Reformed Recommended Reading on the Glory of God
Isaiah 43:vii "everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
INTRODUCTION
Often times we tin ask ourselves this question, why has God created us? What is the purpose? What exercise the scriptures take to say in regard to this affair? Scripture points out that all things are created for God's glory. We can run across through the word of God that even nature itself glorifies God. Psalm nineteen:i says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork", Psalm viii:1 says "O LORD, our Lord, how regal is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." In fact the Bible tells us all things are to praise God, as it says in Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!"
So from this viewpoint, mankind is also created to ascribe "glory" to God. But what does the give-and-take "glory" mean in the first identify? In gild to apply this passage into our lives, we need to outset understand the meaning of the give-and-take "glory". There are 20 unlike variations of the word 'celebrity' in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and words commonly translated equally "glory", in our English Bibles. Depending on the context in which it is used, "celebrity" can be used in several dissimilar ways. By and large information technology is associated with ascribing splendor and majesty to God, only glory is also used as a verb, as in "to celebrity in something".
When used every bit a verb, "glory" means to put conviction in and boast about or praise something. This may be used in the sense of glorifying in God or Jesus Christ, which the Bible portrays every bit something that is expert, and in the another sense of the word it can mean to glorify in yourself or your own nature, which the Bible portrays equally sinful.
The original Hebrew word (Kabod) means "weight" or "heaviness". This word is also used to express importance, honor and majesty. The word celebrity every bit related to God in the One-time Attestation bears with it the idea of greatness of splendor. In the New Testament, the word translated "celebrity" means dignity, accolade, praise and worship.
With this understanding, allow us read Isaiah 43:7 again, which says "everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Now we that we accept a clearer understanding of the word glory, allow'due south try and unpack how it is that nosotros can fulfill the purpose of giving all celebrity to God, which is the very reason we are fabricated. We are image-bearers of the Almighty God. We are created to bring celebrity to Him, to honor Him, to praise His glorious name, to thank Him for His abundance in our life and to praise Him for His arable grace, the riches of His beloved, His splendor and majesty and a God who is righteous and only and having power in His name that we may come to Him in reverence and awe. This is the very purpose of man – to glorify God in every mode.
If it is now revealed to us that we are formed and created for the celebrity of God, then the next question is, why should we give Glory to God? Isn't that a selfish and prideful attitude for God to need glory to Himself. In this instance it is important to call up that God is the creator and you are the creation. Who are you to question Him, O man? On the other hand, God is gracious in every way and has revealed His discussion for u.s.a. in club for us to empathize and know Him and to know what is the ultimate purpose and skilful in this human action of glorifying God.
Firstly, Glorifying God means to acknowledge His greatness and give Him honor by praising and worshiping Him, primarily considering He, and He lone deserves to be praised, honored and worshiped. 1 Chronicles xvi:28-29 says "Accredit to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Accredit to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come earlier him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;"
Secondly, He is due all celebrity because He gives us our very being itself. Psalm 100:3 says "Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and nosotros are his;" In a worldly sense we are quick to give gratitude and praise to someone nosotros know, that has saved our very life from danger or even from death itself. Sometimes nosotros don't even know how to thank that person for what he/she has washed for us. Nosotros tend to concur that person in high regard and praise their actions. Sometimes we even utilise the phrase "I am forever indebted to you". This shows a kind of gratitude towards that person because of the enormity of their actions toward you and yous feel you owe them something in return but don't know how. You sometimes fifty-fifty use the phrase, "I don't know how I'one thousand e'er going to repay you lot!".
In the same way, what we demand to realize is that not only has God saved our very lives from the wages of sin and decease, and given us eternal life, but that he is the very writer of life; it is the kindness of God to gift united states our very life. When you await at this, isn't it only reasonable that we should glorify Him? Shouldn't we live to Him, seeing that nosotros also "live past Him". Romans 11:36 says: "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
Another reason we are compelled to glorify God is considering all our hopes hang on Him. Psalm 39:vii says "And now, O LORD, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." Not only is our very hope and expectation in Him just He is the source of all things in your life. Psalm 87:7 says "All my springs are in you." The springs of grace, mercy, dearest, faith, provision, healing and everything that will atomic number 82 you to give glory to His Holy Proper noun. Non only that but He gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to come and dice for our sins in our place and to take the sin of the world on His shoulders that we should be cleansed of all sin and made right before God. All of this was given as a free gift that toll us nil, but toll Him everything. You would exist totally and utterly ungrateful, unappreciative and thankless if we then questioned, why should I give God Celebrity, or isn't is selfish for God to demand glory from his own cosmos. He is completely and totally worthy of all glory that is due to his name, and his name simply. Praise God!
And so, how is it that God is glorified through u.s.? There are many ways to do this merely today allow us look at simply some ways we can glorify God?
GLORIFY GOD BY Believing IN HIM
What I would similar to propose today is that, if the chief finish of man is to glorify God then, this is only truly possible when nosotros are most satisfied in Him. Straight abroad we see something pregnant here. When we call up of praise or glory that is given to someone, sometimes information technology tin can be of gratitude and other times we can recall of it as a task, or something we need to do in society to obtain favor. When nosotros retrieve of giving glory to God, we tin often and very easily fall into the trap of thinking of information technology as a demand and that, it just has to be done. From the Christian and Biblical viewpoint this is the very opposite of the intent. We fail to empathize that everything God requires of us is "ultimately" for our proficient. God is for united states of america and non against us. In order to fully fulfill the reason for our creation, then what the Bible says is that; it is only when we glorify God, fulfilling our very purpose – it is and so and only and then that our souls are truly satisfied, feel consummate and fulfilled. Anything outside of this will keep yous wanting and unfulfilled, no matter what and how you endeavour to fill up that hole. By glorifying God, we are pursuing our joy in Him.
First and foremost, in order for us to come up to the place of pursuing our joy in Him and glorying God, it is essential for u.s.a. to be saved. We must come in repentance of our sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through religion in Him, accepting the gratuitous souvenir of the sacrifice of the Christ on the cross equally an atonement for our sins. In this way you will stand justified earlier God the Father. Hebrews eleven:6 says "And without faith information technology is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who seek him."
If nosotros reject the reason for our cosmos, which is to glorify God and we decline Christ by not believing in His name, and so the Bible likewise explains and shows us the upshot of pursuing our satisfaction exterior of God. Jeremiah two:12-13 says "Be appalled, O heavens, at this; exist shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me. The fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, cleaved cisterns that can hold no water." The Bible says that God is against anyone that does not seek their joy in God. Again in Deuteronomy 28:47-48 proverb "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you." And this is exactly what some people are doing. Worshiping their enemy. Our ultimate enemy is Satan, and those without faith are enslaved to practice the things that are of him and not of God. Those who are non of God, are in fact serving the purpose of their enemy – the devil, who wants to completely destroy yous and continue you from the Father in sky. And then I would suggest to those in this situation, wake upwards and do not serve your enemy any longer, but serve the living God who is for you and not against y'all. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:34 "Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not keep sinning."
The word of God shows us the path that nosotros should take in order to find our joy in God. When we pursue this joy in Christ, then it will lead us to glorify God. When you believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will find your ultimate joy in Him. Psalm 37:four says "Delight in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your eye.", and again in Psalm 100:i-two saying "Make a joyful dissonance to the Lord, all the globe! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come up into his presence with singing!"
So past believing y'all not just glorify God and find your fulfillment in Christ, but there is also swell joy in doing so.
Simply information technology does not end at only believing; this is but the beginning. The life that pleases and glorifies God is one that "keeps on growing in knowledge". It is continually seeking to know God better. At this point, I would similar to clarify a misunderstanding that many of us fall into. Growing in the noesis of God is not the same as seeking to acquire how to get more out of God for your own selfish needs. Practise non fall into the mentality of only beingness concerned with how nosotros can tap into God's resources, only to get prayers answered (the manner you lot want to), and how to get God to meet your needs the mode you want to and blackball all of our problems abroad. Question this, is this truly loving God or is it actually loving yourself?
GLORIFY GOD BY DECLARING HIM
The Bible tells usa that all of creation declares His glory. In-fact we read in Psalm 19:ane-four maxim "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out oral communication, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no spoken language, nor are in that location words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes our through all the world, and their words to the end of the world."
If all of creation declare the glory of God, then there is a greater onus for the states to glorify God. This is because we are fabricated in the image of God, we are his image-bearers. If we are epitome-bearers of God, so we need to declare His glory. How tin can we glorify God by declaring Him. The way to declare Him is not just to exist an image-bearer but besides brandish Him in our every action, word and human activity.
Proclaiming God'south glory to the world always begins by taking a look at our ain hearts. We cannot declare that God is higher up every other name if "nosotros" are nevertheless on the throne of our hearts and not God. Nosotros cannot proclaim his excellencies and then seek personal selfish gain, success, approval and affirmation from others etc. Declaring of God's glory starts with our humility. It begins with a life of sacrifice to the one who has given up everything for us.
When we set Christ as number one in our lives and in our hearts, then we are ready free to magnify Jesus. It is simply when nosotros set our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ who freed united states of america from the weight of sin and decease and when your whole life becomes most Him, then in this freedom nosotros observe the life that nosotros were ever meant for, to glorify God and to declare His Celebrity to the world.
Find that we cannot accomplish this in our own strength, it must be the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Romans eleven says "For from him and through him and to him are all things." The power to glorify God and honor him but comes through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. So allow Christ into your life, so that you lot may give up your life to God in order to declare His glory in everything yous do.
one Peter 4:11 says "whoever speaks, equally i who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves as ane who serves past the force God supplied – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
In gild to declare the Glory of God, you must too produce the fruit of your salvation and a display of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. For example when yous plant a fruit tree in your garden. Y'all have loftier expectations of it to produce the fruit of its kind. If it is an apple tree, then you would expect the tree to produce apples. When the tree is full of apple's and the tree is overhanging with abundant fruit, and so people look at the tree and speak of the goodness of the tree.
This is the same for the children of God. In order for united states to flourish like a well-watered constitute and to produce the kind of fruit that declares the glory of God, there are some things nosotros must permit God to do in our lives. Let us continue to expect at the analogy of a tree. If you are a dark-green thumb, you will know some of the secrets of producing more fruit from your garden plants. The first thing when a new tree is planted is that before you even begin to try encourage fruiting on a tree, you need to make sure that the institute is old enough and healthy enough to comport the load. Usually standard fruit trees need anywhere from 5 to 7 years before they are set up to produce. In a similar manner for you lot to produce the fruit of Christ in your life, what y'all require is time, and time for you lot to mature in Christ. There is a requirement of patience. James i:4 says "And let steadfastness have its total effect, that yous may be perfect and complete lacking in nil." What is meant by steadfastness is patience and perseverance. There is a requirement to grow in order to produce fruit. There are many scriptures in the Bible that describe the demand to grow and mature spiritually. Ephesians 4:fifteen says "we are to grow upward in every way into him who is the head, into Christ," and again in ii Peter three:18 maxim "Simply grow in the grace and cognition of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Ultimately this is what is pleasing to God, in-fact Jesus Himself says in John 15:8 "By this my Father is glorified, that you lot conduct much fruit and and then bear witness to be my disciples."
Secondly, at that place is a requirement for pruning. Fruit trees ideally need to be trained in their first few years of growth into the shape you want them to maintain throughout their productive lives. In a similar manner, in order to declare the glory of God yous need to maintain a sure shape. An outward proof of the internal change and this is the shape that declares the glory of God. In lodge to do this, there must be pruning. Getting rid of those things in your life, that is not of God and that doesn't contribute to your life in Christ. It can sometimes be a painful process, where God may discipline y'all, mold you and make yous into the person that declares the glory of God. The end result of the pruning is a cute tree with abundant fruits, and the end results of God'south pruning in your life is a life that shouts out and declares the glory of God through your person.
Ephesians 4:22-32 gives you instruction on exactly what must be pruned in your life. Information technology says "…put of your old self which belongs to your old fashion of life and decadent through deceitful desires, and to exist renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new cocky, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, allow each one of y'all speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and practise not sin; practise non let the sun become down on your acrimony, and requite no opportunity to the devil. Allow the thief no longer steal, only rather allow him labor, doing honest piece of work with his ain easily, and so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but merely such as is good for building up, every bit fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the solar day of redemption. Permit all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put abroad from you lot, along with all malice. Be kind to 1 another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Once this pruning takes place, then y'all brainstorm to meet the fruits of the Spirit, as it says in Galatians 5:22-24 "Only the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; confronting such things in that location is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus take crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
The Bible is very articulate in explaining to us what the fruits of a follower of Christ are. Our example is Christ Himself. If a believers beliefs contradicts what the word says, he is not really transformed in Christ. In-fact the scriptures tell us that if we declare Jesus Christ as Lord and accept a relationship with Him but still walk in the darkness of defiance then nosotros need to test ourselves to see whether we are truly re-generate. 1 John 1:6 says "If we say we accept fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."
Thirdly, you need good soil for your fruit bearing plant to maximize its output. In a similar fashion y'all need to cultivate and nurture yourself which is an intentional move towards seeking and cultivating y'all centre to permit the spiritual seed in you to grow and develop. Jesus tells u.s.a. that those who cultivate good soil in their hearts volition result in hearing the word, accepting it and then finally producing xxx, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. This is the person whose heart is non hard, receiving the give-and-take of God into their lives and working the soil of their hearts, ploughing it, weeding information technology and fertilizing it and then go productive whose end is arable fruit that declares the celebrity of God to all those surrounding it and far across its reaches. Amen.
And then permit usa be united with Christ and equally it says in 2 Peter 1:4 "…become partakers of the divine nature," through the work of the Holy Spirit in u.s. that we boldly declare the glory of God to all those around united states and fulfill the purpose for which we are made.
GLORIFY GOD THROUGH YOUR PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Psalm 50:iii says "The i who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will evidence the salvation of God!". Similarly in the New Testament the Apostle Paul summarizes the way nosotros should order our lives in order to glorify God.
The highest call and purpose of man is the joyful act of glorifying. Notice here, that this is a 'joyful' act. Equally I mentioned earlier when nosotros fulfill the very purpose for which nosotros were created, which is to glorify God and when nosotros do this in worship, information technology is a joyful act and not something we have to put on. What is special nigh glorifying God through worship is that information technology combines the other two points I mentioned above, "Glorifying God by Believing in Him" and "Glorifying God by Declaring Him". When you praise the Lord, you do it considering y'all believe in Him and you have faith in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly when you praise, you are declaring His glory, His laurels, His praise, His ability, His majesty outwardly. And so it is both an inward and outward glorification of God.
God is seeking those who will bring Him celebrity, not just through the Sunday worship time, not but for an hour every twenty-four hours but what He seeks is worship every 24-hour interval, every moment through all our activities. We cannot worship God properly on Sunday or only in our prayer times if we are not worshiping God throughout the week. In-fact 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drinkable, or whatever y'all exercise, do all to the celebrity of God.
Then, the only style to attain "celebrity to God" through worship, is only when information technology is done to Him in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24 says "But the hour is coming, every bit is at present hither, when the true worshipers will worship the Begetter in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." Worshiping the Begetter in spirit is to worship from the middle, from deep within you. It is non the external worship, because external worship tin can as well be performed by those who are not right with God. Matthew 15:8 gives us an example of this, saying "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Now, worshiping the Begetter in truth, is to worship God for all that He is in the majesty of His attributes revealed in all of scripture. We glorify God and worship Him for His love, and non just for His love but besides for His righteousness and justice. We glorify and worship Him for His Kindness, His sovereignty and for His grace. We worship Him, when He gives and when He takes abroad. Job 1:xx-21 says "And he said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I render. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blest be the name of the LORD." We worship God for all of His ways. The Bible is the source of our worshiping in truth, and equally we do this, notice that worship in "spirit" flows out of worship in "truth" through the revealed word of God. Equally you fill up your center and mind with the pure word of God, the truth of God will movement your spirit to praise and love and glorify God through worship in Him. And then today, glorify God through your praise and worship.
Determination
In determination, I hope y'all have at present understood the very essence of why nosotros are created and are image bearers of the living God. The very reason that we were created is to glorify God and nosotros have looked at three essential ways in which this can be washed. By believing in Him, past declaring Him and past worshiping Him.
It is only when you do this you volition be complete, because this is when you lot fulfill the purpose of your very being. Without this, there is a part of you missing, without Christ and the piece of work of the Holy Spirit in your life, you will be e'er left wanting.
So, today if you are struggling to find meaning for your life, that in that location is something missing which you lot merely cannot pinpoint. There is something in you searching for answers and you lot find yourself lacking, without an answer to the sin trouble in your life and having no hope. This is the hereafter in repentance earlier the Lord Jesus Christ and give your life to Him. In fact, he beginning gave His life for you and made atonement for all of your sins on the cross, so that y'all could be washed and made clean, as white as snow before God. Hebrews eight:12 says "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I volition remember their sins no more." You are made righteous in Him. ii Corinthians five:21 says "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is the greatest privilege in our life, so accept some time to come earlier the Lord, cry out to him that you lot may make Him Lord of your life, repent of your sins and believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you volition be able to be consummate, when yous alive for Him, through Him, and by Him, as it says in Romans 11:36 "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
Finally, permit us fulfil our very purpose and walk in the joy of the Lord. Let'southward finish by reading ii Thessalonians 1:12 "then that the proper noun of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and y'all in him, co-ordinate to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Amen. God Bless.
SOURCES:
http://classroom.synonym.com/meaning-celebrity-bible-6654.html
http://www.dabhand.org/Give-and-take%20Studies/Glory.htm
www.puritansermons.com/watson/watson5.htm
www.desiringgod.org/messages/our-grand-obligation#an-essential-
Source: https://endofthematter.com/2018/01/created-for-gods-glory-isaiah-437/
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