H
Heneni
Guest
We see in scripture that god does things ''for His name's sake''. God delights to have his name known. The first part of the Lord's Prayer is ''Our father which art in heaven HALLOWED be thy name''.
Fame would mean well-known name. So why is god so adamant to be famous? God's commitment to his name produces commitment to his people.
''For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself'' Samuel 2:22
The glory of god goes pretty much unnoticed in this world today, unless through his people (not talking about the natural creation) his reputation, fame and renown is made known. Christianity is the brand of god. We are god's glory gone public.
We see in the OT, that god chose the Israelites precisely for this reason. To make a name for himself. But alas it seemed to have backfired:
Jeremiah 13:11 For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN.
Sooooooo, is god not succeeding at this point in making a name for himself? Well god doesn’t exclusively have to use the chosen and called and elect to make a name for himself. Look at Pharaoh.
In Romans 9:17 we read ''But for this purpose I have caused you to stand to show you my power, so that my name may be declared throughout all the earth''
And did it work? Look at what rahab the harlot says: ''We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt...the lord your god is he who is god in heaven above and on earth beneath''
Joshua knew that god does everything for his name sake and he used that reasoning with god when he said:
''O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR GREAT NAME?''
LOL...he uses gods own desire to have a name to ask for help in time of trouble.
Anyway we know that the Israelites eventually went into captivity, into Babylon. So did god give up on his desire to make a name for himself through his people? Here his people are in captivity. The other people must have wondered what kind of god these Jews have that can’t even save them from exile!
But god had not given up on making a name for himself. He says in Ezekiel 36:
''Thus says the lord your god, it is not for your sake, o house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned amongst the nations to which you came. And I WILL vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among them''
And then....comes Jesus. Who said: ''I have made your name known''. He said just before he was crucified ''Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father save me from this hour? No for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify you name!''
Jesus was perfect to vindicate the name of god that the Israelites had profaned. And he did that.
We see God change tactics in the NT. God does not choose a nation like Israel, which he basically had to birth into existence. He chose another kind of people, those who he would give rebirth. Born of god. Born again. This group of people is hidden in his son. And since his son glorified his father, so would all those who are placed in his son. What kind of people did god choose to make a name for himself? The lowly nobodies of this world.
And so we see that the gentiles are now gods chosen instrument to make a name for himself. This time gods name will be made famous not by people who are not transformed from the inside out, but those who are. First clean the inside of the cup, that the outside might be clean.
Now I know that there are many Christians who profess to be Christians, but it really is only the people who have been put IN Christ who have the transforming power of god in them, to make a name for god. We are the reflection of god’s glory on this earth, and since he is committed to his name, he is absolutely committed to his children. Those who have been chosen to conform into the image of his son, will successfully be transformed from one degree to another, to show forth gods glory in greater degree and make a name for him. God will not fail in this regard.
Why? Because he does all that he does for his name's sake.
And what about the Jews, have they been utterly disposed of for making a name for god? No god will graft them back in, and they too will bring honor to his name.
And what about the rest............ well, pharaoh made a name for god. It seems like god is going to make a name for himself any which way you look at it!
His glory shall be known ALL over the earth. It will happen, for HIS name sake.
Fame would mean well-known name. So why is god so adamant to be famous? God's commitment to his name produces commitment to his people.
''For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself'' Samuel 2:22
The glory of god goes pretty much unnoticed in this world today, unless through his people (not talking about the natural creation) his reputation, fame and renown is made known. Christianity is the brand of god. We are god's glory gone public.
We see in the OT, that god chose the Israelites precisely for this reason. To make a name for himself. But alas it seemed to have backfired:
Jeremiah 13:11 For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN.
Sooooooo, is god not succeeding at this point in making a name for himself? Well god doesn’t exclusively have to use the chosen and called and elect to make a name for himself. Look at Pharaoh.
In Romans 9:17 we read ''But for this purpose I have caused you to stand to show you my power, so that my name may be declared throughout all the earth''
And did it work? Look at what rahab the harlot says: ''We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt...the lord your god is he who is god in heaven above and on earth beneath''
Joshua knew that god does everything for his name sake and he used that reasoning with god when he said:
''O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR GREAT NAME?''
LOL...he uses gods own desire to have a name to ask for help in time of trouble.
Anyway we know that the Israelites eventually went into captivity, into Babylon. So did god give up on his desire to make a name for himself through his people? Here his people are in captivity. The other people must have wondered what kind of god these Jews have that can’t even save them from exile!
But god had not given up on making a name for himself. He says in Ezekiel 36:
''Thus says the lord your god, it is not for your sake, o house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned amongst the nations to which you came. And I WILL vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among them''
And then....comes Jesus. Who said: ''I have made your name known''. He said just before he was crucified ''Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father save me from this hour? No for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify you name!''
Jesus was perfect to vindicate the name of god that the Israelites had profaned. And he did that.
We see God change tactics in the NT. God does not choose a nation like Israel, which he basically had to birth into existence. He chose another kind of people, those who he would give rebirth. Born of god. Born again. This group of people is hidden in his son. And since his son glorified his father, so would all those who are placed in his son. What kind of people did god choose to make a name for himself? The lowly nobodies of this world.
And so we see that the gentiles are now gods chosen instrument to make a name for himself. This time gods name will be made famous not by people who are not transformed from the inside out, but those who are. First clean the inside of the cup, that the outside might be clean.
Now I know that there are many Christians who profess to be Christians, but it really is only the people who have been put IN Christ who have the transforming power of god in them, to make a name for god. We are the reflection of god’s glory on this earth, and since he is committed to his name, he is absolutely committed to his children. Those who have been chosen to conform into the image of his son, will successfully be transformed from one degree to another, to show forth gods glory in greater degree and make a name for him. God will not fail in this regard.
Why? Because he does all that he does for his name's sake.
And what about the Jews, have they been utterly disposed of for making a name for god? No god will graft them back in, and they too will bring honor to his name.
And what about the rest............ well, pharaoh made a name for god. It seems like god is going to make a name for himself any which way you look at it!
His glory shall be known ALL over the earth. It will happen, for HIS name sake.