God at the Center

I have a Bible that has the Reformed Creeds and confessions in the back. I was reading a bit of the Belgic Confession. The Belgic Confession was written in the 16th century by Guido De Bres, a Frenchman who eventually would be put to death for his reformed convictions. As I read I was struck by how the confession starts with a strong focus on God rather than on us. Even when it speaks of salvation the focus remains on God. This is a bold contrast to the gospel that in 21st century North America typically focuses on us and God's serving us. So here are some of the words of the Belgic. Notice especially the second part where the emphasis on God's glory and salvation is in the context of our belonging God.

Article 2

The Means by Which We Know God
We know him by two means:

First, by the creation, preservation, and government
of the universe,
since that universe is before our eyes
like a beautiful book
in which all creatures,
great and small,
are as letters
to make us ponder
the invisible things of God:
his eternal power
and his divinity,
as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20.

All these things are enough to convict men
and to leave them without excuse.

Second, he makes himself known to us more openly
by his holy and divine Word,
as much as we need in this life,
for his glory and for the salvation of his own.