So, I’m supposed to love God and do what he commands, why? I eat because I’m hungry. I sleep because I’m tired. I drink because I thirst. I don’t feel a need to glorify God, so why should I?
Q: Why ought you to glorify God?
A: Because He made me and takes care of me.
(Romans 11:36; Revelation 4:11; cf. Daniel 5:23)
Just as we saw in our first study, Romans 11:36, all things are from God, through God, and to God. That is to say; God made everything, he sustains everything, and he is the goal of everything. God’s goal in creation is his own glory. Or, the purpose of creation is to show the majesty of the One who created it. When we ponder on God’s majesty, holiness, and beauty we are driven, as Paul was in Romans, to say “To him be glory forever. Amen.” God is glorious and so his creation shows that he is glorious. When a master artist paints a masterpiece, we see the mastery he possesses. He had it before we saw it, but when we see the painting, we can’t deny the mastery of the artist. Much more with God and his glory. His creative work is astounding. He would be glorious even if he had never created, but because he did, we see his glory and must give him his due. Our giving glory to God is due him because he made us, because he sustains us, and because that is why he made us.
When we stop and think on God creating all things, we must realize, God not only made us, but everything we have as well. If you don’t feel like God is caring for you, perhaps you should ask yourself what is one thing that you have that God didn’t create. Be careful, you might be tempted to look at things you made and say, “God didn’t give me that, I made it myself.” Where did the materials come from? Where did the talents you possess come from? What about the air you were breathing in while you were hard at work? God’s creative work of all things is part of his caring for us.
Again, as we have already seen in our studies, in Revelation 4:11, we see the worship of God in heaven centered around giving him glory for his work of creation. He is worthy to receive glory because he created. As part of that creation, we each have a responsibility to glorify God, because he is worthy of it.
In Daniel chapter 5, we see the consequences of failing to glorify God. King Belshazzar dishonored God by taking the vessels set apart for the worship of God in the Jerusalem Temple, and used them in a feast, not to the living God, but to dead idols. Belshazzar honored created things instead of the Creator, and it cost him his life. Glorifying God isn’t merely a good thing to do, it is expected.
The truth is we all glorify something or someone all the time. The question isn’t whether you will glorify something or someone, the question is whom will you glorify? To whom, or to what will your heart and life point and say, “He made me and takes care of me?” Will it be yourself? Will you say “I made myself and I take care of myself” by loving yourself and doing whatever you desire? Will you say, “Money made me and takes care of me” by living a life devoted to the numbers in your bank or investment account? Look to your life, look at your own heart to see what you love. These will tell you who you really believe made you and takes care of you.
In all these we see that the glorious God who creates us and sustains us is worthy of all glory. Remember from the fourth study in this series, that to glorify God means to love him and do what he commands. Honor him by loving him as One who is most glorious, and honor him by keeping all his commands, which like his creation, show just how glorious he is. We can most know and glorify God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” In Christ the resplendent glory of God shines forth. He is the very nature of the Father; he keeps all creation in existence by his mere word. Christ Jesus today is gloriously enthroned at the right hand of the Father, having made purification for sins for all those who turn to the Glorious one through him. Glorify God by loving Christ, and doing all that he commands!
Yours in Christ,