Central thought: God will not give His glory to another.
Hymn: Jesus, keep me near the Cross.
Text: Exodus 20:3-5, Isaiah 42:8, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
God demonstrated how much He loved us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. “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). The believer, therefore, is expected to seek to please and give glory to God in every situation of life because He (God) created man and redeemed him from sin to his first estate of glory. This should give hope to the believer; though his out ward man perishes, yet his inner man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16) as he seeks God’s glory. Moreover, our present light affliction, which is for a short time, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). Thus the believer must endeavor to give God the glory due to His name because He does not give His glory to another (graven images, demon’s etc.). This mindset is capable of attracting God’s blessings in all ramifications.
Lesson Objectives:
The objectives of this study is to comprehend:
- God’s attitude towards His glory.
- That the believer in Christ has the hope of sharing in His eternal glory.
- The source of the believer’s glory.
- The consequences of not seeking God’s glory.
- The benefits of seeking His glory.
Question 1.) What is God’s attitude towards His glory?
Isaiah 42:8, 48:11, Exodus 20:4-5, Deuteronomy 4:24
In Exodus 20:3-5, the Almighty God instructed His people not to make unto themselves and worship/serve any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; because He is a jealous God. As the Creator of the earth and everything in it, He demands total loyalty from His children and cannot give His glory to any man or graven image. He desires that His children should seek His glory at all times so that the heathen will not glory over them when they do otherwise. Indeed, God guides and guards His glory jealously.
Question 2.) Is there any glory for the believers?
Romans 8:17-18, 1 Peter 5:6
When a believer attains the spiritual state of seeking to please and give glory to God in every circumstance of life, the Lord allows him to have a glimpse of the splendor and bliss of heaven while on earth. Much more, when he gets to heaven, he will experience an eternal and unspeakable glory, which cannot be compared with the present sufferings.
The Lord Jesus suffered many things in the hands of Jewish leaders, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, despite His sonship position in the Godhead. After His resurrection, God exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).
“For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). Thus, there is an everlasting weight of glory-beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory for the believer (Amplified). Our duty now, is to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt us at His appointed time.
Question 3.) Who is the source of the believer’s Glory?
Haggai 2:7-9, Zechariah 2:5
The Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is the source of the believer’s glory. When we were sinners, God demonstrated His love for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Thereby restoring us to our lost estate of Glory. Though present circumstances coupled with inconsistency and compromise among believers may result in depression and discouragement of sincere seekers, the fact that God is continually with us brightens our hope in sharing in His glory.
Any believer who has heaven in view glories in the midst of difficulties knowing that his eternal home is more glorious.
Question 4.) What are the consequences of tampering with God’s Glory?
Numbers 20:7-12, 1 Samuel 13:8-13, Daniel 4:28-33, Acts 12:20-22
The consequences of taking God’s glory is very grevious. It can lead to the destruction of individuals, families or even the generation of the person who tampers with God’s glory. It may be caused by anger, pride, fear, or impatience. When Moses was commanded by God to speak to the rock for water to come out of it for the Israelites to drink, he did not carry out the Lord’s instruction to the letter, by striking the rock twice with his rod. For this reason, he could not enter into the Promised Land.
When Israel was to go into battle with the Philistines at Gilgal, King Saul could not wait patiently for Prophet Samuel to offer the burnt offering and the peace-offering for fear of defeat. He performed the priestly duty and the anger of God was kindled against Him. Hence, the kingdom was taken from him and he died with his children in the war that ensued.
At the peak of his reign, king Nebuchadnezzar attributed the power with which he built Babylon to himself instead of giving the glory to God. For this reason, the kingdom was taken from him and he was driven from among men to dwell with the beasts of the field to eat grass like cattle for seven years.
King Herod accorded the glory that is due God to himself when he failed to rebuke the people of Tyre and Sidon when they shouted, saying. “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man”. “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God, the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:23).
The instances given above show that anyone who takes God’s glory will definitely suffer the consequences of such action. God will never give His glory to any man.
Question 5.) What are the benefits of seeking God’s glory?
Christ’s ultimate purpose in redeeming mankind was to bring many to glory (Hebrews 2:10). Every sincere seeker of God who seeks to please and give glory to Him no matter the circumstance, has the hope of sharing in His glory (1 Peter 5:1, 2 Timothy 2:10). Any individual who has this glorious hope purifies himself so that he shall be like Christ when He appears in glory (1 John 3:2-3). Furthermore, the believer who seeks God’s glory in every aspect of life enjoys His blessing in all ramifications. His eyes are upon him protection. His eyes are open to his prayers and His light shines upon Him.
Daily Living Application:
God’s purpose for sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to die for our sins was to restore us to our first estate of glory. He successfully redeemed us and restored us to our glorious estate. As a believer, Pastor, or minister of the Gospel, do you seek to please and give glory to GOD in your daily walk with Him? Or you seek vain glory, which has no eternal value. If all you seek is self-glory or vain glory, you need to repent so that you do not incur the wrath of God. God demands our absolute loyalty and deserves to be glorified for who He is and what He has done for us. We must seek His glory if we have the hopes in sharing in His glory.
Memory Verse:
Isaiah 42:8
“ I am the LORD; that is m name: and my glory will I not give to another , neither my praise to graven images”.