The glory of God

John W. Loftus said:

“The over-all purpose was the bet itself for God's selfish glory. But what glory does it bring God when he treats people like that? Such a God as that deserves no respect. It's called creating God in the image of an ancient potentate who does whatever he wills with his peon subjects. Forest....trees. Only see the trees.”

Both Jason and I have been over this ground before. Jason may well have his own way of expressing himself.

Speaking for myself, the “bet” is not “for” God’s “selfish” glory. God is not the beneficiary.

If God were doing this for his own benefit (a nonsensical notion), then there would be no need to reveal the “bet” or manifest his glory.

The reason that God discloses himself in his glorious wisdom, mercy, might, and justice, is for the benefit of his people.

If God is the highest good, and if all earthly goods merely exemplify his surpassing goodness, then it enriches our lives to experience the multifaceted goodness of God in the revelation of his wisdom and might, mercy and justice.

God is the object of glorification, but the objective of divine glorification is in order that his people might glory in the goodness of God. As one writer has said:

“The objective which God had in view with predestination is the magnification of himself in his grace, mercy, and justice. This should not be understood to mean that anything can be added tot he glory of God, but rather that angels and men, in perceiving and acknowledging this glory, would enjoy felicity,” Wilhelm a Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service (Soli Deo Gloria 1992), 1:214.

“The purpose of election is the glorification of God. This is not to add glory to him, for he is perfect, but to reveal all his glorious perfections which manifest themselves in the work of redemption, to angels and men, in order that in reflecting upon them felicity may be experienced,” ibid. 219.

Once again, apostates like Loftus demonstrate why they were never more than nominal believers. For they never had more than a skin-deep grasp of the faith—which is why they fell away.