The glory of God in Jesus Christ

In my first post, I briefly discussed why I'm a wannabe Puritan, and I listed six gifts the Puritans have left us that I would like to explore. The first of these gifts is a consuming passion for the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

You see it regardless of whom you are reading, from Richard Sibbes to John Owen to Stephen Charnock to John Bunyan to Jonathan Edwards. The Puritans are tough to follow sometimes, with their run-on sentences and their vocabulary that is at times unfamiliar to us. But it's there. And you see it in their theological descendants such as C. H. Spurgeon, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, J. I. Packer, and John Piper. There is a sense of wonder at the glory of God, a simultaneous reverent fear and an awestruck joy at standing before the consuming holiness of a God who took on human nature and died for us so that we could share His holiness and joy. The same Jonathan Edwards who preached Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God also preached a sermon entitled Heaven Is a World of Love. The same John Owen who wrote, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you" also wrote of Christ, "Consider his mercifulness, tenderness, and kindness, as He is our great High Priest at the right hand of God." Robert M'Cheyne wrote, For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in His beams." The Westminster divines wrote that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. John Piper modified that ever so slightly to say that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. I would like to think that the Westminster divines would have agreed.

Getting distracted comes easy to most of us. Entertainment options abound. Hours spent at work climb. Family obligations call. Even in the church, we can drown in a sea of programs and services and meetings. But in the midst of my busyness, the words of Psalm 73:25 echo in my mind: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

A consuming passion for the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. I want to settle for nothing less. I hope you will settle for nothing less. And the Puritans can help guide us.