What motivates God to save?

I was looking for your thoughts to help me resolve a theological problem I am having:

What motivates God to save the sinner- His love for them or does He save to get glory for Himself?

The question arises because of the sermon "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" where Paris claims God told him that He didn't send Paris for the sinner's sake but for His own sake. Just wanted some scriptural answers on this because I don't see that Jesus ever said that He came for His own glory but that He humbled Himself to come and seek and save the lost.

Thanks

The question arises because of the sermon "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" where Paris claims God told him that He didn't send Paris for the sinner's sake but for His own sake.

If I recall correctly, he said:

". . . for My own sake - because I love them."

The exact quote is "I didn't send you out there for them, I sent you out there for me!" According to Paris, God also said "they deserved hell but I loved them, and I endured the agonies of hell for them" but the prime motivation was for God to receive His reward for the cross.

The true motivation of why God saves is a mystery. By mystery, I do not imply that it is foreign or abstract theologically. By mystery, I am speaking of the fact that God's motivation to seek and save the lost is His Love. And since God is Love, we understand this Love dwells in unapproachable Light. It is the very infinite and inexhaustive heights, depths, lengths, and breadths of God Himself. Which obviously cannot be wholly grasped with the understanding. Yet, understood insofar as we know Him through the revelation of Christ Jesus ([b]John 17:3[/b]; [b]1 John 4:9[/b]; [b]2 Peter 1:8[/b]).

Now, to direct this towards your question.

What Reidhead said, I beleive he even yelled this out, was that man's votive and free will offering of love and thanksgiving and praise, or purpose, was to give God glory. I don't believe he specifically said this was why the Son of God became flesh and died upon a cross. The cross and the sufferings of Christ indeed purchased this very thing; that is, the affections of man's heart through the cleansing of His blood. We may very well say this, in part, is the glory of God revealed unto men -- that there is peace with God through the ministry and gospel of reconciliation.

But when he says, "I didn't send you out there for them, I sent you out there for me!" He is relating the desire of God that none should perish but [b]that all be reconciled unto Himself[/b] through Jesus Christ. Or to be specific, for the reward of His Son's obedience ("may the Lamb who was slain receive the rewards (we sinners) of His suffering!") -- and thus, to the glory of the Father.

So, God seeks and saves the lost both because of His abounding love and mercy and for His glory. As it is that both His Love and Glory are revealed in no greater way in this world than through the redemption of lost souls -- at least, that is until He returns again to redeem the just and the righteous.

Though I should mention that when I say that God saves men for His glory, I am not implying in any way that God is being selfish. And neither am I deflecting a double standard between God and sinful men; for it is God Himself who set the standard ([b]Luke 6:35[/b]). To reiterate, the glory of God, in part, is revealed unto man by the revelation that there is peace with God through the ministry and gospel of reconciliation, that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[b][u]In example[/b][/u]

"[b]I didn't send you out there for them,[/b]" so that you could be a good humanist, or philanthropist, and ease the discomforts of a dying and godless generation.
"[b]I sent you out there for me![/b]" To declare My glory: I have sent My Son, Christ Jesus, into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved unto everlasting life!

Remember when Reidhead was explaining that he "primarily" went to Africa because of his sympathy (seeing the pictures and hearing the sob stories) for the discomforts of the heathens; he said something to the affect, "I will go out there and preach Jesus so as to ease the heathen's sufferings in this world." Rather than going to Africa because of his love for Jesus, his Lord and Savior, Who died for those heathens and Who is lovingly seeking to manifest the glory of His salvation unto them.

And that's my story, I'm sticking to it! :-P

thanks boG for you have written a very good post.

The bible truly says that God does not want any to perish but to come to repentance.

If there is no responsibility on man's part to hear and believe then why would not God save everybody if man has no responsibility in his salvation.

God's motivation is simple, He wants to be A Father. As Jesus said, "Pray in this way, Our Father. For God to be a Father, He has to have children. Taking His only begotten Son that well pleased Him, wants to put this well pleasing Son in those that He chooses to be His sons'. How many Marys' would God have to choose to fill His house with children. God bypasses the physical and goes directly to the spiritual, for God could raise rocks to be children of Abraham. Those already born of woman must be born again to contain the nature of God Himself, "Christ in you the Hope of Glory". This is our sonship unto the Father, Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ. Now He is a Father to those He chooses to be a Father to, and gives them to the Son that He might be born again in each of those chosen. If none are capable of choosing God, not even one, then it is up to God to fill His house with children. All of humanity has only one resolve, their only capacity is not choose salvation, for none will come to God or even seek His face. I am only in condemnation because of who I am. Read ROM 3 and see. The only way I am out of condemnation is In Christ Jesus and God has to put me their. I would not go to Him of my own accord, None have or none will come to God or seek His face. Praise God He decided on me, and I have no reason why, for I was lost just like all the rest of creation, "But now I am found".

I was just like most who believe that man has something to do with his own salvation, it has taken God some 40 years to teach me that I had nothing to do with my salvation, it is all God and what He has done, especially in His Son Jesus Christ who is now my life, "it is no longer I who live but Christ who liveth in me", I am now a son because of "The Son of God" that is in me. And even Jesus said, "pray this way", Our Father, that pretty much says it all, "Our Father".

The greatest desire of my heart, which is the Heart of Christ, is the same desire Jesus had, to love God my Father with all my heart, mind, body and soul and all that I am, which the Christ in me now give me the capacity to follow Him and love the Father as He did, because God wanted son's in His house, that would love Him as Christ did even unto the Cross and still loves The Father that much and now because I am a son, Jesus love me that much also, that I might have the same mind which was in Christ Jesus and love God The Father and each other as He loves Him and us.

In Christ: Phillip

It is because God is a loving and a compassionate God. His mercies never comes to an end.

Luk 15:7 I say to you that so is joy in Heaven over one sinner repenting, than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.

It is the joy of God to be merciful to those who repent and seek his salvation.

Rom 5:7 For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one.

Rom 5:8 But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

That is the Glory of God.