Damned for the Glory of God

Our session is engaged in a year of spiritual development, to learn how to be more godly leaders. As part of this process, each month one elder provides a statement of faith to help the rest of us learn more about his or her faith. At one of our recent meetings an elder said, “I love Jesus so much that I can hardly wait to get to heaven so that I can see him face to face.” This comment stuck with me because it was so different from what I normally hear. People tell me that they look forward to the joys and blessings of heaven. They say that they’re looking forward to seeing loved ones who have died. Will heaven be a place of joy and blessing? Absolutely. Will we be reunited with loved ones there? I think so. But these are not the reasons for our hope of heaven, any more than the reason for having school is for children to ride in yellow buses and eat in the cafeteria. School is for learning, and heaven is for us to be in Christ’s presence.

At times we are guilty of what I call a “mercenary faith:” following God so that we can receive blessings from him. There’s no doubt that God blesses his people. But if that’s our reason for being Christian, we’re missing a vital part of our faith. The focus of Christianity is upon bringing glory to Christ, not upon getting blessings from him.

The story is told of a young Presbyterian candidate for ministry who was interviewed by a presbytery a couple centuries ago. Unfortunately for the candidate, there was a crotchety old preacher in the assembly who loved to ask candidates a tough question: “Would you be willing to be damned for the glory of God?” The bright young man, who had been told to expect the question, had a ready reply. “I am. And I am also willing to damn you, and to damn this whole presbytery!” According to the story, the young man was approved for ministry on the spot, and the old preacher never asked his question again.

How about you? Would you be willing to be damned for the glory of God? It’s a ludicrous question, of course, because it’s inconceivable to imagine how God would receive any benefit from the damnation of any of his beloved children. However, it raises a matter that all of us should take seriously. The true question is: Are we more focused upon the good stuff that we get from God, or upon the things we can do to honor and praise him? This is what Jesus calls us to when he tells us to take up our cross and follow him. This is what Jesus himself did in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he turned away from a life of popularity and power in order to accept the bitter cup that brought glory to God.

The blessings of the Christian life may be what leads us to the Lord in the first place. But if we never move beyond it, something is sorely lacking.