“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:15).
Glory is what, by common consent, brings an entitlement to lofty renown, fame, exaltation, honour, admiration, praise, adulation. A special distinction, majesty, splendor, resplendent magnificence, splendor. The predominant meaning of the word in scripture is recognition; this can mean different things in different environments.
The glory of God is His essence, His attributes, character, nature, virtue; goodness, truth, justice, righteousness, holiness etc. It was revealed in Jesus Christ (John 1:14) “..…who, being the reflection, (outshining, radiance) of His glory and the exact representation (or precise reproduction) of His essence….. (Hebrews 1:3).
We see manifestations of God’s glory in scripture – the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night that led Israel from captivity; the glory that was revealed to Moses Exodus 24:15-18; at the dedication of the temple 91 Kings 8:10-11); Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord in a vision (Isaiah 6:1-3) as did Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:28, 3:23, 8:4). The glory of God filled the tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 40:34-5) and appeared at the door of the tent (Leviticus 9:23). In the New Testament, the glory of the Lord was seen in the nativity (Luke 2:9) and in the transfiguration (Luke 9:28). Stephen (Acts 7:55), Paul (Acts 22:6-11; 26:13; 9:3) and John (Revelation 1:13-16) all saw the glory of the Lord.
The glory of Christ is the revelation of His deity. In his incarnation we saw His glory, that of the only begotten of the Father; Paul reminds Titus to look for “…the appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). This is a different glory to that He manifested in His incarnation. “And now Father, glorify Me, beside Yourself, in the glory which I had in Your presence before the world was” (John 17:5). This is the glory that He had before the humiliation of His incarnation.
The true glory of man is that he was made in the image of the glorious God. But “…all fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The false glory of man is that which leads to exaltation and adulation of the world, boasting, pride, reputation, appearance. That may be on account of appearance, physical prowess, a startling accomplishment or some other achievement to which the world attributes glory.
How do we glorify Christ? In the same way as He glorified the Father. He glorified the Father by doing His wish; hearing, speaking, doing. We glorify Jesus in the same way; by doing His wish; hearing, speaking, doing; that is the authority we have.
The glory is in His presence; when the Ark was taken by the Philistines, it is written that “the glory has departed from Israel”(1 Samuel 4:21). “Glory and honour are in His presence” (1 Chronicles 16:27). “For God, the One saying ‘out of darkness light will shine’ has shined in our hearts towards enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the presence of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The glory given to Christ was Sonship, the glory of the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14). He gives that glory to us (John 17:22).
Many of the leading people of the Jews has faith in Christ; that is, they believed that He was who He said He was, that is, the Son of the Most High and the long awaited Messiah. But, because of the Pharisees, they were not admitting their faith so that they should not become excommunicated or expelled from the synagogue (John 12:42). The scripture goes on to say; “For they loved the glory of mankind more than the glory of God” (John 12:43).
Here is the danger!
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