“BRINGING GLORY TO HIM WHO DESERVES IT”

5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” 

John 17:5

Why does the Bible talk about God's glory so much? 

God is supreme over all His creation. He is full of glory, which represents His invisible attributes, infinite worth, and divine presence. When the Bible discusses God's glory, it is meant for people to recognize His absolute importance and 

boundless value above all else. The point is, God does not need humans to recognize His glory. As Jesus puts it, "I do not receive glory from man" (John 5:41). In other words, God's value is not determined by people, but by His own divine perfection. He is complete in Himself and does not need anything, let alone receive glory that comes from mere sinful mortals. He is God.

Now, let's go back to our series.

John chapter 17 is a heartfelt prayer known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” After delivering His Farewell Discourse, Jesus now prays for Himself, the disciples, and future believers. This moment is also the start of Jesus’ “time.”

In yesterday's blog, we learned that just as Jesus glorified the Father, so Christians live for God’s glory. Just as Jesus’ life centered on glorifying God, so should ours be. Jesus set aside His own will and submitted Himself to the Father. He endured the pain and shame and gave up His life that we might be saved. Therefore, God raised Him from the dead and gave Him the name above every name.

This theme of glory carries over to our witness as Christ's ambassadors to the world. Consider Peter's admonition to the dispersed believers:

12 “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” 

1 Peter 2:12 

Peter is writing to Christians who were charged with disloyalty to the emperor, practicing unlawful customs, blaspheming false gods, and general troublemaking. He urges them to prove their detractors wrong by showing Christ-like conduct. Doing this will enable them to glorify God amid violent opposition. 

Likewise, we should watch the way we conduct our lives, making sure that God’s name is not defamed by our behavior. Since Christianity demands having a 180-degree turn from the way of the world, it is almost a guarantee that people will oppose our beliefs and way of life. But their antagonism should not keep us from living for God's glory.

Keep in mind that when people recognize our good deeds, God is the One who receives the glory, not us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be any different than the Pharisees, who sought people's acknowledgment, so they showcased their "spirituality" in the public square.

You and I were called to live to bring glory to God. As such, our speech and skills should point people to Him. We use our words and gifts to help people see that there is a God who loves them and offers them freedom from sin and an eternity of suffering in hell. And when we do things to take them a step closer to that message, then we are bringing glory to God.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Ashutosh Saraswat on Unsplash