The love of God for sinners is not his making much of them, but his graciously freeing and empowering them to enjoy making much of him. As Edwards says, ‘God is their good.’ Therefore if God would do us good, he must direct us to his worth, not ours. The truth that God’s glory and our joy in God are one radically undermines modern views of self-centered love. God-centered grace nullifies the gospel of self-esteem. Today, people typically feel loved if you make much of them and help them feel valued. The bottom line in their happiness is that they are made much of. Edwards observes, with stunning modern relevance, ‘True saints have their minds, in the first place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with … the things of God. But the dependence of the affections of the hypocrites is in a contrary order: they first rejoice … that they are made so much of by God; and then on that ground, he seems in a sort, lovely to them.’ In other words, in his view, the bottom line of happiness is that we are granted to see the infinite beauty of God and make much of him forever. Human beings do, in fact, have more value than the birds (Matt. 6:26). But that is not the bottom line of our happiness. It simply means that we were created to magnify God’s glory by enjoying him in a way birds never can.
John Piper
God’s Passion for His Glory
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