Comments on: More than Nothing http://edchao.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/more-than-nothing/ "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh 8:10 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:38:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Matthew Hauck http://edchao.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/more-than-nothing/#comment-1404 Matthew Hauck Tue, 12 May 2009 00:34:05 +0000 http://edchao.wordpress.com/?p=544#comment-1404 Ed, might you be working under a false assumption that humans must be worth something in order for us to find true joy? John Piper asks the question this way: "Do you feel most loved by God because He makes much of you, or because He frees you to enjoy making much of Him forever?" (Brothers We are Not Professionals, 16) It is part of the age we live in that joy is found in valuing the self. For our age, being loved = being valued. God's love, however, does not consist in making much of us, but rather in freeing us to make much of him. Edwards, in The End For Which God Created the World, which I know you've read, says God has one chief and ultimate end, though it is composite: The glory of God / love for man. These are not two ends, but one. His glory is too good to be kept in and thus, for his glory's sake, communicates goodness to his redeemed; and yet this is simultaneously the supreme act of love, since it gives us access to the infinite glory of God. Or, as Piper has rephrased it: "God is more glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him." The value of living life is not found in value in ourselves, but in the value of knowing the eternal God. We are nothing, and this magnifies God's love. Any dignity humans have (less so in a fallen state, more so in a redeemed state), is just a manifestation of our being made in the image of God, thus it points back to him anyway. Our song forever will be of his mercy in loving grasshoppers like us, not of our greatness. Ed, might you be working under a false assumption that humans must be worth something in order for us to find true joy?

John Piper asks the question this way: “Do you feel most loved by God because He makes much of you, or because He frees you to enjoy making much of Him forever?” (Brothers We are Not Professionals, 16)

It is part of the age we live in that joy is found in valuing the self. For our age, being loved = being valued. God’s love, however, does not consist in making much of us, but rather in freeing us to make much of him.

Edwards, in The End For Which God Created the World, which I know you’ve read, says God has one chief and ultimate end, though it is composite: The glory of God / love for man. These are not two ends, but one. His glory is too good to be kept in and thus, for his glory’s sake, communicates goodness to his redeemed; and yet this is simultaneously the supreme act of love, since it gives us access to the infinite glory of God. Or, as Piper has rephrased it: “God is more glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.”

The value of living life is not found in value in ourselves, but in the value of knowing the eternal God. We are nothing, and this magnifies God’s love. Any dignity humans have (less so in a fallen state, more so in a redeemed state), is just a manifestation of our being made in the image of God, thus it points back to him anyway. Our song forever will be of his mercy in loving grasshoppers like us, not of our greatness.

]]> By: Harrison http://edchao.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/more-than-nothing/#comment-1403 Harrison Mon, 11 May 2009 18:21:48 +0000 http://edchao.wordpress.com/?p=544#comment-1403 We were nothing. Now we are not. Our value isn't in who we are, but who we know (and how much He paid for us to know Him). God sacrificed Himself for His own glory, but also for our good. He didn't do it because we were worth it, but by paying that high a price for us, He's made us to be valuable. We've been transformed from worthless to valuable because of His love and care. Now our worth should be found in knowing and having a relationship with the great God of the universe. Jeremiah 9:23-24 23 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. And if you want to see how excited God is that you're part of His family, read the parables of the lost sheep, the 10 coins, or the prodigal son. If He were not God, the love, care, and value He places on us would be undignified. Because He is God, it's the definition of what love, care, and value are. Notice the celebrations described in each of those parables -- they're celebrations over the lost ones who are found -- particularly in the prodigal son. And check out Zephaniah 3:17, The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. God is specifically speaking about Israel in this passage, but it still amazes me that God will sing about His people. The idea of God rejoicing over people, God exulting over them with singing...it blows my mind and changes my thoughts of Him. If you want to know you're valuable, look at who God has made you, and how He rejoices over the fact that you're His. You don't get any of the credit, you can't take pride in yourself, but our God knows you, loves you, and rejoices over your relationship with Him in ways that seem unbecoming a King. We were nothing. Now we are not. Our value isn’t in who we are, but who we know (and how much He paid for us to know Him). God sacrificed Himself for His own glory, but also for our good. He didn’t do it because we were worth it, but by paying that high a price for us, He’s made us to be valuable. We’ve been transformed from worthless to valuable because of His love and care. Now our worth should be found in knowing and having a relationship with the great God of the universe.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.

And if you want to see how excited God is that you’re part of His family, read the parables of the lost sheep, the 10 coins, or the prodigal son. If He were not God, the love, care, and value He places on us would be undignified. Because He is God, it’s the definition of what love, care, and value are. Notice the celebrations described in each of those parables — they’re celebrations over the lost ones who are found — particularly in the prodigal son. And check out Zephaniah 3:17,

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

God is specifically speaking about Israel in this passage, but it still amazes me that God will sing about His people. The idea of God rejoicing over people, God exulting over them with singing…it blows my mind and changes my thoughts of Him.

If you want to know you’re valuable, look at who God has made you, and how He rejoices over the fact that you’re His. You don’t get any of the credit, you can’t take pride in yourself, but our God knows you, loves you, and rejoices over your relationship with Him in ways that seem unbecoming a King.

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