Peace Presbyterian Church

“Giving Glory to God Alone”

One thing that the Lord has been putting on my heart recently is the importance of giving glory to God alone. This is one of the fundamental affirmations of the Reformed faith. Implicit in this affirmation are two truths: (1) that God has created us with the ability to glorify and (2) that consciously or unconsciously, we all glorify something or someone. Isn’t it incredible that God has created you with this remarkable ability to give glory? Isn’t it amazing that inside each one of us resides a yearning for something greater and deeper than we have already experienced or known?

“...Your existence gives Him great pleasure.”

Scripture tells us that all of nature glorifies God. In Psalm 19:1-3, David proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands, day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” All of creation shouts aloud and shows the glory of God. How does nature do this? Simply by its existence. A mountain exalts God simply by being a mountain. An atom does the same. Both point to Someone greater, to the God that has created them and formed them.

Humans glorify God in a similar way. You, the very person who God has created, glorify God simply by existing. Every cell in your body points to Him. The incredible mysteries and intricacies of your being give Him glory. Your existence gives Him great pleasure. Let that sink in and your world paradigm shifts.

While we glorify God simply by being, we all know our conscious actions fall far short of His glory (Romans 1). We blow it. We sin, gossip, hold grudges, grumble, envy, worry, are self-focused...none of this glorifies Him because we weren’t created for sinning. When we do what we were created to do, we glorify Him. We were created for being loved by God and loving Him in return. Love comes from Him and points to Him. Maybe glorifying is more of a reflection: that God is reflected in us and bounces back to Him.

Just this morning at church I saw reflections of God in so many ways. A kind word. A hand on a shoulder. A comforting hug. A laugh shared. When other people look at us, we want them to see Jesus and we want to fulfill our purpose according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism which states: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

“...We can [glorify Him] in many ways...”

I believe that God is longing for people and for churches that will glorify Him alone. We can do so in may ways, such as: by praising God for who He is, not for what He can do for us; by forgiving others and by trusting God to defend us; by welcoming those in need, as we affirm that each person we meet is equally created in the image of God; by choosing to trust and to believe in God rather than to indulge in negativity or anxiety; by surrendering our own wills to Him, instead of seeking our own agendas. As we make decisions in our lives, we can filter our thoughts and actions through this lens: what will give glory to God and what will testify to His faithfulness, goodness, and love? Let us choose then to give glory to God alone, in praise, prayer, thought, word and deed.

As I reflect on giving glory to God alone, my mind returns to the great hymn, “To God be The Glory,” written by Fanny Jane Crosby. We sing this hymn in our worship services:

“To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the lifegate that all may go in.

“Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth Hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!
O Come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done!

“Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.”

May this be the song of our hearts, faiths and lives! Sola Gloria Dei!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Brian

Archive of Pastor’s Pages: links to Pastor Brian’s newsletters and now his sermons, too.
View Pastor Brian’s Personal Statement of Faith.

‘...What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.’...
--Westminster Shorter Catechism”