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Articles
To God Be The Glory
“Do all things for the glory of God” I Corinthians 10:31
As the Psalmist so accurately proclaims, “great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary” (Psalm 96:4-6). In short, God is glorious. To think about God’s glory is to think about His beauty, power, honor, greatness, and authority. God’s glory is His excellence on display. So what does God’s glory have to do with you?
God has revealed His glory to you. God is glorious whether you acknowledge it or not, and He does not depend on you for His glory, but He does want you to see it. At the same time, His glory is so profound, you are only able to witness glimpses of God’s glory on this side of eternity. God’s glory is revealed through His creation (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1-6), which demonstrates His power, authority, and wisdom (Psalm 104). God’s glory is revealed in Christ through His miracles (John 2:11), His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5), and especially His death and resurrection (John 12:23-24). What’s more, God chose to reveal His glory to us through Jesus Christ so that you would come to know Him and have eternal life (John 17:1-3)! Even God’s judgment reveals His glory. If any refuse to acknowledge God’s glory now, they will be forced to recognize His glory on the day of Judgment (Philippians 2:9-11).
God’s glory demands a response. Responding to God’s glory starts with humility. All of us fail to glorify God any time we sin (Romans 3:23). Nevertheless, God asks us to respond in humble obedience. Furthermore, God deserves our united worship (Romans 15:5-6), which should almost be an automatic response to God’s glory (Hebrews 12:22-24, 28; Psalm 96:1-9). Your response to God’s glory needs to include personal transformation, which results in repentance of sins (I Corinthians 6:9-11), walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25), and discernment of God’s will (Romans 12:2). Responding to God’s glory also requires developing a proven character, which comes from perseverance through tribulation and results in a confident hope accompanied by inexpressible joy (Romans 5:1-5).
God’s glory deserves to be reflected. While God reveals glimpses of His glory to all mankind, He also invites His children to reflect His light to the world around us. The church reflects God’s glory when we are united in love (Ephesians 4:1-6; John 17:20-23) while also upholding the truth (Epehsians 3:10; I Timothy 3:15; II Timothy 4:2-4). As an individual, you also reflect God’s glory through good works (Matthew 5:14-16). The light you shine when engaging in good works exposes the darkness of the world (Ephesians 5:8-11). Evangelism is another necessary means of reflecting God’s glory. Because the glory of God is hidden, to a certain extent, to unbelievers (Romans 1:18-20; II Corinthians 4:3-4), it is our responsibility to share the glory of God and His gospel with the lost (II Corinthians 4:5-6; Matthew 28:19-20). When God’s glory shines in your heart, then Christ will be shared (Acts 4:20). You also reflect the glory of God when you wear the name “Christian” with integrity, by living for the will of God, loving others, and sharing in Christ’s suffering without shame, but rather with joy, praising God for the opportunity to wear the name of Christ (I Peter 4)!
The glory of God is a topic worthy of a lifetime of consideration. This is hardly a comprehensive look at the glory of God, how He reveals His glory, and how we are called to respond to and reflect His glory. Rather, this is a place to start. While we have concluded our theme of “To God be the Glory” for 2024, let us endeavor to maintain this goal for our lives. From here to eternity, may you always “do all things for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).
