The reason that glorifying God is not a human’s main purpose is that it is not unique to us. Everything that God created glorifies Him. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork.” Stones can also glorify God. Luke 19:37-40 says, “As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" If humans won’t glorify Him, He can always get the stones to do it. Angels glorify Him. There are seraphim around God’s throne who cry out to one another about God’s holiness and glory (Isaiah 6) and believe me, they are much better at glorifying Him than we are. The largest star we have seen so far (Canis Majoris) is much more effective at ascribing to God the proper magnification/weight due Him than any of us shouting at the top of our lungs from Mt. Everest.
So what does make human’s unique from all other created things? We must go back to Genesis for this answer. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We are God’s image bearers. We are the only thing He created that bears His image. I know that many have debated what it means to be created in His image. To find that answer, I think we must ask the question, “What makes us unique from all other creatures?” When you find the answer to that, you have the answer to our purpose. One might say it is the ability to communicate, but the serpent, Balaam’s donkey, and angels have that ability. Others think it is the ability to choose, but I disagree because when Satan rebelled, angels were also given a chance to choose God’s side or Satan’s. It appears Satan also made a choice to have pride. Not many even suggest that being made in His image means we can glorify Him because rocks, stars, angels, and angels can glorify God.
What does it mean to be an image bearer? It means we have the capacity for communion with God. We were designed to be in relationship with Him. We can know Him and fellowship with Him. That is our purpo
se. The hint is there in Genesis 1:26 when God says “Us” to describe Himself. He is the three-in-one God. In the very nature of God there exists communion because the one God is Father, Spirit, and Son in perfect fellowship/communion with Himself. Two of the descriptors in the Trinity are terms of relationship (Father & Son). While the rest of creation was spoken into existence, humans were unique—they were formed by God from the dust of the earth. Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” God took extra time with man by actually touching Him and breathing into man’s nose His own breath to give him life. Touch denotes a greater level of intimacy. God spewed out words that created galaxies light years away, but He zoomed in close to touch the dust by which He formed man and He pressed His mouth right up to man’s nose to breathe in the image-bearing life.
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