My previous post was about Ephesians 3:20-21, which is the close of Paul’s prayer:
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
God can do more than we can imagine, and that calls us to praise him as a way to give him glory.
I have heard some unbelievers say that God must really be petty and selfish if he demands that people praise him. Well, I don’t think he really demands our praise, but the important truth about praise is that it’s not really for God’s benefit. It’s for our benefit. And that doesn’t mainly mean it makes us feel good, although frequently it does if it’s genuine praise. Praising God’s greatness brings to us the benefit of keeping an accurate perspective. It helps us stay clear on who God is and who we are. It reminds us and enables us to hang onto the principle that the Lord is God and we are not. To put it bluntly, and perhaps a little harshly, it keeps us in our place. (And because the one who is God is full of love, compassion, grace and goodness, it’s good to stay in our place and let him be God.) To put it a little more softly, praise helps us stay humble.
I think this is the key meaning of God’s glory for us (I’m not sure what it all means for him.) “Glory” sums up God’s greatness, his transcendence, his majesty – his surpassing power and knowledge and purpose. To say “to him be glory” means we live for God’s honor; we live for God’s greatness to be accurately known and rightly appreciated.
So, in addition to praise, we are to be living in a way for God’s greatness to be on display, out in the open. We are to live so God can be showing what he is capable of, doing what he is able to do.
I think a piece of what Paul was praying was that people will let God do what he can do. Believe and act so God can show his greatness, can do more than we can imagine. May it be obvious that God is at work in us, showing us and the world what he can do, and be glorified.
Nik Ripken was a missionary in Somaliland in the 1990s. It was a time of civil war, persecution, poverty, killings. When he and his family left that nation, they could see little difference from when they arrived. Nik didn’t know if we could expect differences to happen in such horrible circumstances. He set out to see if it was even possible for God to bring good results in those situations. He traveled to nations where Christians had or were being severely persecuted. He talked to the people and listened to their stories. While traveling in southeast Asia (specific names and places must remain anonymous) he received an e-mail from a doctor asking Nik to come to the nation he was in. Nik had a full schedule so had to decline. The doctor persisted – sent more e-mails – got more insistent: “I really think you should come now… I really believe God wants you to come here now.” Nik replied, “No – stop asking.” One day Nik got a phone call from folks in a country he planned to visit. The caller told him 18 pastors had been arrested, and it would be better not to come. A few days later, another call came from his next planned destination – some of the people had been in a car accident, some were sick in the hospital, and others were under tight surveillance by authorities, so it was not a good time for him to visit. Now Nik had two weeks open. He called the doctor who had been emailing: “I guess I’ll be coming your way after all.” He flew in to a small airport with a dirt runway. The doctor met him. Five men wearing traditional Muslim clothing stood behind him. Nik asked, “Who are your friends?” The doctor replied, “You don’t know who they are?” Nik: “No.” Doctor: “Well, if you don’t know these men and I don’t know them, then we have a serious security problem. They told me they had come to meet you. So, I’m going to have to leave you now. If everything turns out all right, call me and I’ll come get you.” The doctor walked away. Nik tried to avoid the 5 men. They followed him, and one of the men said, “Sir, stop. We are followers of Jesus.” Nik still was not sure, but he went with them to a small apartment in the town. The men told him, “You may think you know why you came here. But we would like to tell you why you are really here.” They told their stories. The 5 did not know each other until a few months before. Each had dreams or visions that raised spiritual questions and sent them on a search for answers. Each found a Bible and read it. Each decided to follow Jesus. Each of their families disowned them. Each fled his native country. Each made their way to this town. Somehow they found each other and started studying the Bible, praying, and encouraging one another. They prayed: “God, we don’t know how to do this. We know how to be Muslims in a Muslim environment. But we don’t know how to follow Jesus in a Muslim environment. Send us someone who knows about persecution, someone who knows what other believers are doing, someone who can encourage and teach us.” They told Nik that morning “the Holy Spirit told us to go to the airport and go to the first white man we saw. The Holy Spirit told us he was sending this man to answer our questions.” They smiled at Nik and said, “So, that is why you are here. Now you can do what God has called you here to do.” (from the book The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken)
Through the believing, searching, praying, listening, obeying, taking chances, and adjusting by his people, God shows what he can do in us. He is glorified. His greatness shows. He does what nobody else can do and his people experience his greatness – he is glorified.
This example from Nik Ripken is dramatic. It’s not an everyday occurrence. I have never experienced anything so striking. But I have experienced God working in me, around me, and even through me. In spite of or in conjunction with my weaknesses, struggles, disobediences, and erroneous ideas and beliefs. God works, accomplishes his will, works out his purposes with people he loves and calls. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
This brings me, as a lot of things do these days, to the truth that humanity was created in the image of God. God created mankind so he could show himself to all of his creation through humans who partner with him. We rightfully belong to him for his purposes. Disciples of Jesus are being transformed into his image by the Spirit. We have been restored so we can partner with God fully. Then we will be what we are for, will be for his glory. It’s important to understand that all this – God’s work in Christ, his power at work in us beyond our imagination, his love and grace, his blessings, his calling and leading his church through all generations – is not primarily about us. It’s primarily about him. God’s glory. God’s greatness. God’s character being expressed throughout all creation. God’s design becoming reality. God filling the universe like the waters fill the sea.
A couple of application points come to mind. There are many others, of course. Briefly, here are two things I think living for the glory of God will include.
Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come, for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). He taught us to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). After his resurrection, Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:4-8). Following Jesus entails making God’s kingdom the focus of our lives. We pray for it, we aim for it, and we engage in Spirit-empowered ministry for it to become known among all peoples. I think this means that the center of our attention, being followers of Jesus, is not to make sure our right to be happy and blessed and successful is sustained, nor is it to make sure our nations are great or prosperous or even safe. Jesus himself laid aside his personal rights (Philippians 2:5-11; note verse 11: to the glory of God). Jesus himself rejected the opportunity to own and control earthly kingdoms (Matthew 4:8-10). Let’s remember, He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6).
That’s one. Here’s another. Since we (followers of Jesus) are becoming like God (his images), we should be acting like God in our world. We should be treating people, getting things done, and making an impact with the same ways (attitudes, methods, actions) that God does. 1 John, specifically chapter 4, verses 7-8, teaches clearly that the way of God and therefore of his children is love. When God acted by love for people who did not love him, he sent his Son – to give life to people – by sacrifice – as the Savior – for the whole world (1 John 4:7-18). “As He is, so also are we in this world” (verse 17). 
Matthew 9:35-37 (The Message) tells us, “Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.”
The ways we use like God are basically love-driven ministry and evangelism with the aim to help people know God, be transformed by the Holy Spirit from the inside out, and receive his care and direction. There are no Biblical instructions or principles or examples for attempting to enforce Christian morality and to protect Christianity’s status (AKA “defend religious freedom”) by winning elections, passing laws, and getting the right judges appointed. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Andrew Peterson (singer, songwriter, author) expressed this: “When we take seriously the fact that as humans we’re bearers of God’s image, and as Christians, we’re also bearers of the Holy Spirit, we remember that we’re well-equipped to speak beauty into ugliness, order into chaos, light into darkness, love into lovelessness… Christ’s love enables us… by his power, to redeem. We’re invited into partnership with the Great Redeemer to tell a better story, to take the broken bits and fashion them into something better, truer, more beautiful – and by doing so, to bring healing to the world and glory to God.”
When we treat people, get things done, and make an impact the way God does, then we can say with Jesus, I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (John 17:4).
To conclude our look at living for the glory of God, here is Psalm 145.
I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
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