Future Grace Seminar/Session 1: Foundational Passions, Part 1

From Gospel Translations

1. Why Does It Matter?

The Passions Behind Faith in Future Grace

Passion #1: A Passion for the Supremacy of God

Bethlehem's Mission Statement

We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.

Why? God's Zeal for the Supremacy of God

God is infinitely committed to preserving and displaying his glory in all that he does from creation to redemption. And in this commitment we see his zeal and love and satisfaction in his glory.The person that opened my eyes to this Biblical truth was Jonathan Edwards in his amazing book, Dissertation Concerning the End for which God Created the World. There he piles text on text— hundreds of them — to show that God exults in the display of his glory in all that he does from beginning to end.

Jonathan Edwards' Conclusion

For it appears, that all that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God's works, is included in that one phrase, the glory of God; which is the name by which the ultimate end of God's works is most commonly called in Scripture; and seems most aptly to signify the thing (Paragraph 264 in The End for Which God Created the World).

Three Key Biblical Texts to Show God's Passion for His Glory

Isaiah 48:9-11

9 For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, forhow should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

Romans 1:18-23

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became his counselor? 35 Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen

Preliminary Texts to Show that Living By Faith in Future Grace Highlights and Magnifies the Glorious All-Sufficiency of God and so Expresses Our Passion for the Supremacy of God in All Things (By Faith in His Grace, We Get the Help, He Gets the Glory)

Act 17:25

God served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things.

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,and to give His life a ransom for many.

1 Peter 4:11

Whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 4:20

With respect to the promise of God, [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.

Psalm 50:15

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will glorify Me.

Passion # 2 : A Passion for Joy

Is this a Biblical Passion?

Psalm 100:1-2

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

Psalm 32:11

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones, and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Matthew 5:12

Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Philippians 3:1; 4:4

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16

Rejoice always.

1 Peter 4:13

But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.

Is Passion #1 at Odds with Passion #2?

Jonathan Edwards' answer:

God in seeking his glory seeks the good of his creatures, because the emanation of his glory implies the happiness of his creatures. And in communicating his fullness for them, he does it for himself, because their good, which he seeks, is so much in union and communion with himself. God is their good. Their excellency and happiness is nothing but the emanation and expression of God's glory. God, in seeking their glory and happiness, seeks himself, and in seeking himself, i.e. himself diffused...he seeks their glory and happiness (The End for Which God Created the World, paragraph 114)

Thus it is easy to conceive how God should seek the good of the creature even his happiness, from a supreme regard to himself; as his happiness arises from the creature's exercising a supreme regard to God in beholding God's glory, in esteeming and loving it, and rejoicing in it (The End for Which God Created the World, paragraph 277).

God's respect to the creature's good, and his respect to himself, is not a divided respect; but both are united in one, as the happiness of the creature aimed at is happiness in union with himself (The End for Which God Created the World, paragraph 278).

My answer:

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying him forever.

One aim of this course is to show that living by faith in future grace is the way of life that unites passions #1 and #2.