What Is the Chief End of Man?
Our reason for being is defined by God
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)
The above quote serves to kick off a new set of articles based around questions taken from the Shorter Catechism of The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). Given the extreme situation of quarantine, rampant sickness and death, and the accompanying stress and grief, these questions and their answers may help bring some steadiness or some comfort to the reader. The final paragraph of this first article in the series contains information on the origins of the catechism and how the Confession was intended to be used by everyday Christians.
The strength of the WCF is rooted in its use of scripture references and the interpretation of them by clerics and ministers. The contents of the Confession have stood the test of time and remain vital and applicable to modern life.
The confusion and hysteria surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the management of the world’s response by various government authorities can weigh heavy and just plain wear a person down if that has become one’s steady news ingestion. We can take a step back, put a little distance between us and the reality of the pandemic, and consider a gentler, saner place in this world? Countless opinions exist on this very subject. My approach is from the Reformed Christian stance, so I’ll be using the WCF as previously mentioned.
What is the chief end of man?
The first question the Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” What is our purpose? In order to get an idea of what and where we fit into the scheme of creation there must be a set of coordinates to place us in space and time, something to help define our purpose and meaning for even being here in the first place. The starting point of our orientation to existence is our basic relationship with our Creator, Reformed Christians start here:
To glorify God…
Our God made us for a purpose We emulate our Maker by doing the same ourselves on our level. We design and make all kinds of things to serve specific purposes. Our basic, rock-bottom purpose is simply to glorify God. Short and simple. As with all things concerning the Divine, also loaded with meaning. So, how do we go about glorifying God? Fortunately, Scripture provides several insights into how we may fulfill this first part of our purpose.
Isaiah was told by God that His people, which now blessedly includes us modern-day believers, will be a righteous people, the work of His hands that He might be glorified. Psalmists sang that through the worship of and glorification of our Lord, all of the nations of this world would be inspired to do the same. People will realize that all things are originated through and by the Lord to His everlasting glory.
All things are originated through and by the Lord
Paul the Apostle wrote, ‘So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. That we order ourselves to not put self foremost but put the glorification of God first as a divine influence on others Not to call attention to ourselves as an example, but to live out our faith and belief.’
In another letter, Paul lays out a compelling reason for living in such a way, ‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Not just the works of creation, but believers as new works also.’ This means that our every act, as followers of Christ — Christians -needs to bring the attention and desire to emulate our actions from those around us who may not know God in the same way that we do.
Live with love and friendliness
We are to make our walk with Jesus so inviting, so winsome that others want to know why? Where is our inspiration, how do we pull this off? There are too many self-named Christians whose words and acts never suggest any influence from or love of God. Not a judgment, an observation, so if anyone is offended by that, please examine what you do and say. Those of us who profess the Second Birth feel compelled to draw upon the example set by Jesus during His earthly mission. Yes, we will fall short during this earthbound existence, but by striving through love and giving it our best effort shows nobility as well.
…And enjoy Him forever
Whether you maintain that God chose you or that you chose God, the choice is made. I am, as I wrote earlier, a Reformed Presbyterian, so I am firmly planted in the “God chose me” camp. We call it predestination and that tends to set some folks’ hair on fire — a raging conflagration. But that’s just a theological disagreement; nobody enjoys any exclusivity based on either view. In the Psalms, the poet sings that God is his chosen portion and his lot. He is thankful for a good life and for a God who gives wonderful advice, confidence, and an afterlife that prevents bodily corruption. This same God guides the belief and furnishes the joy of His presence forever. Our place with Him in eternity is one of praise, of never knowing another pain nor shedding another tear. This is our forever if we know Him and He knows us.
A systematic study of what adherents of the Reformed school of thought believe
From the Westminster Shorter Catechism, this is the first question of one hundred and seven questions whose purpose is to provide a systematic study of what adherents of the Reformed school of thought believe. The term Reformed indicates that split from the Church of Rome and the subsequent changes in theological thought and religious practice.
Generally, it is acknowledged as beginning with Martin Luther posting his Ninety-five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences on the door of the church building in Wittenberg, Saxony on October 31, 1517.
The full Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England. It became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.
The questions provide advice on issues of worship, doctrine, government, and discipline of the Church. Their meetings, over a period of five years, produced the confession of faith, as well as a Larger Catechism and a Shorter Catechism. For more than three hundred years, various churches around the world have adopted the confession and the catechisms as their standards of doctrine, subordinate to the Bible. (Wikipedia)
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