A really crucial question comes into us from Podcast Listener Amy, who writes this.

Dear Pastor John, please don't read this as accusatory, I'm just wanting to understand.

Throughout the Bible, the theme seems to be that God can use bad people for his good.

So my question is, how can God be most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him when

he uses people like Judas Iscariot?

He even used a Satan for his own purposes.

If God is most glorified in us only when we do good, that seems to simplify his majesty.

How would you explain this?

Well, first of all, no offense taken at all, it's a great question.

I've had to clarify this in fact several times because my motto does seem to some people

anyway to rule out God being glorified in his works of justice and his works of wrath.

I mean, I say God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him and that

seems to indicate to some people, whoa, so God can't get glory when he does hard and

just and wrathful things towards unbelievers.

For example, Exodus 14, 4, I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue Israel and I will

get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts in the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord

and people hear that and they say, whoa, Piper's motto doesn't seem to make any room for

that.

Or Exodus 14, 17, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in

into the Red Sea after Israel and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts,

his chariots, his horsemen.

So when I say that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him, I

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