What is Valuable?

I suggested on Sunday that we need a new set of values. Our values since the Fall have become so skewed and so utterly shallow that we have no idea what is really good. It's no wonder Paul echoes the psalmist when he says, "There is none who does good, no, not one." We don't even know what that is. I recommended then that we need to acquire God's sense of values. So, what is it that God considers valuable?

Well, it's not a difficult answer, but I'd like to spell it out to make it abundantly clear. First, we have the problem of sin. You know ... all have sinned. What we often miss, however, is why that is such a problem: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). The remedy to sin is grace and mercy, but why does God offer grace and mercy?

Mercy: "Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD'" (Ezek 20:44).

Grace: We have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2).

God deals with our sin by means of grace and mercy. The question, however, is why? Why does He bother to forgive sins? "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake" (1 John 2:12).

God's grace leads us to repentance, and we are saved by faith. For what purpose? Well, Eph 2:10 says we're saved for good works. Why does God lead us to good works? "He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psa 23:3). One of the acts of obedience that is not in question is the Great Commission -- evangelism. Why does God command us to take the gospel to all? "... through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake (Rom 1:5). I could keep asking why, but there is an overarching answer. What is to be the reason for everything we do? "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). Indeed, "everything" there is all-inclusive. Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for persevering in suffering, but not merely for the sake of persevering -- it was because they endured "for My name's sake" (Rev 2:3). According to Jesus, even Peter's method of dying had a purpose: "Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God (John 21:19).

It's very simple. In Ephesians Paul writes that the Father has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 1:3). Why did He do all that? He predestined us to adoption as sons "to the praise of the glory of His grace" (1:5-6). We obtained an inheritance "to the praise of His glory" (1:11-12). We are sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit "to the praise of His glory" (1:13-14). Indeed, there is one and only "highest thing": Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth (Psa 108:5) (see also Psa 57:5,11).

What is God's highest priority? His own glory. All He does is to His glory. There are lots of things we can do to glorify God. All we are to do is to His glory. Scripture tells us that giving thanks will abound to the glory of God (2 Cor 4:15). Confessing that Jesus is Lord glorifies God (Phil 2:11). Obedience in general and sexual purity in particular glorifies God (1 Cor 6:20) (see also Matt 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). Suffering for Christ glorifies God (1 Peter 4:16).

Do you want to share God's value system rather than Man's faulty value system? It's simple. God's glory is God's highest concern. It ought to be ours as well. That kind of top-down value system filters into everything we think, say, or do. It changes perspectives on everything from work to family to Christianity to self. Everything shifts. That's a paradigm we need to adopt.