In Psalm 25:11, it says “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” Several weeks ago I read over this verse in my quiet time giving it little thought. For some time now, I have been introduced to the idea that God is zealous for his name, and will display his great power in wrath and salvation, to receive glory for His name (read verses 1 Samuel 12:22; 1 Kings 8:41; 2 Chronicles 6:32, Psalm 23:3, 31:3,79:9, 106:8, 109:21, 115:1, 143:11; Isaiah 45:4, 48:8-11, 66:5, Jeremiah 14:7, 14:21; Ezekiel 20:9, 20:14, 20:22, 20:44, 36:22; Daniel 9:19; Matthew 10:22, 19:29). Maybe I have grown to comfortable in my complacency to recognize the weight of this truth; God is zealous for His name.
God Is Zealous For His Name
God is zealous for His name because His name is associated with His glory. Everything He ordains is for the glory of His name; that He may be known among the nations and the heavens as great. Great in power. Great in mercy. Great grace. When I meditate on the fullness of this truth I am compelled to see the God-centeredness of God. I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the significance of this truth in my daily walk. If God is zealous for His glory, and his name represents that glory, than I, bearing the name of his Son, should also be zealous for that glory. And if my life does not reflect zeal for my fathers glory, then I bring shame upon his name.
God reminded me of this truth last week through one of life’s little parables. Last Thursday I made a decision with my football players that was not the wisest. It was not a major mistake, however, it did make a few parents upset. They, deciding not to come to me or my athletic director first, called my super intendment. He of course was not happy and called my athletic director. That Friday I walked into my AD's office and apologized for my mistake. I was wrong in my decision making and made no excuses for it. He was rightfully upset and told me to use a little more common sense when making decisions that are public. In so many words he said to me, “ Everything you do reflects on me. When you make a mistake, it is my name that gets dragged through the mud.” As I thought about our conversation in my car, I felt ashamed for causing my athletic director so much reproach and grief. Growing up in the military, our house was under the same rule; everything we did affected my father. I knew better and should not have been so careless. Then it dawned on me; this is no different than my walk with God.
Be Holy For I am Holy (1 Peter 1:15)
God has called me out of death to enjoy His goodness and majesty through Christ His Son. My heart has been given life and the ability to see the grandeur of Jesus. With that, my selfish ambitions have been afflicted with the constant barrage of soul satisfying truths of my sinful state and God’s greatness; so much so, that I desire to live a holy life. As these desires mount up like a volcano on the verge of eruption, I cannot help but to confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Every true believer cannot help but to go public with their love for their King. We are like Peter, who confidently confesses Jesus as “the Christ of God” before the disciples (Luke 9:18-22). We are the woman who interrupted Jesus’ dinner with a Pharisee, to publicly display her love for her Messiah, by washing His feet with her tears and anointing His head with a fragrant oil (John 7:36-39). Our hearts believe, our mouths confess, and our lives show whom we treasure; namely Jesus.
When we do that, the world looks on and can’t help but to marvel. Part of them is attracted, to some degree, by the mere mystery of the unrecognizable beauty pouring out of a redeemed heart. Their eyes can’t help but to be drawn to the blazing center of a Christians life. The other part of them is repulsed by it. When confronted with the holiness of God, they cannot stand to see who they truly are; totally depraved and without any righteousness. This shatters their self involved moral façade. This in turn brings enmity between those whom God have called into holiness and those who are unregenerate; just as Jesus promises in John 15:18-25.
What does this have to do with my poor decision making?
My athletic director is our head varsity football coach. Though he is over all athletics, football is his specialty. I am a football coach; one of his own, a disciple if you will. I am suppose to act as he would act. My judgments, relating to football, should be directly be in line with what he would do. When ever they are not, in the public eye, he is looked upon as incompetent and without authority. It shows his leadership is weak and unworthy. This gives the critical parents and community members prime opportunity to criticize and mock him. This in turn brings shame.
A believer in Christ is no different. God is our sovereign Lord who is all-knowing, all powerful, all wise, and utterly worthy of our complete adoration. When we live unholy and wretched lives before the lost, we tell the world that God is not all-knowing, not all-powerful, not all- wise, and is certainly not worthy of our complete adoration. When our mouths utter disgusting profanities, when our hearts commit adultery with idol worship and empty sensual promises, when our pursuits are inflated with self ego, when our reputations live only for the praises of men; we say to God, “ You are a liar!” And the world sings a resounding chorus, “Who is the Lord that we should acknowledge Him? Who is the Lord that we should adore Him? His people, whom he has called by His name, are not satisfied in him; why should we be?” This brings shame and mockery to our King.
His Name Is Wonderful!
O Lord, forgive me for being so reckless with your name. Your name, the name that is above all names. The name that every knee will bow to and every mouth will confess as Lord; the name at which the stars tremble at the sound of and the mountains melt like wax in the hearing of; the name at which demons submit to and quake by the authority of, and the name by which men are saved by. O Lord God, you are truth. You are our rock and there is no unrighteousness in You. (Psalm 92:8) O Lord God You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, You cover Yourself with light as with a garment, You who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. May Your glory endure forever; May You rejoice in Your works. You look on the earth, and it trembles; You touch the hills, and they smoke. I will sing to You as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be sweet to You. And may Your name reign gloriously exalted in my life and the lives of my family.(Psalm 104:1-2; 31-34; 19:6)
Brothers and sisters, take joy in the name of our God. It is glorious. Live your life in a manner worthy of the name of Jesus. He is our joy. Our obedience to him is not out of duty but of delight. May the world see him more clearly and preciously through the lenses of our lives.
It is amazing how God, in his infinite wisdom, chooses to reveal his word and my sin through many of my blunders. I am amazed at the ability of Gods word to apply itself to the abundant and diverse circumstances that arise every hour of my day. If the eyes of my heart could recognize the multitude of opportunities to taste and SEE God moving and working, they would never blink.
Be good and God bless.
