Living for the Glory of God
Base Text: Matthew 5:16
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Introduction
The Calling: As Christians, we are called to a life that transcends self-interest. We serve a Father, a King, and a Master who is worthy of all honor. To glorify God simply means to worship, praise, exalt, and magnify Him—to act as a "telescope" that makes His invisible greatness visible to a watching world.
The Danger of Self-Glory: Sadly, it is possible to "know" God but deny Him with our actions (Titus 1:16). Even religious "good works" lose their value if they are performed to harvest human applause. If we are the center of the story, God is sidelined.
The Perfect Model: To understand how to live this out, we must look to Jesucristo. He is the only one who perfectly balanced a life of total human activity with total divine glory.
I. The Pattern: How Jesus Glorified the Father
Jesus didn't just teach about glory; He embodied it. His entire earthly journey was a mission to point eyes toward Heaven.
• A Life of Exaltation: Jesus lived to exalt the Father in every breath (1 Peter 2:21). He never sought a "personal brand" or human fame; His food was to do the will of Him who sent Him.
• The Purpose of Power: When Jesus performed miracles, the end goal was never just the physical healing—it was the spiritual revelation.
◦ When the paralytic walked, the people glorified God (Matthew 9:8).
◦ When the blind man received sight, he followed Jesus, glorifying God (Lucas 18:43).
• From Cradle to Cross: * At His birth, the shepherds returned glorifying God (Lucas 2:20).
◦ During His ministry, the crowds were struck with awe and glorified the God of Israel (Matthew 15:31).
◦ At His death, even the Roman centurion, seeing how Jesus died, glorified God (Lucas 23:47).
• Mutual Glorification: Jesus understood a divine paradox: when He glorified the Father, the Father glorified Him (Juan 13:31–32). Even the tragedy of Lazarus’ death was framed as an opportunity for the glory of God (Juan 11:4).
The Lesson: If the Son of God refused to glorify Himself (Hebrews 5:5), how much more should we seek to deflect all praise back to the Father?
II. The Practice: How We Glorify God Today
If we are to follow Christ, our lives must have a single, unifying purpose: the glory of the Almighty.
• Through Visible Good Works: We are called to be "light." When we do good, the world shouldn't say, "What a great person," but rather, "What a great God they must serve" (Matthew 5:16).
• Through Spiritual Fruitfulness: A branch doesn't eat its own fruit; it displays the health of the vine. We glorify the Father when we bear much fruit (Juan 15:8).
• Through Unity and Conduct: * Unity: Division and envy dim our light. Being of "one mind" allows us to glorify God with one voice (Romans 15:5–6).
◦ Purity: We are not our own; we were bought with a price. Therefore, we must glorify Him in our body and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20).
• Through Truthful Speech: To glorify God with our mouths, we must speak according to His Word—speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where it is silent (1 Peter 4:11). We must avoid the "Diotrephes spirit" that loves to have the preeminence (3 John 9–10).
• Through Faithful Suffering: This is the ultimate test. When we suffer for Christ and remain faithful, we "glorify God in this matter" (1 Peter 4:14, 16). Peter’s own death was described as a way he would "glorify God" (Juan 21:19).
- The God Who Reasons: Learning to Listen from the Almighty
- The stability and faithfulness of a Christian: What Is Your Foundation?
- The Character of a Leader: Lessons from Paul’s Conduct
Conclusion
A life that does not glorify God is a life that has missed its primary objective. Scripture gives us a solemn warning in Romans 1:21 about those who knew God but "did not glorify Him as God."
Let us examine our hearts today:
• In your workplace, who gets the credit?
• In your family, whose will is being done?
• In your trials, is your reaction magnifying God’s sufficiency?
The Final Call: Brothers and sisters, let us live so that our very existence makes God look "big" to those who think He is "small." May every word, action, and decision reflect that we belong to Him. If we do not live for His glory, everything else we do is in vain.
