For His Own Sake

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.

(Isaiah 48:11)

God finds His supreme motive in Himself.  Note how strongly He inists on it: "For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you."  (Isaiah 48:9).  Surely this is a matter for extreme comfort.

If God had saved us because of some trait of natural beauty and attractiveness in us, He might turn from us when it faded through the touch of years.  The woman whose only claim to attention and honor is her face, who has no other qualities to command and retain respect, must dread the inevitable effect of time.  It would be therefore a cause of perpetual unrest to us if God's motive sprang only from pity or complacency.

But God's motive is His character, His name and nature, the maintenance of His honor.  In the face of a universe of intelligent beings, He is too deeply involved in our salvation to show signs of variableness or the shadow of turning.  He did not begin to save us because we were worthy or lovely, but because He chose to; and therefore He will not give up because we prove ourselves weak and worthless and difficult to save.

There are times when we all can do nothing but cast ourselves on His infinite grace and say, "Save me for Your own name's sake." And when we have been overcome by sin, it is good to go to Him and say, "Father, I have nothing to plead but Your own nature and name declared in Jesus; for His sake, because you have made a promise to Him and to me in Him; for Your glory's sake defer Your anger, forgive my sins; save me for Your own name's sake."

-- F.B. Meyer