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Answer
There are several passages in the Bible where God reveals His purpose for His actions. One of the most concise references is found in Isaiah 48:11, where God states, “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another” (NKJV).
This is often referred to as God’s doxological purpose, signifying His intention to display His own glory. It is clear that everything God does is to showcase or express His own glory. For instance, in Ephesians 1, Paul explains the reason behind God providing salvation: the Father predestines, the Son redeems, and the Spirit seals, all for the praise of His glory and the glory of His grace “to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”, (Ephesians 1:6,12, 14). David describes how God created the heavens to declare His glory “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork.”, (Psalm 19:1). God is glorified through the salvation of Israel “Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”, (Isaiah 60:21) and by the mercy He has shown to the Gentiles “and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name.”, (Romans 15:9). Jesus glorified the Father “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”, (John 17:4), the Father glorified Jesus “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”, (John 17:5), and the Spirit glorifies the Son as well “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”, (John 16:14). God is glorified when Jesus’ disciples bear much fruit “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”, (John 15:8). The beasts of the field glorify God “The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.”, (Isaiah 43:20). God will glorify Himself in the culmination of all things “Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.”, (Ezekiel 39:13). One day Jesus will return and be glorified among the people “when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”, (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Ultimately, because God has bought us, we are to glorify God with our bodies “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”, (1 Corinthians 6:20). In all these ways (and many more), God will be glorified, and He said, “I will not give my glory to another” «For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. », (Isaiah 48:11).
God’s glory—His magnitude or worthiness—is great, and it belongs to Him. He expresses His abundance (to borrow a term from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) in His handiwork, and because these things are the expression of His own character, the praise and glory are due Him. Any of His created beings that seek to praise themselves are seeking to steal from God what is rightfully His. This is why God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6;1 Peter 5:5)—because God has said, “I will not give my glory to another” «For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. », (Isaiah 48:11).
God will not allow another to take credit for His character or handiwork. In a similar manner, the work of a renowned artist is recognizable as the work of that artist, and attempts to replicate that work are considered forgeries. Just as we acknowledge copyrights or the ownership of one’s intellectual property, we must acknowledge that God is the sovereign Creator and Owner of everything. His revealed purpose is the demonstration of His own character and magnitude (glory).
Because God has said, “My glory I will not give to another,” human responsibility includes walking humbly before our God «He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?», (Micah 6:8). This is why Solomon refers to the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom «The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction. », (Proverbs 1:7)—we need the proper perspective of God, recognizing He is the fearsome Creator who has communicated graciously with His creation. Then we can begin to understand His design and purpose in our own lives, and we can understand what He desires from us. If we start by exalting the Lord and acknowledging our relative lowliness, we can begin to see from His perspective as He has revealed it to us in Scripture, and we can avoid the mistake of trying to take for ourselves that which belongs only to Him. He has said, “I will not give my glory to another” «For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. », (Isaiah 48:11).
