What does it mean to glorify God?

Glory is an odd word. 

We hear it often, but if we were asked to give a definition, many of would struggle. I know I would.

So let's start with some general definitions (granted there are multiple meanings, I am choosing the ones most relevant for the Biblical context)

Glory: great splendor, beauty, or magnificence

Glorify: to honor with praise, admiration, or worship

Thus to “give God all the Glory” means to render under to God all honor, praise, admiration that is due him, and to not give that to ourselves. Specifically it entails pointing others towards the “great splendor, beauty or magnificence that is God.

In other words it is to magnify or make great who he is.

Not in the sense that we attempt to make Him more than who he is – as that is not possible – but that we highlight, make more apparent, and obvious to those around us the untold beauty of God.

Much like looking through a telescope into the night sky.

The planet may seem small, but when you “magnify” via the telescope you are able to see much better the beauty of the planet and its many qualities.

That is what is means to glorify.

To make Gods countless magnificent qualities more apparent to those around us.

We read in John 15:8: This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In these words we understand again what is meant to glorify God. To bear fruit is to display the characteristics of God (the fruits of the spirit) to those around us.

To show how amazing God is, by acting in accordance to how he would act, by representing Him through his spirit, and thus displaying to others his magnificence, splendor and beauty.

That is what it means to glorify God.

Now at this point you may be thinking, now that's all well and good, but that still does not answer the question of why you would bother doing that, and why God asks you to do it?

Plus, this all can sound like a lot of work, and not very enjoyable.

So how does all this reconcile with the love of God?

Come back tomorrow, where we will discuss the answer.

For now, be blessed.

Aaron,

Theophilus Newsletter