The Bible clearly teaches that those who seek to please the Lord are expected to glorify Him. Some may not be fully aware of what that entails. First, consider a definition of the term. The Greek word doxázo is found numerous times in the New Testament, and is defined by Thayer in an illuminating way. It means “to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate.” It has the idea of holding the object in honor, and to “cause the dignity and worth of some person to become manifest and acknowledged.”
In 1 Corinthians 6:20 Paul wrote, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Here we see the responsibility of the Christian, in response to His redemptive efforts on our behalf. Because of what He has done for us, we should praise Him, and celebrate His righteousness and preeminence.
Consider also Jesus words in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” By our living in accord with His will we make the world aware of both His greatness and character.
To those who know Him, His worth is evident:
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He is worthy of being glorified because of His holiness. “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy” (Psalms 99:9).
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He is worthy of being glorified because of His mercy. “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth” (Psalms 115:1).
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He is worthy of being glorified because of His wondrous works. “So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:31).
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He is worthy of being glorified because of His judgments. Consider God’s word to Ezekiel regarding evil Sidon, “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, and say, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Sidon; I will be glorified in your midst; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments in her and am hallowed in her”‘” (Ezekiel 28:20-22).
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He is worthy of being glorified because of His deliverances of the righteous. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
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Finally, He is worthy of being glorified because of the grace He extended to mankind. “When they [the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem] heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’” (Acts 11:18).
In short, God is worthy of being glorified because of who He is, how He is, and what He has done for us. With this in mind, we ask how can we glorify God? We have already noted from Paul’s pen in 1 Corinthians 6 that we can “glorify God in [our] body.” He wrote this in the context of sexual purity. As we abstain from any sexual activity outside the marriage bed (cf. Hebrews 13:4), we extol His standard of righteousness, and glorify Him.
The idea of a righteous life is furthered as we examine again Jesus words in Matthew 5:16. By living lives that are in accord with His teaching, we shine the light on our Lord’s morals, His teaching, His expectations and His righteousness. When our conduct is our witness of the Christ, we bring glory to Him.
Consider a few other examples:
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We glorify God when we praise Him. “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23).
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We glorify God when we respond to affliction with steadfastness. Isaiah noted this in calling for the people to respond to the Lord’s strong chastisement with patience, saying “Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea” (Isaiah 24:15). Job did this. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
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We glorify God when we live with intention of so doing. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
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Finally, we glorify God if we are willing even to die for Him, as Jesus predicted Peter would do. “This He [Jesus] spoke, signifying by what death he [Peter] would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (John 21:19). It is probable that the gospel of John was penned by the apostle years after Peter’s death. No doubt John understood what Jesus intended when he prophesied that Peter’s death “would glorify God.”
When we sin, Paul writes that when we sin we “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). May we all resolve, in all aspects of our lives, to glorify Him! “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30).
