061. Chapter 56: The Glorification of God
------------ CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX ------------ The Glorification of God
There are no virtues which are not comprehended in the perfect rule of life, the law of God. We have pointed out the most prominent aspects of each commandment in the previous chapters. We shall now consider some of these matters more explicitly, and thus stir up the soul that delights in holiness to practice it.
Virtue: Its Nature and Goal
Virtue is that within man which perfectly harmonizes with the will of God as presented in the law. One may consider virtues in their propensity or in their manifestation. The propensity is the virtuous disposition which God has infused at regeneration and is acquired by way of many exercises. Due to this propensity the virtuous person is active in a holy fashion toward various objects.
He who has one virtue has them all. This is true not only because they are all united -- for one virtue does not exist independently, and in the exercise of one virtue many merge together -- but also because the disposition of the heart is virtuous and capable of being exercised in harmony with the requirement of the object. The holier this disposition is, the holier the ensuing deeds will be. By reason of the exercise of the one virtue, this holy disposition is increased and thus becomes more competent to exercise other virtues. The one virtue (when considered as such) is not superior to another virtue, for they are in perfect harmony with the law under all circumstances. Any conformity to the law less than that is a fault, and therefore sin. However, the objects and circumstances are either greater or less, and in that respect the manifestation of the one virtue is greater than of the other. Furthermore, since man is imperfect, one man has more of this virtuous disposition and its actual manifestation than the other. In regard to the ultimate goal of a virtue, the consideration of the virtue precedes its manifestation. The more that man is illuminated, the more he will focus on loftier matters, setting them before him in order to attain them. A beginning Christian perceives the dreadfulness of eternal condemnation and has confused notions about salvation. This causes him to aim at being delivered from the one and to acquire the other. As such a person is increasingly illuminated, he will focus upon loftier matters and will strive to acquire them. He will do so until he is acquainted with and delights in the highest goal: the glorification of God. Being motivated by this, he uses all means at his disposal to attain to this. A younger Christian, having lesser matters in view, nevertheless ends in the glorification of God, giving thanks for the good that was received. The more mature a Christian becomes, however, the more he will engage himself from the superior to the inferior; that is, love for the glory of God motivates him to do everything which serves to that end. This ultimate goal, the glorification of God, we posit as the primary virtue.
God Glorifies Himself in the Works of Nature and Grace
God first of all glorifies Himself when He reveals His perfections to His creatures -- both in the works of nature as well as in the works of grace.
(1) God glorifies Himself in the works of nature, that is, in creation and preservation. Consider the following passages: "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! When I consider Thy heavens ..." (Psalms 8:1); "In wisdom hast thou made them all" (Psalms 104:24); "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20); "Nevertheless He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good ... from heaven" (Acts 14:17).
(2) God glorifies Himself in the work of grace, by manifesting therein His righteousness: "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness" (Romans 3:25); His wisdom: "To the intent that now ... might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians 3:10); His mercy and grace: "To the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6); His love: "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared" (Titus 3:4). And thus "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3).
Secondly, God glorifies His Son, the Mediator Jesus Christ: "The God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus" (Acts 3:13), and the Son in turn glorifies the Father: "I have glorified Thee on the earth" (John 17:4).
Thirdly, God glorifies His children in this life when He adorns them with His image and exalts them before the eyes of the world. "Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable" (Isaiah 43:4); "And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 16:14). God glorifies them after death: "For it became Him ... in bringing many sons unto glory" (Hebrews 2:10); "Moreover ... whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Romans 8:30). The Lord has all honor and glory infinitely within Himself -- also when there was no creature to acknowledge this. He is "the God of glory" (Acts 7:2), the "King of glory" (Psalms 24:8), and "the Father of glory" (Ephesians 1:17). From this glory emanates a brilliance which even the angels cannot endure. Therefore they cover their faces and cry out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5). When surrounded by this brilliance, man disappears and cries out, "Woe is me! for I am undone ... for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5). The glory of God can neither be decreased nor increased by a creature. His glory remains the same, irrespective of whether man despises or magnifies it. It is pure goodness of God -- who is light, and who covers Himself with light as with a garment and dwells in an unapproachable light -- that He reveals His glory to men in some measure, permitting them to rejoice in this, to glorify, acknowledge, magnify, and praise Him, and to make Him known to others as such. This is felicity and the work of angels. "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14). This is felicity and the work of glorified souls. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power" (Revelation 4:11). This is felicity and the work of believers upon earth who have been formed to the praise of His glorious grace and to show forth His praise (Isaiah 43:21). Every godly person delights in this activity as David did. "I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works" (Psalms 145:5). The Glorification of God To glorify God is to acknowledge Him, praise Him, and to make Him known unto others with love, joy, and reverence, in response to beholding His perfections. The glorification of God flows forth from beholding His perfections. The knowledge of God is in consequence of faith or as a result of beholding. The apostle distinguishes between these two in 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Faith acknowledges God to be as He has revealed Himself in His Word. In the Word of God the perfections of God are described as they manifest themselves in the works of nature, and particularly as they shine forth in the face of Jesus Christ -- that is, in the great work of redemption. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Faith takes notice of all that the Word expresses about God, and particularly as He made Himself known to Moses. "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6). Faith establishes these as certain truths and acknowledges God to be thus. Such faith causes man to conduct himself toward such a God as He is worthy of and is appropriate for him. Yes, to believe is to glorify God. "He (Abraham) ... was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:20). Even if a believer had nothing beyond faith that God is such a God in Christ and such a God for him, and did not perceive the sensible manifestation of this within himself, he must proceed on that basis, rejoice, and in love and joy acknowledge, magnify, and praise Him as such. This is the error of many gracious souls -- they do neither sufficiently esteem the view of faith, nor accustom themselves to glorify God thereby.
Even though the Lord has reserved this immediate beholding for heaven, He nevertheless grants His children some measure of this according to His promise. "I ... will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
Although all believers are not placed with Moses in the cleft of the rock when the Lord proclaimed His Name, are not all taken along to the mountain where Jesus was glorified, and are not all drawn to the third heaven with Paul, the Lord occasionally gives His children a superior view of Himself by faith and a clearer view of His perfections. Faith, and this clear view of God, is the fountain from which the glorification of God proceeds. This view of God begets love to the glory of His Name. He who beholds the perfections of God will immediately be ignited in love -- not only to be personally united with the Beloved One, but to exalt and praise all the attributes of God, and also to make them known to others, so that the Lord may be glorified by many. "Let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified" (Psalms 70:4). Out of this knowledge and love issues forth joy, and a delightful acquiescence that God is such a glorious and blessed God. "The humble shall see this, and be glad" (Psalms 69:32); "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psalms 97:12).
Such a person having been rendered capable through knowledge, love, and joy, makes the glory of God his ultimate objective. Motivated by love, he does whatever he can to promote that objective, relates everything to that objective, and ends in that from which his activity originated. Many psalms begin and end with hallelujah. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever" (Romans 11:36). This is the command: "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31); "... that God in all things may be glorified" (1 Peter 4:11). The Manner in Which God is Glorified
Having a delight in this objective, and making this their goal in all things, the godly endeavor to glorify God personally and together with others. They personally glorify God with the heart, tongue, and deeds.
First of all, they glorify Him with the heart.
(1) They do so when they observe God in all His works, occupying themselves in the beholding of the perfections of God which manifest themselves in these works. "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord" (Psalms 107:43); "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee" (Psalms 139:17-18); "My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord" (Psalms 104:34).
(2) They do so when between God and their soul they in adoration lose themselves in the glories of God and acquiescently exclaim, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalms 145:3); "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it" (Psalms 139:6).
(3) They do so when, with holy motions within, they exalt the Lord above everything and praise His Name in solitude. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts" (1 Peter 3:15).
Secondly, they glorify Him with the tongue. The heart, being filled with holy meditation, sets everything in motion. Not being able to refrain themselves, they express themselves in solitude as David did: "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name" (Psalms 103:1); "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more. My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof" (Psalms 71:14-15). The soul, forgetting herself in the beholding of the perfections of God, breaks forth in jubilation, and the high praises of God will be in her mouth (Psalms 149:6). Such reflections cause the "lips of those that are asleep to speak" (Song of Solomon 7:9), and give "songs in the night" (Job 35:10). "Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Psalms 42:8); "... singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).
Thirdly, they glorify Him with deeds. They do so,
(1) when, with the objective to render God honor and glory, they humble themselves before the Lord as a sinner and as one worthy of condemnation, and flee to Him for grace, thus rendering Him honor for His mercy;
(2) when they request all that they desire from the Lord, thus acknowledging Him as the origin and giver of all good things;
(3) when they humbly bow before Him to honor Him in His adorable majesty;
(4) when they, motivated by the fear of God, subdue a stirring sin, thus rendering Him honor for His holiness and stupendous majesty;
(5) when they take refuge to Him for protection and without fear hide in Him, thus glorifying Him in His omnipotence and faithfulness;
(6) when they make themselves available to God for service, saying, "Oh Lord, surely I am Thy servant, I am Thy servant," thus rendering Him honor for His sovereign dominion and His worthiness to be served;
(7) when they, in all manner of crosses, silently subject themselves to Him, thus rendering Him honor for His wisdom and compassion. They do so in all circumstances and exercises, thereby rendering Him honor for those attributes which manifest themselves at such occasions. If you engage in these and other activities, the glorification of God is indeed implied in this -- even though you are then most sensitive to your own salvation. You must, however, strive for loftier objectives and accustom yourself to magnify God in response to lively views of Him, and thus begin and end everything with the glory of God.
We glorify God relative to others with words and deeds. We first of all do so with words if we -- having as our objective to make the glory of God known to others so that they also may glorify that God who is worthy of all honor -- instruct others in the way of salvation, and in various ways lead them to the Lord Jesus, stirring them up to faith and repentance, and by admonishing and rebuking them.
We also glorify God if we speak of Him and His deeds to others in order to show them the glory of God in all His works. "O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works" (Psalms 105:1-2); "... declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted" (Isaiah 12:4).
Secondly, we do so with deeds and our entire life if we, having as our objective the glorification of God, conduct ourselves in such a fashion in the presence of people that the image of God shines forth. God is invisible and the natural man neither knows nor sees God in either the works of nature or the works of grace. If, however, a child of God who is a partaker of the image of God manifests this image in his conduct, the heart of an unconverted person will frequently be powerfully convicted that there is a God -- and that He is to be honored, feared, loved, and served. It is a means whereby some begin to seek the way of salvation and are converted. A regenerate person, seeing the image of God shine forth in another, is stirred up in the love and fear of God, and some who are in a backslidden state thereby come to repentance and are restored to their former zeal. And even if our conduct does not have this effect, we nevertheless glorify the Lord as far as we ourselves are concerned; that is, if the intent is there to show by our conduct that God is such a God. As a reward, one will carry a sweet peace of conscience homeward. This is the command of the Lord Jesus: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16); "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8). The apostle Peter desires that women would thus endeavor to win their husbands: "... that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives" (1 Peter 3:1).
Man’s Grievous Failure to Glorify God The manner in which one glorifies God is evident from the foregoing. He who loves God and finds delight in honoring Him and in the glorification of His Name will experience much grief when he observes the conduct of men in this respect.
First, let your eyes scan the entire earth for a moment. Observe how, on the one hand, God does not leave Himself without witness in that He does good -- gives rain and fruitful seasons from heaven, and fills the hearts of men with food and gladness. Observe how God in His works manifests His eternal power and Godhead, His glory and awesome majesty, and His longsuffering and mercy. Over against this, observe the conduct of men. The hearts of all men (with a few exceptions) are turned away from the Lord. They forget Him and neither acknowledge, thank, nor glorify Him. They act as if God does not exist, is not indeed glorious and worthy of all honor, and as if all that they are and receive does not proceed from Him. They are all as the swine who, with their faces downward, gather the acorns, but who do not look up toward the tree from which they fall. Such is also the case with man. Man eagerly accepts all good things but does not look up to the Lord who gives them -- yes, even abuses them against Him. A lover of God‘s honor, attentively observing this, finds reason to sorrow and mourn. Ought not the high, exalted, and glorious God be honored for all His benevolence? Oh corrupt, crooked, and perverse generation! In focusing upon man he will grieve over his misery -- that he does not answer to the purpose for which he was created, is void of that felicity, and thus becomes and remains subject to the wrath of God.
Secondly, you who are lovers of God‘s honor, consider the church for a moment. Is not that a people who should glorify God, who have been formed for that purpose, and who should be the glory of Christ? How sad is the condition of the church in regard to this! A great number -- the exception being the godly who by the extraordinary goodness of God are still present there -- are void of knowledge, void of love, void of the fear of God, void of a desire to approach unto God, void of the appearance of godliness, and void of a striving to render God honor. Men are generally worldly, live according to their lusts, and hate that which is good and those who do good; some are worse in their conduct than other sects -- yes, more than the heathen. For their sake the name of God is blasphemed. Seek solitude and mourn over this; let tears quietly drip from your eyes, call them Ichabod, and complain, "How has the faithful city become a harlot, and how has the crown fallen from her head!"
(1) There are those who openly serve the world and who mock with godliness and the godly. There are drunkards, gamblers, dancers, show-offs, backbiters, liars, rancorous individuals, and men of evil temper -- in one word, all manner of ungodly men. It would be one thing if these people were outside the realm of the church; however, they are to be found within her, and thus they rob the church of her glory and dishonor God and Christ, the Head of the church.
(2) Others attend the public worship services; they join in singing the praises of God, arise or bow down during prayer; both write and say, "Praise and thanks be unto God," speak of God and His Word, and yet manifest by their deeds that it is merely routine, custom, and the work of the mouth and not from the heart. In this they follow hypocritical Israel, of whom we read in Psalms 78:36-37, "Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant." God speaks against such. "Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder" (Isaiah 29:13-14).
(3) Others are of the opinion that they perceive, love, and magnify the glory of God in an exceptional manner when they consider creation with amazement and delight, even though they do not get beyond creation. This occurs when they are in ecstasy about the elegant features of the heavens (be it in the evening, at night, or in the morning), when they rejoice in a beautiful forest or meadow, or when they attentively observe the formation of animals and vegetation, and show this to others. Their verbal reference to the Creator when speaking of this -- while they neither observe Him in that work, rejoice in His attributes which manifest themselves in that work, nor lovingly praise Him -- does not qualify as the glorification of God, but rather as the adoration of the creature. In such a case they do not point others to the Creator, but frequently to themselves as being so wise in searching this out and finding such delight in glorifying God. However, the adoration of the glory of God in the works of nature is something entirely different from this and cannot be explained by the natural man.
(4) Others go beyond this and yet do not glorify God. There are those who make the Word of God the object of their study, search out its mysteries, find delight in acquiring knowledge about a mystery, and are amazed about the wisdom of its structure -- that is, about the fulfillment of the prophecies, the wondrous matters which still must come to pass, yes, even about heavenly matters. Such are of the opinion that they are doing a holy work and are thereby glorifying God. Furthermore, the result of this is that sins which the world commits, and which they also have committed previously, have no effect upon them. They are so earnestly involved in acquiring knowledge of biblical matters, that this earnest endeavor engages all their affections and occupies all their time. Since they now find satisfaction in this knowledge, they have no need of being entertained by other things. Furthermore, external knowledge results in external purification. "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ..." (2 Peter 2:20). All of this does not constitute a glorifying of God, but is a case of not getting any further than the external. 1 Corinthians 13:2 speaks of this: "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Temporal believers, who receive the Word with joy (Luke 8:13), can attain to this. Of such Paul says: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come ..." (Hebrews 6:4-5). Balaam spoke of himself in this manner: "The man whose eyes are open hath said: he hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open" (Numbers 24:15-16). Let no one therefore be satisfied with these things, being of the opinion that he glorifies God, lest he be deceived at the end. Instead, we must endeavor in all things to behold God as our God in Christ, be kindled with love toward Him, and praise God by virtue of such a disposition. This is what constitutes glorifying God. The Serious Consequences of Not Glorifying God
Therefore, you who desecrate the Lord‘s Name and do not glorify the Lord, give heed! The purpose for which you were created and the reason that the Lord has bestowed so many temporal and spiritual blessings upon you is to glorify God. Even though this may not appear to be a sin to you, and you lightly step over it, it is nevertheless a fierce evil and makes you subject to the dreadful wrath of God. Pay careful attention to what I shall briefly say to you, and may it cause you to repent.
First, it is a truth known to all that whatever does not meet the objective of its existence is good for nothing. You have been created to glorify your Creator. All the blessings which God has bestowed upon you obligate you to this. You are, however, ignorant of that purpose; you do not love it, do not strive for it, and do not engage yourself in it. Rather, you dishonor Him and show contempt for Him in all that you do. What is even worse, you furthermore embolden yourself to intermingle with His people, sit with them at the Lord‘s table, and profess to be one of God‘s children. With that reputation, you live an ungodly and worldly life and thus cause the name of the Lord to be blasphemed (Romans 2:24). You thus observe that you do not meet the objective of your existence and ought to be cast away as an unworthy one. Take notice that the following is said to you: "If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:6). To abide in Christ is to remain united to Him by faith and to bring forth holy fruits by virtue of that union, in which the Father is glorified (John 15:8). This, however, is not true for you, and you will therefore be cast out with contempt and be burned.
Secondly, you have brought yourself into a situation -- this being true as long as you remain this way -- which does not permit you to engage yourself in those activities by which God is glorified by His own. You were not willing to do it, and now you will also not do it; God does not even want you to glorify Him in such a manner. Observe this in Psalms 50:15-16 : "And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth?"
Thirdly, since you do not honor God, but despise Him, God will also despise you and make you contemptible. You envision glory and honor, but God will cover you with shame. "Them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Samuel 2:30). This will come upon you; the Lord says it and He will also do it. Apply to yourself what is written in Malachi 2:9 : "Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept My ways." When you die, you will leave a stench behind, you will have the burial of a donkey, and you "shall be an abhorring unto all flesh" (Isaiah 66:24). And when you will arise at the resurrection, you "shall awake ... to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). This will be the end for all who did not glorify God in this life.
Fourthly, since you do not glorify God, He will give you over to the commission of all manner of sin -- particularly the dishonoring of your own body by filthy lusts. "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, ...wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves" (Romans 1:21
Fifthly, let me bring this to a single conclusion: God will glorify Himself in you by manifesting His righteousness and by punishing you in an extraordinary manner. What a dreadful condition it is to be the object of God‘s wrath! It will be such that men and angels will see it and with approval will acquiesce therein, saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments" (Revelation 16:7). When Nadab and Abihudid not glorify God, God consumed them with fire from heaven, and it is stated in addition to this, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified" (Leviticus 10:3). Of Pharaoh we read in Romans 9:17, "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show My power in thee, and that My Name might be declared throughout all the earth." If God glorifies Himself by punishing those who do not glorify Him, then He does not wish that we lament for them. Instead He says, "Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord" (Amos 6:10). On the contrary, it is God‘s will that we would rejoice and glorify the Lord when He executes His righteous vengeance. "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily He is a God that judgeth in the earth" (Psalms 58:10-11). Hear this, despisers of God, and tremble, for your judgments are approaching. Repent and flee from the wrath to come. The Shortcomings of God’s Children in Glorifying God
Lovers of God‘s honor, consider also for a moment the precious daughters of Zion. Rejoice indeed if you perceive in them that secret yearning, weeping, waiting, praying, rejoicing over comforting experiences, thanking for received blessings, and a willingness to live a life pleasing unto God and to fully surrender to the service of God. However, what weak and feeble children they generally are! How little beholding there is of God! How little determination there is to glorify God personally as well as in the presence of others! How readily this objective disappears from our thoughts! How little zeal, earnestness, perseverance, and display there is in this respect! How frequently they are faint-hearted! How much weakness and sinfulness manifests itself in their walk! Oh, if only the godly would walk as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and that one could see that the love of God possesses their hearts, that the fear of God is before their eyes, and that they are adorned with the image of Christ! Then one would be able to observe that they have died to self, their own honor, the love of others, advantages, conveniences, and the fear of man. Then it would be observed that they exist not only for the honor of God, but that God‘s honor is their objective in all things, and is maintained as the goal of all their deeds. "How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!" (Lamentations 4:1). Therefore lament and mourn that God is glorified so little, even by His own children, and let this grieve you in your heart.
Exhortation to Glorify God
However, you yourself ought to especially endeavor in the future to glorify God while you are still here. It should not be sufficient for you to hate and flee sin, live a godly life and do godly deeds in which the glorification of God is implied. Rather, elevate your heart to a higher level of godliness, which consists in having the glory of God as your objective in your entire conduct. Focus continually upon this goal so that by continual exercise you may attain to a habitual tendency in this respect. I will endeavor to stir you up to that end, and you must also endeavor to be stirred up by this.
First, let God‘s requirement and continual exhortations penetrate your heart. Consider attentively these few texts selected out of many. "Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God‘s" (1 Corinthians 6:20); "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). I do not hold these texts before you to teach and confirm an unknown truth to you, but by means of my pen to deeply impress this matter upon you and to incite you to engage in this with an obedient heart, knowing that this is not a peripheral activity, but that you ought not to do anything else but this. Have you yourself not determined to obey the Lord and have you not frequently asked Him, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" This then is His answer to you: "Glorify Me; let that be your objective in all things. Let that be the principle motivating you to engage yourself, and let that be the goal where you end and in which you rest." Therefore do so at this very moment and begin at once, lest you prove to be an insincere inquirer.
Secondly, on this occasion I will hold before you the example of the Lord Jesus and His saints. Examples are highly effective in motivating others. Do not harden your heart, but become pliable and willing to imitate them. You love the Lord Jesus, do you not? Love strives for conformity. Your Jesus has left you an example in order that you would follow in His footsteps. And is it not your personal prayer, "Draw me, and I shall run after Thee"? It was, however, Jesus‘ objective in all that He did to glorify His Father. "... that Thy Son also may glorify Thee ... I have glorified Thee on the earth" (John 17:1
Thirdly, consider for a moment from whom your life, breath, and whatever you possess proceed -- the air which you breathe; the sun, moon, and stars which illuminate and delight you; the heavens which cover you; the earth on which you walk; the food and drink you partake of; and the animals which you use. Does all this proceed from you? Are you worthy of them? Is not all this the Lord‘s? Is it not He who, each day again, grants you His goodness in spite of your unworthiness and sinfulness? Yes, children of God, is it not the Lord who has granted you that precious Savior, who grants you the Holy Spirit, who graces you with spiritual light and life, and who has prepared eternal glory for you? Everything will return from whence it proceeded. Therefore let your heart, while conscious of your insignificance and reflecting upon the inestimable value of the blessings and goodness of the Lord, also bring all this to Him, and with a heart filled with love and adoration cry out, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
Fourthly, consider the purpose for which God has placed you upon the earth. Is it only to labor and to rest, to eat and to drink, and to return again to nothing after many troubles and activities? Dic, cur hic? Tell me, why are you here? Is it to know, acknowledge, and glorify your Maker? And, children of God, to what end has He regenerated you and placed you in His church? Did He do so without purpose? Is it merely to lead you by that way to heaven? No, but it is that you would glorify Him upon earth. Observe this in the following passages: "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise" (Isaiah 43:21); "... that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3); "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). You would not have been born, you would not live, and you would not receive and have what you enjoy, if this were not the purpose. If this is the purpose, what else is there to do for you but this? God has, to some degree, been pleased to place His interests and honor into your hand, and has appointed you to be the heralds of His Name. Ought you then not to see to it how you preserve this precious gift entrusted to you, and how you answer to God‘s purpose and engage in this inestimable activity? Well, arise therefore, and engage in it with delight.
Fifthly, God is worthy of it, and it is His due that both you and all that exists glorify Him, even if neither salvation, sweetness, nor advantage were to be gained from this. He is worthy of being glorified even if we had not been created for that purpose; even if it were our choice to do or abstain from something without sinning. He is worthy of being glorified even if we were not obligated to do so in light of many benefits received. If but a small ray of the Lord‘s glory were to irradiate the soul, one would say, "It suffices me that God is God, and that He alone is worthy of all things. I choose to magnify Him, and desire that this be my only work both in this life and to all eternity." God is worthy to be eternally glorified, even if there were no creature in heaven or upon earth. As soon as a creature exists, however, the Lord obligates this creature to glorify Him for the sole reason that He is God. This reason cannot motivate man unless God reveals Himself to him and causes him to see and experience the power and glory of the Godhead. The faint light of nature and the clarity of Scripture may convince an unconverted person of his duty, and in a natural way he may initiate something. If, however, the light of grace, unveiling the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ, irradiates the believing soul, she will truly engage herself in rendering God honor and glory. She may do so when being ashamed before His holiness, while sinking away before His majesty, revering and trembling before His grandeur, adoring His incomprehensible infinity, being filled with love due to His preciousness, or rejoicing in His goodness, and so forth -- all according to the manner in which the Lord reveals Himself to the soul. Then, if man had a thousand bodies and a thousand souls, he would willingly surrender them to be spent in the glorification of God. He would consider them all too insignificant to be permitted or be able to proclaim the praises of the Lord, and he would consider it a sufficient reward to be consumed in doing so. Then, yes, then one will rejoice that everything is subject to the Lord and that everything stands ready when He but speaks. It is the delight of such a person to think that all angels and the souls of the perfectly righteous in heaven and all the children of God upon earth have their eyes focused upon Him, expecting all salvation from Him, loving Him, rejoicing in Him, reverently bowing before Him, joyfully jubilating the honor of the glory of His majesty, and infinitely exalting Him above all praise. They consider themselves as being unworthy of seeing, thinking, or speaking anything concerning the Lord, it being an inexpressible grace that a creature be permitted to do so. Is not this able to lift up your heart and to exclaim with them, "Lord! Thou art worthy to receive glory and power"? Therefore, ready soul, render the Lord honor, because He is worthy of it. The Spiritual Advantages of Glorifying God
Sixthly, since the Lord wishes to stir us up by that which is to our advantage, we must therefore let ourselves be stirred up by this. Consider therefore the advantage afforded to a soul which glorifies God.
(1) It is a great honor to be a means whereby God is glorified, for it is the greatest, most holy, and most exalted task. Of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel it is said to their honor, "Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His Name" (Psalms 99:6). It is the work of angels, for they cry out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3). They shouted for joy when God formed the earth (Job 38:7), and they sang upon the birthday of Christ: "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:14). The saints in heaven are engaged in this and this will be the eternal occupation of the elect (Revelation 4:11).
(2) It affords the soul great joy. The glorification of God is not such a heavy, grievous, melancholy, or detrimental task, so that many incentives need to be used to pressure someone to engage in this -- for it is man‘s felicity. Felicity is to find delight and joy in the Lord‘s perfections, to love them, and to magnify the Lord in them. They who are as yet unacquainted with this remain unacquainted with their highest felicity. How David delighted himself in this and how delightful did he hold this out to be! "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High: to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, for Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. O Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep" (Psalms 92:1-2
(3) It is pleasing to God. He is delighted when His children glorify Him, deem it to be their delight, joy, and felicity, and do so as much as they are able. "But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel" (Psalms 22:3); "I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs" (Psalms 69:30-31). This is as a burnt offering. "The humble shall see this, and be glad" (vs. 32).
(4) The Lord rewards them abundantly. "Them that honour me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). While Paul and Silas sang praises unto God, the doors of the prison were opened and the bands of all the prisoners were loosened (Acts 16:25-26). If someone promotes God‘s honor, God will also care for his honor. If someone renders glory to God among men, God will also cause him to find honor, love, and favor among men. If someone is for God, God will also be for him. "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Psalms 91:14-16).
(5) If God‘s honor is our objective in all things, all our endeavors will be performed in a more pure and holy fashion. The goal stimulates the laborer, dictates the means to him, and makes even heavy labor light. If we love God‘s honor, we shall deny our own. We shall follow a straight pathway to that goal and will not be concerned about what is either to our advantage or disadvantage. We shall overcome all opposition and step over all obstacles. We shall have rest after the task has been accomplished, for our objective was pure and the means were in harmony with God‘s precepts. We shall not fear the light, but shall desire to be seen and examined, "that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:21).
(6) It is a means to the conversion of the unconverted and it quickens the godly to magnify God. Behold, there you have the benefits which are comprehended in that holy and glorious work. Therefore, you whose soul indeed delights to do this, considering them blessed who practice this, engage yourself to do so. "Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee" (Psalms 84:4).
Exhortation to Persevere in Endeavoring to Glorify God
Objection: Some of the godly who read or hear this will look up against this as a matter too high for them. Others will be grieved, perceiving on the one hand the gloriousness and preciousness of this matter, and on the other hand, how far they come short, and how impossible it is to come to such a state. Others will excuse themselves, either to aggravate their misery or to quietly excuse themselves, pacifying their conscience somewhat in not striving for this. They reason as follows: I do not behold the glory of God; I do not perceive any sweetness or efficacy in this. If I make a start, it is but the work of my mind and I do it more rationally than with a loving heart. I am too sinful; sins overwhelm me and hold me captive. I am therefore all too happy that I may flee to Jesus time and again to make use of Him unto justification, and thus resolve afresh to guard against sin. I cannot determine what my spiritual state is and I do not know whether I have been regenerated and am a child of God. I am so entangled in the care of earthly things that I generally cannot perceive any stirrings in my heart. I am so overwhelmed by my cross -- one calamity following another -- that I always remain down so that it is even difficult to observe my devotional time. When I do observe it I perceive myself to be confused, listless, and discouraged. How would I then be capable of such a lofty work -- to initiate everything from a view of and out of love toward the glorification of God, and to end in this?
Answer (1) Your state is at once to be pitied as it is subject to rebuke. See to it that you do not flatter yourself, for it will not excuse you to have neglected this great work. You were created to that end, the Lord has blessed you to that end, and He has begun His work of grace in you to that end.
(2) The Lord has children of various ages and sizes, but they nevertheless have the same Spirit and the same spiritual life. That life also functions identically in all, although not to the same degree. The least of them has some knowledge of the Lord, and not only knows that it is his duty to glorify the Lord, but already has a desire for and an inclination toward this. He already glorifies God by the fact that the world knows him not to be one of them, but that, as they say to their own condemnation, he has become one of those strict ones. They also manifest to some degree that the Spirit of Christ is in them and their good works begin to manifest themselves, even if this is as yet in a very small measure. And even if the little ones are as yet not capable of being motivated to undertake something out of love and with that end in view, they nevertheless end in the glorification of God -- thanking Him if they have received something from the Lord and grieving if they have done anything whereby godliness, the godly, and thus also God are dishonored.
(3) Therefore, follow the inclination lying at the bottom of the heart: to glorify God. Begin by making this more and more your objective. Remain within the sphere of your spiritual strength; that is, let a child be a child, a young man a young man, and a father a father, being satisfied with the measure of grace which you presently have, while having a strong desire and striving to attain to a higher degree of such grace in the future. The obstacles mentioned frequently spring forth from neglect to glorify God and are removed by diligent endeavor. Therefore do not wait until these difficulties are removed, for then you will never initiate it. Rather, engage in this task as much as you are able, along with all the shortcomings which manifest themselves contrary to your wishes. Do not desist if you fall, but arise again and strive increasingly to break through, and the Lord will help, for "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength" (Isaiah 40:29).
(4) Do not cease to pray that you also may be granted the privilege to glorify God, and that you may receive the ability to do so. Look to others who have made more progress than you have; fellowship with them and learn from them. Accustom yourself to have that objective always in view -- however far you may be astray from your objective -- and you will experience that you will increase in this; and as you increase in this, you will increase in all things. May the Lord send forth His light and truth to you, that they may lead you. Amen.