Glorify

Glorify (by David Peterson)

In His famous Sermon On The Mountain, Jesus says the following found only in Matthew 5:14-16: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Jesus is saying the kingdom life is within every believer and they are living examples to others who have not seen the light. Jesus continues by telling them that good works done by believers will bring glory to God.

Jonathan Edwards once wrote; “Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory He has displayed? An understanding of the perfections of God, merely, cannot be the end of the creation; for he had as good not understand it, as see it and not be at all moved with joy at the sight. Neither can the highest end of creation be the declaring God’s glory to others; for the declaring God’s glory is good for nothing otherwise than to raise joy in ourselves and others at what is declared.”

In other words, says Tyler Kenney, it would be meaningless for God to create the universe if the highest purpose of the creation was merely to understand or to declare His perfections. Rather, it is when the creation is made happy in understanding and declaring His perfections that God gets the most glory.

Edwards empowered believers to share God’s glory with others and share in that joy!

“The Privileges of the Sons of God” is a hymn written by Joseph Humphreys in 1743. His third verse and refrain is;

They are lights upon the earth,

children of a heav'nly birth;

one with God, with Jesus one,

glory is in them begun:

Refrain:

With them numbered may we be,

here and in eternity.

Humphreys calls all believers “lights” and that they will bring glory to God.

Let us pray: Father God, we pray that the light of Christ in ourhearts may shine brightly before others, in such a way that they may see the good works that we do to glorify You, our Lord and our God. Amen.