CHIEF END OF MAN

By Charles Woodruff

Question 1. WHAT is the chief end of man?

Answer. Man’s chief end is to glorify God (1)and enjoy Him forever.(2) (1)1 Cor. 10:31, Rom. 11:36. (2) Psm. 73:25, 26, 27,28.

These words are the beginning of the Westminster Shorter Catechism adopted by the Westminster divines, and the Church of Scotland in 1648. Catechisms and Confessions of Faith that are scriptural can be very useful, especially this one, and the later Baptist one that was essentially the same except for differences in church government and the mode of baptism.If you will notice carefully, and read the scripture references, you will see that this indeed answers the question so many young people, and others as well, have today re: “ Why am I living? What value is my life? Why was I ever born?” The answer is in the Holy Scriptures, my friend, as expounded by this catechism. The chief end, or ultimate purpose of mankind, all mankind, lost or saved (and really all things in the universe), is to glorify God.

Only we that are regenerated are privileged to enjoy Him forever.

To know the ultimate purpose of your life is a blessing and comfort. Saying that our chief end is to glorify God, does not mean we can add anything to His Glory, or any way alter the Eternal God in His Person, Character or Purpose, for He is the Immutable God, i.e., He is unchanging (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). It means as the sheep of His pasture (Psm.100:3), we yield to Him, worship Him, and gladly rest in His divine purpose. He is Lord, and we that are His delight in Him. It is all of His grace (Eph. 2:8,9).

QUOTES FROM SAINTS OF OLD

In Bunyan's Bible it was written, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." John Bunyan- 1628-1688

"The secret formula of the saints: When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines." Samuel Rutherford- 1600-1661

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"Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death. Why shouldst thou be afraid to die, who hopest to live by dying!" William Gurnall- 1617-1679

"God takes a safe course with His children, that they may not be condemned with the world, He permits the world to condemn them, that they may not love the world, the world hates them..."

Richard Sibbes- 1577-1635

“A church has no right to make anything a condition of membership which Christ has not made a condition of salvation." A. A. Hodge- 1823-1886

"We shall find, when we reach the end of life, that all which God has done, however dark and mysterious it may have appeared at the time, was so connected with our good as to make it a proper subject of praise and thanksgiving." Albert Barnes- 1798-1870

"How may I know I'm elect? First, by the Word of God having come in divine power to the soul so that my self-complacency is shattered and my self-righteousness is renounced. Second, by the Holy Spirit convicting me of my woeful, guilty, and lost condition. Third, by having had revealed to me the suitability and sufficiency of Christ to meet my desperate case and by a divinely given faith causing me to lay hold of and rest upon Him as my only hope. Fourth, by the marks of the new nature within me - a love for God; an appetite for spiritual things; a longing for holiness; a seeking after conformity to Christ. Fifth, by the resistance which the new nature makes to the old, causing me to hate sin and loathe myself for it. Sixth, by avoiding everything which is condemned by God's Word and by sincerely repenting of and humbly confessing every transgression. Failure at this point will surely bring a dark cloud over our assurance causing the Spirit to withhold His witness. Seventh, by giving all diligence to cultivate the Christian graces and using all diligence to this end. Thus the knowledge of election is cumulative." A .W. Pink- 1886-1952