The Chief End of Man

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”
(1 Cor. 10:31). ​

Question 1: What is the chief end of man?[i]
​Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

In Isaiah 43:6-7 God says, “I will say to the north, ‘Give up,’ and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.” All people have been created for God’s glory; that is, all people exist and were created by God for the expressed purpose of living a life that honors Him and worships Him as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is the one who has not only saved our soul from hell (if you are a believer), but is the one from whom all blessings come into our lives. It is for this reason Paul writes, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). In everything we do, say, and think, we should strive to glorify and honor God, for that is why we were created and exist. And in light of all that God has done for us, he deserves our worship and honor and glory. But not only were we created to glorify God, but that in glorifying God, we might come to truly enjoy God and find our greatest joy and delight in God. The psalmist says in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” God wants us to be joyful. He simply desires that we find and experience fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in Him. The Christian life is not about obedience to God’s commands, about living your life by a list of rules. It’s about glorifying God and finding your greatest joy and delight in him.

[i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon