"For His name's sake."

 "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."  1 John 2:12 (ESV)

John says that sins are forgiven “for his name’s sake.”  The fact that God forgives sin adds to his glory and honor.  God is glorious and worthy to be worshiped even if he didn’t forgive sins.  His power and wisdom and goodness and justness alone make his “name” worthy of worship.  But God adds mercy, love and forgiveness to his power and justness.  All this is for “his name’s sake.”  It is not primarily for our sake.  He is for OUR good because he is for HIS glory.  His pursuit of his own glory leads him to love us.  There is no higher end, no worthier cause in all the universe than God’s glory.  His purpose is that we would see him to be completely worthy of worship and would live our lives for “his name’s sake” and not for ours.  Our lives have purpose when we live for His sake, His kingdom, His glory, and not for our own.  Because of this, the greatest prayer that we can pray is the prayer Moses prayed: “Show me your glory.”  Oh, that our heart’s desire would be to see God for who He is.  Oh, how our lives would be changed if we really “saw” his glory.  We would never be the same.  May this be our prayer and pursuit.