Teaching Tools

How Do We Glorify God?

In last month’s message, we learned that the word glory means to express, manifest, show forth, reveal, make clear or unmask one’s true self, in such a way that a person’s character or nature is clearly seen in the deed or work done.

God created human beings in His own image. So, we glorify God when we clearly reflect the character and nature of God by being godlike; that is, we glorify God when we manifest God’s character and nature through godly thoughts, words and deeds. As we grow spiritually, we glorify God by becoming an earthly image of the way our heavenly Father thinks, speaks and acts.

Can we know how God thinks, speaks and acts? Yes, because He has revealed His nature through the words of the Bible and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is true God and true Man. Therefore, we need to search the Holy Scriptures to gain a clear picture of what it means to think, speak and act like God.

Jesus deliberately lived His life in a way that would show forth and reveal God, even expressing His desire to glorify God while aware of His impending suffering and death:

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28 NIV)

Because Jesus is fully God, He gives us a clear picture of how God thinks, speaks and acts. And because Jesus is fully human, He gives us a clear picture of how we are to live our lives in a way that glorifies God in our thoughts, words and deeds. Jesus thought, spoke and acted like God; now He wants us to do so too.

I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. (John 13:15 NAB)

Let’s look at a few Scriptures about glorifying God in thoughts, words, and deeds:

Thoughts:

 “Who can know what the Lord is thinking?
Who can give him counsel?”

But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6 NKJV)

Words:

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV)

“…For I [Jesus] did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (John 12:49-50 NIV)

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:8-10 NIV)

Deeds:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22 NIV)

You should produce much fruit and show that you are my followers, which brings glory to my Father. (John 15:8 NCV)

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NASV)

Glory Ministries is dedicated to the glory of God, because God wants to reveal Himself in and through people who honor Him by personally becoming ever-clearer reflections of God. And He wants people to develop godlike character, so each of us individually and collectively can glorify God through our thoughts, words and deeds.

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