JORDAN QUINLEY
Redeemer Catechism Series, Question 1
I recently had the privilege of joining Colleen Tinker and Nicki Stevenson on the Former Adventist Podcast for a great discussion about law, covenant, the Ten Commandments, catechesis, and about the catechism that I authored, called the Redeemer Catechism. For those not familiar with catechisms, a catechism is a simple tool to help teach fundamental tenets of doctrine, laid out as a series of questions and answers.
Since I also contribute occasionally to the Proclamation! blog, I asked about doing a commentary on the Redeemer Catechism questions as a series of blog posts. At 87 questions in length, the Redeemer Catechism is shorter than most, but will still take a long time to work through. During that period, it will guide us through a wide range of Christian teaching that I hope will be edifying and fruitful.
Q1: What is the meaning of life?
A1: Our highest purpose is to glorify God in the exaltation of Christ, delighting in him forever.
God’s Glory
The famous opening question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The question is asking us to consider why we’re even here. What is the point of it all? How is existence to be defined and oriented? The Bible teaches that God is the source of and reason for all things. First Corinthians 8:6 tells us that “there is but one God, the Father … for whom we live” and in chapter 10 says that whatever we do should be done for the glory of God. Indeed, Romans 11:36 reminds us that not only we ourselves, but all things are made for God, so to him be the glory forever!
God’s Glory in the Exaltation of Christ
The Redeemer Catechism adds that our purpose is the glorification of God in the exaltation of Christ. This spotlight on the Son of God is one of the end goals of history, and we are meant to take part in His exaltation. First Corinthians 8:6 tells us we live for God. Colossians 1 says specifically of the Son also that “all things have been created through him and for him.” It goes on to say that “he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” (Col 1:17, 18). This exaltation of Christ, for which we were made, is what God intended all along (Eph 1:10). Consider Philippians 2:9–11. It tells us two things. One, that the exaltation of Jesus is one of the main goals of God’s eternal plan. And two, that God’s glory is tied up together in the exaltation of Jesus Christ. The two go hand in hand: “Therefore [because of Christ’s obedience to the point of dying on the cross] God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This aligns with what Jesus prayed in John 17 when he said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you … I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” A bit later, Jesus specifically says that He is glorified through His followers (17:10). As the apostle Peter puts it, we serve one another “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Eternal delight in God
But there is more. We all worship. We were made to worship. But if we worship anything other than the true and living God, we will eventually find it unfulfiling. We cannot be satisfied in anything else but Him. This is why our glorification of God is not our only reason for living. By God’s loving design, we are also meant to find our joy and satisfaction in God himself. We were made both to glorify and enjoy him! Psalm 16 speaks of the eternal pleasures in God’s presence. Psalm 37 tells us to “take delight in the LORD.” In Psalm 43, the writer speaks of “God, my joy and my delight.” In Psalm 70 he prays, “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you”. I’m beginning to sense a theme here. We are not merely to bring God glory, but, as God would have it, we are designed to enjoy doing so.
It is part of the human experience to revel in the face of the awesome (Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Alps), and to long for something more, more amazing, more beautiful, more satisfying. The Redeemer Catechism, by changing the final clause in this question’s answer to a participial phrase, hints at the fact that glorifying God and delighting in him are not two distinct purposes. Rather, it is through our enjoyment of God that we uplift him all the more. †
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