Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Question 1:
Late last fall, after I had first proposed this series to the elders, I began to take stock of my library
to prepare for this grand and glorious series of outlining the systematic orthodox teachings of our
holy faith. I had not studied that part of my library since coming before Presbytery to be ordained
in 1989. Since then, like Luther's ink spot on the wall of his study where he "spied" the devil
keeping him from the awesome task of translating the Vulgate to his common German tongue, I
discovered that two of my most valuable assets had been devilishly sabotaged by severe water
stains. Providentially, the most valuable of those works, Green's Harmony of the Westminster
Presbyterian Standards, was least affected. That is a very rare book indeed, which I had
rescued from the unwanted books in my Seminary bookstore years ago for a mere fifty cents.
The other book by Thomas Watson was the worse for wear, I had to search for a more modern
copy and I happily discovered that there were two additional volumes to his set that I had never
known about!
Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.
In 1692 when Thomas Watson studied this series with his people, he had an advantage which I do not have. In his time, much as it is in evangelical circles in the former Soviet Union, any minister who couldn't preach for two to three hours on any given subject was no minister that the people would pay attention to!
Earlier this morning we focused our Proverbial studies on Man's Chief Interest. I hope that you appreciate that the erotic lusts of our fallen nature would indeed take us the opposite direction of this in depth study of the purpose of mankind in the Catechism's first question. Years ago, when I was a Chaplain's assistant, I copied a cartoon into the weekly bulletin. In it were a couple of plants who wondered if popping up, pollinating and passing on was all there really was to their short season of life. When ever I can, I encourage my students to consider if their earthy interests are really all they think they are? Isn't there really a more important purpose to mankind than growing up, breeding and passing on? Unfortunately, there are too many who think that that purpose is all they have hope for, so they eat, drink and are merry for they know that perhaps tomorrow or the day after they shall die.
How tragic is the society that seeks that end, but even a whole generation devoted to those youthful pursuits is now approaching middle age and with the exceptions of some of our high placed leaders, the baby boomers are beginning to wrestle with the pear shaped body of mid-life, the fact of wrinkles and the finity of earthly life We can only hope and pray that within God's providence, that whole generation who came of age in the sixties will turn from their rebellious ways as earnestly as they grasped the social revolution of their youth! Not only can their children and grandchildren profit from the study of mankind's purpose, but so can all of those who were once enticed and drawn away from their Father's house be prodigally welcomed home again in God's good time.
In looking at the biblical implications for the purpose of mankind, Thomas Watson outlined several key points of which we should be aware. The outline that we shall follow is his, the examples and emphases are mine insofar as my poor words explain a baby boomers lifetime of trying to leave the world behind in order to follow the Lord of life who kept me from the worst experiences of the last generation. Watson's general outline highlights the following three points:
From our proof texts printed in the bulletin we see the two ends commended to us by the Westminster Divines. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 we read "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." This theme is repeated in Romans 11:36 "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Now these passages are related to the theme statement for our congregation where our sign out front invites the world to "make every thought captive to the word of God". Of that we are mostly comfortable, we understand that in the process of sanctification we must strive more and more to put on Christ so that we are better able to reflect His greater glory to the world that we live in.1. The two ends of life commended to us.
2. What does it mean for us to glorify our Lord?
3. How may we enjoy our Lord in this life and in the life to come?
The second commendation of enjoyment which we find outlined in Psalm 73: 25-28 is more difficult, especially so when we watch the wholesale gratification of the worldly enjoyment of their lustful zest in living life to the fullest before they pass on. Before we close in on the difficulties of the second commendation, let us consider the first by studying what it means for us to glorify our Lord. Watson suggests in fourteen pages of close observation that "glorifying God consists in four things: 1. Appreciation, 2. Adoration, 3. Affection, [and] 4. Subjection".
One of life's greatest challenges in the public schools in our time is to get the younger generation to quit flirting with one another long enough to learn to appreciate the wisdom of our literary heritage and social experiences. Life is and always has been hard and challenging and from the very earliest time, the older humans in the family, tribe, clan and kingdom would pass along the wisdom of the ages so that those who would listen might learn essential lessons with less pain and effort.
In times past, when life wasn't as carefully ordered to keep people from accidentally learning hard lessons, children and even adults were more likely to pay attention to the lessons of their elders. Was it easier when more adults admitted that they, along with everyone else were under the authority of our God and His revealed Word? At least some of my student charges have learned the hard way that having babies forces them to grow up earlier than they might want so that they can become responsible adults. Those hard lessons make them appreciate that being adult is not as easy as it looks. An even harder lesson to teach and learn is to appreciate what God has done in and through the created order and in His providential care for even the tiniest details of our life.
I remember the one young lady who upon learning that she was pregnant immediately sought forgiveness, and began going to a church, she even gave up smoking, drinking and light drugs so as enhance the life of the one expected nine months later. She really cleaned up her act and if that baby's health had depended entirely upon here newly "sanctified" life, it would have been so healthy to defy expectations. Tragically, the baby died within three days of being born. "Why", she wondered while all of the other babies being born to druggies, alcoholics and such were alive, kicking and crying. "Why", she wondered, "didn't God approve of the changes she had made in her life?" Another teacher and her pastor worked her through the greatest challenge to her new Christian faith. She had to learn the hard way, that God is sovereign and every blessing in life is a gift from His gracious hand, her faith, her health and the life of her child were all in His hand. Once we finally appreciate that everything we have and are is a gift from Him, we can learn to glorify Him in that appreciation.
The second aspect in glorifying God consists in our worshipful adoration when we regularly give Him the glory due His Name! Why is it that so much of the modern church having learned the necessity of appreciation fails to practice weekly adoration each and every Lord's Day. A person once asked me if I noticed how slow the World Wide Web processors were late Sunday mornings. Another person once asked me if I had seen a very important television broadcast another Sunday morning years ago. In both cases I had to answer that what they had mentioned was beyond my experience since I have almost always been in Church every Sunday morning for the last forty-nine years. I think I have missed Church through travel or sickness about two dozen times in that entire time! This lesson of adoration is one that I learned first, long before I understood the other three. By our absence in the highways and byways of life during these hours, we tell our friends and neighbors that the Lord God of heaven and earth has a higher claim on our lives than any other activity. It is a special day, a special time set aside since the dawn of creation to worship the God and Father of creation and to adore all His works and all His ways in bringing us and many sons and daughters to the glory of kinship in Jesus Christ.
The third aspect in glorifying God is granting Him the affection to which He is due. But let us be careful, we are not to love God because He blesses us. Then we would be loving the blessing instead of Him. Followers of the prosperity gospel miss the point. They do not prosper because they love God, but they do love God because they prosper! Just as the supposedly "out dated marriage vows once proclaimed the necessity of love in good times as well as in bad, so are we to love our God in the midst of any and all circumstances. I have noticed over the years that even children whose Father's are absent or abusive still tend to have some affection for them if they have not been purposely trained to hate them.
The fourth aspect in glorifying God is when we dedicate ourselves to God and stand ready for His service day in and day out. This loving subjection in earnest obedience is difficult some times in the face of wicked opposition, but as the old Covenantor martyrs learned, as they flocked around the old blue banner dedicated to Christ's Crown and Covenant, God is faithful and just in bringing many sons and daughters into glory when they glorify Him with their very lives. "Faithful unto death" runs the old refrain by which the memory of the martyrs is glorious even as God is glorified by our steadfast commitment to obey Him in our day.
We come at long last to the aspect of enjoyment commended to us by the old Catechism. Turn with me to verses 25 to 28 in Psalm Seventy-three. "Whom have I in heaven but you?" the psalm begins. Years ago, I had to preach a funeral for an infant who died within the first few weeks of life. For a text I turned to David's life where David realized that the child could not come to Him, but he at long last could go to be with the child. This was the passage that I advised my friend to share with the young lady I mentioned earlier. If in the process of life, our loved ones cross over to the other life, and we earnestly desire to be with them for eternity, so may we like Paul who wanted to go home and be with the Lord, still be content in this life serving our Lord and our God. Yes, as we grow older, very many people whom we love go to be with the Lord. In their living we have learned where their affections, adoration, appreciation and obedience were focused. And in that glorious reflection of the greater love of God we can eagerly anticipate the eternal glory of heaven in His presence and then all the more earnestly learn the lessons commended to us in this life as we prepare for the next.
One hint that you may notice as you are being prepared for glory is that you have less interest in the passing scenes of the worldly parade. There was a time when I couldn't live without knowing the latest news of the day and the week. As time has passed, I no longer lust after the latest news story and search for all the known details. I guess I have seen enough life to know that all of this is vain glory. Perhaps I should rephrase that to say that I finally know enough of Christ our Lord and the work of our Father in the providence of History that I no longer need the fix of human observations. Uncle Walter and Edward R Murrow had their moments in my youth, but God is more interesting and He never ever disappoints us if we are in tune with His providence and will.
Oh, and by the way, regarding the more likely lusts of human experience. A few years ago I met one of the most beautiful teenagers of my youth, the young lady all the young men talked about! She was only in her forties and time had not been kind to her at all. She had the wrinkles of a ninety-year old. At the time, we should have known because she truly was her mother's daughter. Like her and several other classmates who are gone, the psalmist says it all: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ... I will tell of all your deeds".
Have you ever seen Grandma's brag book with all the grandchildren in it? Isn't it wonderful how grandmothers enjoy the little ones? May we learn to take the brag book given to us and show the world all the wonderful things that our Lord and our God has done throughout time. And may the reflected glory of our testimony give us joy in this life while we prepare for the next.
Resources Used:
Green, James B. A Harmony of the Westminster Presbyterian Standards.
(PCA) The Confession of Faith: The Shorter Catechism.
Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity, 10 Commandments & Lord's Prayer
Places Preached:
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 132049 -- Columbus, OH 43213-8049
WSC001 14 April 96
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