God's Glory

In Sunday School last week, our lesson was on God and Him getting glory for the things He does. One of the questions posed to us during the lesson was "Is God vain because He has to have glory?" It was a really deep question, and though I think my group was able to answer it pretty well, I want to see what you guys would say. Is God vain because He's so concerned with getting His own glory?

No, it's not vain. God needs to be concerned about his own glory. Since God is the most glorious and best thing in the universe, it is logical that He should be concerned with His glory. If He was concerned with someone or something's glory more than His own, that object would become the most glorious and best thing in the universe and God wouldn't be God.

Do the guys have anything to say on this? If your answer is just going to be "yes" or "no" then you don't have to post it. Only post what you think about the topic.

Pastor Hanson has said that the thought or appearance( if you will) of God being concerned about his glory seems arrogant. BUT! He went into more detail about it one day Wed. also. It seems like it may look like God is arrogant(an example that Hanson used), but really, he is the highest power. So, He has to upheld himself always. Sorry, If I just about copied you exactly, Esther.lol...It was better than saying no or yes.lol

WiserStealth wrote:Pastor Hanson has said that the thought or appearance( if you will) of God being concerned about his glory seems arrogant. BUT! He went into more detail about it one day Wed. also. It seems like it may look like God is arrogant(an example that Hanson used), but really, he is the highest power. So, He has to upheld himself always. Sorry, If I just about copied you exactly, Esther.lol...It was better than saying no or yes.lol

I wasn't there. But I like Esther's answer, and Andrews revision of Esthers answer.

I had a similar conversation recently with a friend. "Is the statement, 'God is the most selfish entity in the universe' inaccurate, he asked."

On one side, the entire reason He created us was to worship Him. In fact, the entire universe exists solely to glorify Him. But that argument's voided when we remember the element of free will. He didn't create us mindless slaves, and He didn't force us to follow a list of rules. Rather, he explains to us right and wrong, and -asks- us to choose right.

"I have placed before you life and death, choose life."

He's basically saying, I'm giving you this choice. If you want, you can serve yourself and try to find satisfaction your own way. Or, you could drop what you're doing and follow me, and I -really- suggest you choose the later for your own good.

After all, what could I, a mortal human, possibly give an all powerful, all knowing, all mighty eternal Being that's of any worth or value to Him, except for choosing to follow Him out of my own accord.

And hell, even if you find some flaw in my thinking, He's God, the one who spoke the damned universe into existance. I think He's entitled to a little thankyou, if not our lives.

TheFairMaiden wrote:One of the questions posed to us during the lesson was "Is God vain because He has to have glory?"

I forgot to do this on my last post.

God doesn't -need- anything we have to offer. He existed infinity before this world was created, and He'll exist an infinity after it's gone. Just going back to my point that He instructs and -asks- us to worship Him.

I really need to start getting all my facts into a single post and quit double posting.

Something I stated during our caregroups about God being selfish, was that God is God. He is not like us, we are like Him. He may view selfishness differently than we do. To say God is selfish, is to say God is like us. We compare Him to us instead of comparing us to Him. Since we are far from being on the same level as God, to compare Him to us, or mentally bring Him to our level isn't right. What do you think about that?

I think its kind of weird. No, we're not on the same level, true. But if we think of selfishness as a desire for self then selfishness in humanity isn't all bad. But even if it is trying to place oneself above others, God has EVERY right to do so. God is God, so God HAS to be concerned with His will or 'selfish' desires. If he were concerned with something else more than Himself, He wouldn't be God. I think it's kind of redundant if you agree that for God to be God, God must be concerned about His glory.