Back to Grace
If you know Christ, you are called and enabled to joyfully carry the weight of God’s glory in everyday life. As Christians, our ultimate wish is to know that we please God, isn’t it? The good news today is that we can know exactly how to do that. If you own Christ, God is already completely happy with you because He sees Jesus’ righteousness in you. The Christian life is about living that out every day.
Building on last week’s sermon, we now seek to make our knowledge of God practical. How can we give glory to God? No human glory is adequate to give to God; we must reflect divine glory. But we learned that God’s glory is beyond human description, wholly other than anything we could understand or attain. As with the shepherds who heard the angels’ announcement in Luke 2:9-14, our first response at God’s presence will be fear because we know we are apart from Him. But God promises “peace to all who would believe” in His Son. It is through Jesus that we can bring glory to God, the glory that He gives us by dwelling inside us.
The immanence of God’s glory means that it is near or looming. Evidence of His glory is all around us because of His omnipresence. God’s awe-inspiring creation is intended to let us know that we too are created. But we suppress God’s glory and make idols from His creation instead (Romans 1:18-32). It takes a miracle to bring sinful humans and divine glory together. God graciously gives us the faith and repentance to respond to His offer of salvation through His Son. Only when we have His glory and holiness imparted to us can we truly reflect glory back to Him.
The Bible is filled with ways to bring glory to God. It simply means doing His will, which is revealed in the Bible, our manual for Christian living. Our passage today gives one example of living in the will of God: by governing our natural desires. The desire for food and drink and intimacy were given to us by God and are good and natural, but they have been perverted by the Fall. We are to govern these desires and not be governed by them in order to glorify God with our bodies. Christians indwelt by the Holy Spirit have a divine occupant, and when we carry God’s glory, we have to live like Christ did. God now owns us by right of redemption.
Application Points In order to glorify God, you must have God’s glory. Have you accepted Christ’s invitation?
To glorify Him, we must live God’s character publically. This involves all aspects of life. How do you spend your discretionary time? Do you demonstrate Christ-likeness to your family? Do you engage in all aspects of worship? A life like Jesus’ will be counter-cultural.
Is there an aspect of your life where you have slipped back into unsaved habits? Do you have an idol that consumes your time and distracts you from the Lord? Don’t delay in making the needed adjustments – it is never too late to do right.
Tools for Further Study Cross References to Explore:
Revelation 4:11, Romans 1:18-23 – Creation reveals God’s glory, and man’s sinful response. Exodus 15:11 – God’s glory is closely linked with His holiness. Revelation 3:20-21 – Jesus’ invitation. Galatians 2:20 – Christ lives in us and is our new lifestyle. John 17:1-4 – glorifying God is doing His will. 1 Corinthians 6:11-20 – glorifying God with our natural desires. Romans 6:1-18 – forgiveness does not give us license to sin. 1 Peter 4:1-6, Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 4:23-25, Galatians 5:16-25 – more examples of how to live to bring glory to God.
A Hymn to Encourage: “O God, My Joy” by Paul Keew and Brian Pinner O God, my joy, You reign above in radiant splendor and beauty. Your Word has drawn my heart to love the awesome sight of Your glory. Your blazing Light and gospel grace shine brightly from my Savior’s face. No other wonder would I see than Christ enthroned in His glory!
Sustained by joy in trial and pain, I trust Your wisdom and mercy. Through suffering that Your love ordains, more like Your Son You will make me. For Christ embraced the cross of shame, beholding glorious joys to come. O give me faith like His to see that suffering lifts me to glory!
Compelled by joy, I fight the sin that turns my gaze from Your glory. Your Holy Spirit dwells within; His presence arms me for victory. Let death and hell against me rise; through death I’ll gain eternal joys. All powers of hell will bend the knee before my great King of Glory!