THE SHORTER CATECHISM: Question 1

question: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, (1 Cor 10:31; Rom 11:36) and to enjoy him for ever. (Psalms 73:25–28)

B. B. Warfield explains the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism in his work “THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY AND ITS WORK (Volume VI).”

No Catechism begins on a higher plane than the Westminster “Shorter Catechism.” Its opening question, “What is the chief end of man?” with its answer, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever” — the profound meaning of which Carlyle said grew to him ever fuller and richer with the years — sets the learner at once in his right relation to God. Withdrawing his eyes from himself, even from his own salvation, as the chief object of concern, it fixes them on God and His glory, and bids him seek his highest blessedness in Him.

The Shorter Catechism owes this elevated standpoint, of course, to the purity of its reflection of the Reformed consciousness. To others, the question of questions might be, “What shall I do to be saved?”, and it is on this plane that many, or rather most, of the Catechisms even of the Reformation begin. There is a sort of spiritual utilitarianism, a divine euthumia, at work in this, which determines the whole point of view…

The Westminster divines in this succinct and simple question express that there is a reason for our creation and existence.  Unlike other theologies the divines do not look to man for a purpose they look directly to God and His revelation, in fact the subject of revelation and authority are both addressed in the next questions of the Catechism.

To “glorify God” the divines certainly do not mean that man in any way gives or in any way makes God glorious, as Stephen preached, God is the “God of glory” (Acts 7:2) and He in no way derives glory from man (Job 22:2, 3; WCF II, 2).  To truly glorify God is to in all things, public and private, work and recreation, rest and prayer, to live a life committed to pleasing God.  Richard Baxter explains,

If thou have sincerely given thyself up to God and consented to his covenant, show it by turning the face of thy endeavors and conversation quite another way, and by seeking heaven more fervently and diligently than ever thou soughtest the world, or fleshy pleasures.  Holiness consisteth not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but principally in living unto God. (Christian Directory)

It is natural, that if we are to live out our lives for the glory of God, Question 1 of the Catechism also warns against taking glory for ourselves in anything we do, especially our salvation.  Claims that our feeble and partly works earn our salvation are an insult to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Man centered attempts to deny the sufficiency of grace and the atonement of Christ is to rob the glory properly due Him and is inherently sinful.

~ by gundek on June 5, 2009.