What is the chief end of man?
"All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name"
Psalm 86:9
&
"And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."
Luke 2:10
Recently I have been taking on the Westminster Shorter Catechism going through question by question. As defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary catechism is "specifically: a summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answer." This is a document many refer to in order to better understand the Christain faith along with the world around us. I say the world around us because the Bible does answer these large questions. Deep stuff to say the least. Thinking deep thoughts about God is the greatest use for the mind. To think deeply upon God whom's depth has no beginning nor end. Man's mind dwindles with age. Forgetting more, can't seem to say anything right. The energy exerted at times will become greatly dispensed just to utter a cognitive sentence. Mind slips away with time. My desire is to think upon The Unfathomable yet the One who can also be known. What better historical document one could turn to, which is loaded with Scripture references regarding life’s big questions. Pondering the Scriptures in relation to these questions is what I desire to do with those who read along with me.
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever
"All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you," (v.9)
David utters the prophetic words in the midst of a prayer "Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me" (Psalm 86:1). He pleas for mercy (v.2), he has confidence that God will answer "For You will answer me" (v.7). In prayer, there is at times a lacking of confidence like "does this even matter to You!?" one may cry. Like the song from NF "O Lord do you see us down here? O Lord", the confidence is that He will answer. A person would not even think to call upon a God whom he or she does not trust in. To call is an act of trust. To answer NF's question; Yes the LORD does see us down here. We see the work of His hand, how often we should have perished yet we remain. Intricately God creates in a way where eyes become entranced by a waterfall, or the cooing of the gulls soothe the soul as ocean mist drapes upon the brow.
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| (Colorado Springs) |
Based on who we are should we be enjoying any of this? Why is there beauty to begin with? For God is the quintessential beauty. Even though His creation turns from Him God returns to His creatures with savory delights beyond comprehension. Moments wished to last a lifetime becoming a glorious memory. What's the heart doing in the minute glimpses of heaven on earth? This heart says in prayer with the Psalmist "Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works." (v.8).
Yet in spite of these wonderful sights that can take the breath away, the devil deadens the conscious or turns our minds to worship of that which God created. Using terminology like "good energy", "good vibes", "I'm feeling this", or it becomes meaningless, the phone becomes more interesting than the mountain underfoot. God speaks, man rationalizes and doesn't care. God provides in unexpected ways and it is speculated away, using terminology like "luck", "coincidence" and "chance". "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21). Growing up my dear friend who lived next door told me when I was in middle school that his mom didn't want me over for dinner because I never said the crucial phrase "thank you." This was a wake-up call for me, never crossed my mind I was so rude, me not saying thank you perhaps had kept me from a closer friendship with his parents. God has bestowed upon all a great bounty of delights here on this planet yet billions never have given Him thanks. Despite the thanks or lack, thereof a day of reckoning will come at a time we least expect it. A reckoning with all nations, in contrast with the multiplicity of nationalities that will worship before His nail-pierced feet in abundant joy.
People from all nations have been drawn by the Spirit of Christ, and have embraced His cross. They like the shepherds were encountered by something more supernatural than an angel but by the Holy Spirit. Who dwelt within the God-Man and given by Him. An angel announced the birth of Jesus to impoverished workers who neither had time nor money, for the sheep are most difficult to manage due to their tiny brains. These uncharacteristic characters were God's honorable guests
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| (Mitch Park Edmond Oklahoma) |
"And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:10-14)
What unifies these new-born citizens of heaven? It is the blood of Jesus which unites them to Himself, forgiving them of all sin by the Sin-Bearer Himself who stepped off His throne to pay the penalty for our sin, willingly. This whom all nations must look to.
"looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
(Hebrews 12:2)
Please leave a comment and study along with me as I meditate upon the Scripture proofs regarding each question in the Westminster Catechism. A strategy that will help is to pick one verse from the A section and one from the B section of each question. Then to study them, ponder them, and perhaps commit them to memory, find other resources like commentaries that may help aid you in getting a better understanding of the Passage. https://opc.org/documents/SCLayout.pdf
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