesis to Revelation and in our own lives. This is how He graciously brings us into that plan:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:28-31).
Why would a God who is so dedicated to His glory “work together for good” “all things” “for those who are called”? Because those who are called, are called according to His purpose! Our salvation is for the purpose of God’s glory; that is, our acknowledgment of how valuable He is in our thoughts, words, actions, feelings, and relationships. So, we can see it is true that God is dedicated to His glory. A guarantee is a truth that we place our trust in. The guarantee that God will always be dedicated to His glory first and foremost is the superior guarantee of this life, because even while God does not need us to be complete and happy, He chooses to bring us along in His plan.
Ask yourself these questions over the next few days:
What are the things in which you place your trust?
Do you see yourself as a part of God’s plan to give Himself glory through your salvation and sanctification?
Do you see yourself being “conformed to the image of His Son”? That is, are you more like Jesus today than you were last week?
Do you delight in God’s guarantee “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Pastor Ben