Bringing Glory to God

Bringing glory to God is the best and highest purpose of man. It should be our greatest desire and our constant aim. It’s all about Jesus, and He alone is worthy of more glory than we can ever give Him. The constant appeal of all Scripture is for us to glorify God in everything we say and do.

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

Paul’s epistle to the Romans offers powerful insights about how to glorify God with the lives He has given us. Beginning in chapter 12, he teaches believers how to live out their faith in ways that go against the world and the culture we live in. This is impossible without constant reliance on the Holy Spirit, as it goes against every natural inclination of man.

Bringing Glory to God Because of Who He Is

First and foremost, God wants us to know and delight in Him. In order to put God first in everything we must desire to know Him well. We can only please him if we understand who He is and what He is like. Romans 11:36 is a powerful statement about the God we are to glorify.

Everything is for Him. God is sovereign. Everything is all about Him. He designed creation and the plan to redeem sinful man, bringing us into a right relationship with a holy God.

Everything is through Him. We are made right with God through the work of Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for our sins on the cross. There is nothing any one of us could do to make this possible. 

It is all to Him. Even though we are the recipients of God’s grace, it isn’t about us. Everything is about the one true God worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

Bringing Glory to God in Our Hearts and Lives

Human beings were created to praise God, and His Word shows us how to do this well. We can’t just do it however we want. Worship is about God, not us. Our mindset, worldview, and heart attitude can’t please Him unless they align with His Word. In order to bring glory to God, we must become who He wants us to be.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul appeals to believers, “by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

It is the desire of our Creator for us to trust Him, surrendering ourselves completely, and placing our minds, hearts, and lives under His control. When we do this, He enables us to see our own lives, the world at large, and popular culture through His eyes. The transformation of our minds through His Spirit causes our desires to be first and foremost for the glory of our Creator.

Bringing Glory to God in Our Relationships

As our life as a believer becomes more aligned with the Word of God we learn to live differently than the world. Throughout the rest of Romans Paul explains what this looks like. God wants us to imitate Jesus Christ in the way we live with those around us.

We are to honor God in the way we treat others, showing genuine love and an abhorrence of evil. There is an eagerness to serve the Lord, and the ability to rejoice in hope, demonstrate patience in affliction, and constancy in prayer. The Holy Spirit enables us to trust Him with vengeance to the Lord and gives us the power to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

Christians are the best citizens because we understand that God establishes all authority for His purposes. We should owe nothing but love to anyone. Our armor in the fight against evil and darkness is the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us victory over vices, immorality, quarreling, and jealousy. We no longer place our fleshly desires above God, but become imitators of Christ. (Romans 13:1-14) Therefore, we don’t judge fellow believers for their differences or cause them to stumble. We welcome one another as Christ welcomed each of us. (Romans 14:1–15:7)

A Formula for Christ-like Living

As I learn to put God first in all things, and allow Him to make me in His image, I will treat those around me in ways that honor Him. The formula for Christ-like living is God first, others second, myself last, in all things. Everything is for Jesus who suffered and died that I might live. This brings glory to God.

“[Y]et for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:6