Receiving God’s Glory

“I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one.” John 17:22

Did you know that you receive God’s glory when you receive God’s Son? Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Nothing ascribes glory to God more than when you give your life to Christ. When you give the Son of God your life, the Son of God gives you the glory of God. We all exist to glorify God, and the first step to that is giving your life to the Son of God.

No matter what else you do in this life, or how well you do it, if you do not give your life to Jesus Christ, you will never fulfill the purpose for which you were created. The famous classical composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, wrote 256 cantatas…one of which you hear at almost every wedding. What made him great in my eyes, however, is not what he wrote, but why he wrote it. His musical pieces were actually prayers before they were songs. Before Bach would score a sheet of music, at the top of the sheet he would scrawl, J.J. – Jesu Juva. It was a prayer simply saying, “Jesus, help me.” Whenever he completed any composition he would write three letters in the margin of the music, S.D.G. – Soli Deo Gloria – which means, “To the glory of God alone.”

The word “glory” literally means, “To sing; to hold an opinion of someone.” There are only two groups of beings in the universe that will not voluntarily glorify God – rebellious people and rebellious angels. That is why in eternity these groups will be separated from the God of glory, because they had no desire to give Him the glory He is due.

You can do a lot of things on this earth. You can be successful. You can have fame and fortune. You can do a lot of things that will get you a lot of glory from other people. But, at the end of the day, the only life that will matter is the one that glorifies God.

God, Thank You for giving me Your glory by giving me Your Son. I pray that each and every day I will glorify You with the new life You have so graciously given me through faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.