Glorifying God is the supreme priority of mankind! It seems that the religious world misses this point. Although such things as preaching the Gospel, evangelizing and giving aid to the needy are important, none of this is our number one priority. Glorifying God is! It is possible to do those activities listed above without glorifying God (Philippians 1:15-16; Matthew 6:1-4). God created humanity to be His glory. God spoke through Isaiah, “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). Although this is a personification of Israel, the figurative language is effective because of what lies behind it literally — God made us to glorify Him! Without Jesus, it would be impossible for us to glorify God because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). What God did at Calvary makes possible the transformation of being a person of dishonor to God (because of sin) to being a person who is “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-14). “To God be the glory” must be our primary purpose in this life!
God and “Glory”
Various forms of the word “glory” or “glorify” occur hundreds of times in the Old and New testaments. Thus, the word “glory” must be defined according to the context. Generally, “glory” refers to brightness, radiance and splendor. Various objects are said to reflect a brightness of glory, such as angels (Luke 2:9), the sun and moon (1 Corinthians 15:41) and cherubim (Hebrews 9:5). “Glory” is also used to refer to the majesty and sublimity of God’s quality, evidenced by such expressions as “God of glory” (Acts 7:2, 55) and “Father of glory” (Ephesians 1:17). In fact, “glory” is a characteristic of the entire Godhead. Glory is associated with the Father (John 12:41; 17:5). Glory is associated also with the Son: at the announcement of His birth (Luke 2:8-11), through His miracles (John 2:11), through His life on this earth (John 1:14), by His visible radiance (Luke 9:32), in His present exaltation (1 Timothy 3:16) and in His Second Coming (Matthew 16:27). Glory is also associated with the Holy Spirit, too (1 Peter 4:14).
God Is to Be Glorified by Our Lives
It is impossible for us to glorify God without the blood of Christ applied to our lives (Romans 3:23; 6:16-18). As Christians, however, we must realize that glorifying God is not just a one-time act accomplished at conversion. Glorifying God is a lifelong occupation. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). God must be glorified in our bodies. Paul wrote, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In order to glorify God in our bodies, we must “put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them” (Colossians 3:5-7). We must use our “members,” or bodies, to glorify the Lord. Listen to Paul: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:12-13). We must conduct ourselves in such a way “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Specific Means By Which God Is Glorified
First and foremost, we glorify God by doing His will. In doing this, we must do good works. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Obviously, these works must be visible in order for others to glorify the Father (1 Peter 2:12). These works are done by Christians who are not ashamed to do them in the name of Christ. Undercover Christians are incompatible with a beaming light or a “city that is set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). In doing God’s will, we must also “bear fruit.” Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8). Bearing fruit does not always mean making new converts. In the context of John 15, fruit includes a life of learning the words of Christ (John 15:7a), a life of prayer (John 15:7b), loving God and others (John 15:9-10; 12-13), obedience (John 15:10, 14) and joy in Christ (John 15:11).
Second, we glorify God by being united. Jesus prayed for all future disciples that “they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us… And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one” (John 17:21-22). This unity can only be accomplished through mutual indwelling. Just as the Father and Son mutually indwell one another, the Christian and God must mutually indwell, which can only be accomplished through the Christian’s continued obedience to the Gospel (Romans 8:5-11). Obedience is the only true basis of the unity that glorifies God (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6).
Third, we glorify God by suffering for His sake. Peter wrote:
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you… but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified… Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. (1 Peter 4:12-16)
Suffering persecution glorifies God because it imitates Christ (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Conclusion
In a limited sense, every faithful Christian presently shares in the glory of God (John 17:22; Romans 8:30). On the Last Day, however, God’s glory will be fully realized in eternal experience by all those who have lived their lives on earth to His glory (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 3:20-21). May God help each of us to glorify His name.
