Ezekiel 36:22-29: God's Name Sanctified - June 17, 2010

"Thus says the Lord God: 'I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,'"

Ezekiel 36:22-29 (NKJV)


I have always thought of God's glory as revealed through his work in our lives in terms of giving praises to Him because of our sanctification. In other words, God is glorified because we are sanctified. Today, as I read this Ezekiel passage it spoke loudly to me in a new way.
God's name is sanctified through the work in our lives.
As the passage states, it is not for our sake that he works in our lives. Rather than go on to say that it is for the purpose of His glory that he works in our lives, He says that it is for the sanctification of His name that he works in our lives. Where we have profaned His name, insulted Him with our sin and brought shame to His Holiness, He will santify it.
Let me use a parallel to better explain. We are more familiar with our sin as individuals. So let's start there. We are in a fallen state because of our sin. Think of it like some sort of scale, yet there are only two sides to it. There is sin which is the low end of the scale and holiness which is the high end of the scale. We need to be sanctified to go from sin to holiness.
Now let's insert God's holy name into the scenario, where God's name is profaned on the low end of the scale and God's name is glorified on the high end of the scale. His name is sanctified as it goes from profaned to glorified.
This is another example of how we think everything is about us, even when we think we are expressing that we know it's not. I have always said that the work in my life is about God's glory, and that is true. It's not that it's a false statement, it's just not a complete statement. Another part of that truth is that my life is just a teeny-tiny, almost invisible chip in this picture that is being constructed to 1. yes, display God's glory, but moreso 2. restore God's name to its full glory to not only all people but to all creation throughout eternity. So His work is not about my life, except how it reveals His love, mercy and grace. All work in creation is about returning all glory to Almighty God - from profane words and existence to the praise and glory of Him who was, who is, and is to come.