Man Is To Glorify God

Rusty Hilliard

Brother Hilliard has been preaching for the church of Christ in Newberry, Florida, since 2004. Before this, he served as an associate minister and youth minister with the Oak Grove church of Christ in Dyersburg, Tennessee. He received his formal education from Dyersburg State Community College (AS in psychology and education, 1999) and Freed-Hardeman Univer-sity (BA, 2003). He has spoken at several youth gatherings, Vacation Bible Schools, and camps. He is currently working on a verse by verse commentary on the Book of James. He and his wife, Delaney, have one daughter.

“So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’” (Mt 20: 32, NKJ). During the course of his life, Christ sought to serve mankind. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). From his humble birth, to his pain-filled death, to his miraculous resurrection and ascension, Jesus did all he could in his service to the world. Through his actions, Christ lifted humanity to a level, which we could not have achieved on our own. In return, mankind has long searched for the answer to that old familiar question, “Why am I here?” From the beginning of time, we have struggled to understand the reason for our existence. There have been those who believed that the real meaning of life was in accumulating wealth. Could this be? Not according to Luke 12:16-20, in the parable of the rich fool. Others have labored under the mistaken impression that self-glorification will provide our lives with the meaning for which we have been longing. However, if he were able, I believe that Herod Agrippa might have a different view. In Acts 12:21-23, owing to his acceptance of the praise of men, he suffered the wrath of God.

So what is the answer? What is our purpose? What is the duty of mankind? There are two passages of Scripture, that address this important subject. First, in Ecclesiastes 12:13, Solomon enlightens us as to the true duty of man. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (KJV). Second, in Matthew 6:33, Christ encourages us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In each of these passages, there is one very simple message that comes shining through. The message is that man is to glorify God. We glorify God by fearing him and keeping his commandments! We glorify him when we seek his righteousness above all else!

Now, the first thing that we must come to terms with is the idea that giving God the glory is not just a good suggestion; it is Scripturally commanded. In First Peter 4:11, we are told:

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Likewise, in First Corinthians 10:31, Paul informs us: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Notice that both Peter and Paul instruct the Christians of the first century, as well as Christians of today, that all the glory should be given to God! The truth of the matter is that this is not a new idea, expressed only in the New Testament. In fact, the command to give God all the glory appears first in the Old Testament. First Chronicles 16:29 says,

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Then in Psalms 86:12, David emphatically declares his feelings on the subject. “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.” What does the word “glorify” mean? According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “glorify” is defined as “to magnify, extol, or praise...especially of ‘glorifying’ God...ascribing honor to Him, acknowledging Him as to His being, attributes and acts” (267).

With this definition serving as our basis, we want to examine two important concepts. First, we will consider a Biblical example of one who lived his life glorifying God. Finally, we will look at the many ways and situations in which we should glorify God in our lives today.

Throughout time, there has been one, and only one, perfect example given to humanity. That one example was, of course, our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. When speaking of glorifying the Father with all that we do, we need look no further than the life and times of Christ.

In John 17, we find Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. In verse 4, he states: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” The question that one might ask oneself is, “How had Jesus glorified God during the course of his life?”

First, Christ glorified the Father in his priorities. One of the most amazing facets of Christ’s ministry is his single-minded determination to do the will of God. In three separate verses, Jesus emphatically declares what is at the top of his priority list.

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. (Jn. 4:34)

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (Jn. 5:30)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (Jn. 6:38)

Jesus considered his mission on earth to be simple and straightforward. His mission was to do the will of God. In making God’s mission his number one priority, Christ glorified the Father.

Consider the way in which Christ did the will of God in terms of his teachings. It was not about what he thought or what he wanted. Rather, it was about the commandments of his heavenly Father (Jn. 8:28).

Likewise, in his treatment of those around him, he made the Father’s will a priority. In Mark 12:31, Christ said that we are to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Again, he did not hand this down as a mere commandment, which was to be followed by the creation alone. Rather, he once again led by example. When he fed the four thousand, he made the treatment of others a priority (Mt. 15:29-38). When he healed the sick, he made the treatment of others a priority (Mk. 2:1-5). When he died for the sins of mankind, he made the treatment of others a priority (Jn. 10:10). From his teaching to his treatment, we see Christ glorifying God in his priorities.
However, equally as important, in the life of Christ, we see him glorifying God in his pain. There can be no arguing the fact that it is far easier to glorify God when life is going smoothly. On the other hand, it becomes much more difficult to praise God in times of distress. However, despite this fact, Christ managed to give God the glory even in hard times. When in poverty, Christ gave God the glory (Mt. 8:20). When in times of betrayal, Christ gave God the glory (Jn. 18:1-9). Even when he was facing his own death, Christ gave God the glory (Lk. 22:42).

In his priorities, Christ gave God the glory. In his pain, Christ gave God the glory. Jesus truly glorified God in “all things” (1 Pet. 4:11).

Obviously, from the Scriptures that we have examined, we can indeed deduce that Jesus spent his time on earth glorifying God in every way. First Peter 2:21 informs us: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” If we understand this to mean that Jesus serves as our example, then we must acknowledge that we also have an obligation to glorify God in all things.

This will require us to answer the question, “How should we give God the glory?” Simply put, we should follow Christ’s example. In terms of our priorities, God deserves the glory. Our mission here on earth is quite simple. It is not the accumulation of wealth, power, or fame. No. Instead, it is the seeking and saving of lost souls (Lk. 19:10). It is the teaching and preaching of the Gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15-16). It is indeed letting our light shine so that this lost world might, through us, come to know the Father. In other words, our mission should be to put God at the top of our priorities. When we do this, then and only then, will we be giving God the glory that is rightfully his.

However, just as in the life of Christ, we must learn to glorify God in our pain. It is so hard for us, as people, to accept the fact of troubles producing treasures, fears producing faith, or even problems producing patience. We believe that God should rage against the wicked and reward the faithful. The truth of the matter is that one day that is exactly what God will do. However, in the meantime, according to Matthew 5:45, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

We will struggle, and there will be trials. The question is, “What will we do with them?” Will we continue to praise God and give him the glory? Or, will we turn away and hope for a better day?
James warns us about these trials and tribulations. He says that we should count them as joy, because those very troubles will produce patience (Jas. 1:2-3). When we remem-ber to glorify God, even in the midst of strife, there will be blessings on the other side.

Without question, man is to glorify God. In our priorities, we give him the glory. In our pain, we glorify him. Regardless of the situation or circumstances in which we find ourselves, let us glorify God with all that we are, and all that we have.

Works Cited

• All Bible quotations are taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
• Vine, W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. Eds. W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White, Jr. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1985.