For Whose Name?

Ezekiel 36:32
(32) It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.

This comes right after the great passage about how God will remove their hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. That tells us that it is God who transforms lives. It is not a matter of partnering with God and then improving ourselves. God is the one who transforms us. To be sure, we are responsible for the disciplines that will help us to grow in godliness, but God has to start the process.

I quoted this verse because I think it does such a great job of taking the focus off of man. When I hear the gospel it is often with a man-centered focus. What can a relationship with God do for me? How can knowing God help me? See how much God loves me? God did all of this for me.

While it is true that our lives are changed from knowing God, the focus cannot be on ourselves. God set His people free for the sake of His name. He did it so that He might be glorified. Let us never forget this as we think about our relationship with Him. It has to be God-centered, not man-centered.