What Does It Mean to Glorify God? – Part Two

God wants to be known! God had been revealing truths about himself down through history. Moses glorified God. Isaiah glorified God. Creation glorifies God. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection was the ultimate message from God revealing what God is like. What about us? How are we to glorify God?

God’s glory in our redemption. In his introduction to Ephesians, Paul asserts three times that the reason behind the whole work of redemption was “in order that we….might be for the praise of his glory” (1:6, 12, 14). He blessed us…chose us…predestined us to be adopted…to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Eph. 1:3-6). As redeemed sinners we are to become glory-reflectors. How so?

When we imitate Christ, we glorify God.

Paul reminds us that the old covenant was so glorious that the Israelites could not look on Moses’ face but the new covenant is “even more glorious” and practical. Why? “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17,18; read 3:7-18).

How does the Spirit turn us into glory-reflectors? The Spirit leads us to imitate Christ and as we do, we are transformed from “glory to glory.” We make his life our model and become his witnesses. People go through life and conclude that there is no God. But we who are Christians counter their unbelief by what we display in our lives.

• When we show kindness, we declare that there is a loving God who changed our selfish bent from thoughtlessness to concern for others.
• When we show generosity, we show in some small ways the infinite generosity of God.
• When we confront dishonesty and respond with honesty, we glorify God’s holy integrity.
• When we express thanksgiving, we highlight the goodness of God.
• When we pray, we show our faith in our invisible Father.
• When we confront falsehood with truth, we glorify Jesus who is the truth.
• When we obey God’s laws, we proclaim our belief in a lawgiver who orders the universe.
• When we show patience in suffering, we glorify God.
• When we live holy lives, we reflect God’s holiness.
• When we praise and worship, we tell forth God’s glory through describing his attributes and actions.

Through the Spirit, we become glory-reflectors. To glorify God is to reveal, explain, unveil, declare, show something of God’s invisible attributes—as uniquely expressed by Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection. We glorify God by how we act, and what we say.

Satan resists the revelation of God’s glory

God wants people to know that all he does is very good—all for the benefit and blessing of mankind. But just as in the Garden of Eden, Satan seeks to sow ruin, falsehood, and discord in order to obscure God’s glory. How wonderful life on this earth ought to be. But “the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4). So instead of glory, we see wars and broken marriages, dishonesty, lying, cheating, greed, and every evil work.

Our mission, to be glory-reflectors

If the knowledge of God’s glorious attributes, most clearly seen in Jesus and the gospel, is veiled “it is veiled in those that are perishing.” God calls us to counter the devil’s evil campaign by being glory-reflectors in all we do. In this way we will participate in spreading the knowledge of God’s glory to the ends of the earth. God calls us to counter the lies of the devil by showing through our lives that they are false. “God made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). God shines his redemptive light into our hearts so that we might in turn throw the spotlight on Christ and the gospel.

This is our mission—spreading true knowledge about God. God saves us through the gospel that we might become glory-reflectors. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)