Pleasing God – Why it Matters
In the introduction message of R.C. Sproul’s 6-Part Teaching Series about Pleasing God, we are reminded of the overall goal of Christian living. Our purpose is to glorify God, so our every action must be intentional in bringing him honor and praise. This includes our interactions and relationships with others, how we use our gifts and the opportunities we are granted by God. This is true even of adversity and trials we are given.So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – I Cor. 10:31Sproul further explains that we should live our whole lives in the face of God (Coram Deo) – meaning we should live it not under a veil of secrecy or darkness, but that it should be done in the full presence of God, under the authority of God, to the honor and glory of God.
When we are pleasing God, we are in relationship with him, seeking our divine calling and imitating his love for our neighbors.
Pleasing God by Pursuing our Calling
The idea of a personal calling from God has been explored often at 1Glories. That’s because the pursuit of your personal divine calling pleases God. God is the great provider, granting us all we need to live according to the Bible. In his grace, he gives what he commands and is pleased by the results of that (Hebrews 13:20-21). The results are you and me living out our faith daily, loving one another and using the gifts he’s knitted into us.Pleasing God by our Relationship with Him
It might sound a bit corny, but God desires to be your friend. This is because friends gain pleasure from being in one another’s company. Aaron was called God’s friend in 2 Chronicles 20:7 as well as in other places of scripture. Christ referred to his disciples as his friends in Luke 12:4. So, what does it mean to be a friend? As I think about my life, I have many people with whom I have seen come in and out of it. I have a ton of people I am connected to on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other networks, both online and off. I have coworkers and fellow members of groups. None of them are friends. They are mere acquaintances. Most have no idea where I live, what I enjoy, my hobbies or my ambitions. They are not my friends. Admittedly, I do keep some (most) people at an arm’s distance, and that’s an area I need to work on. God wants to be more than an acquaintance. He has no desire to be kept at an arm’s distance. He desires to be your friend. Being a friend of God is pleasing God.Pleasing God by Imitating His Deeds
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. – Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)
If you are imitators of God, give, for He is always giving. Give, for if He were not to give, our lives would end. Give, for He gives unto all men liberally and upbraids not, and every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Be you imitators of God, the constant, generous Giver, who spared not His own Son. (C.H. Spurgeon)Even Christ, in his absolute perfection, lived to please God and did so as an imitator of his father. In a similar way, albeit on a much smaller scale, we strive to imitate our own earthly fathers. For us to be imitators of God, though, we have to follow Christ’s example. That also means knowing God and his ways. And how do we do that? We spend time in prayer, studying the Word, being relational with others. We must make the time to be with God - on our own and in community with others - and to know him.
Pleasing God with Christ as Our Example
And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. – 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT)
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