Everything In Christ - Chapter Twenty Three
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LIVING A LIFE THAT GLORIFIES GOD
THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S PROVISION
Everything God has provided for believers in Christ has a divine purpose. His provision is not limited to making life comfortable, meeting personal needs, or helping people overcome difficulties. Although these benefits are important, they are part of a greater purpose: that believers may know Him, reflect His character, fulfil His will, and bring glory to His name.
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God's plan of salvation demonstrates this purpose. Ephesians 1:3–6 explains that God has blessed believers with spiritual blessings in Christ and adopted them as His children according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Verses 12 and 14 also connect the believer's redemption and inheritance with the praise of God's glory.
This means that God's provision is not an invitation to live only for personal satisfaction. It is an invitation to live in a way that honours the One who has provided everything. Salvation brings us into a relationship with God, grace teaches us how to live, the Holy Spirit empowers us, and the Word instructs us. All these provisions work together to produce a life that reflects God's goodness.
A believer who understands this purpose will begin to see Christian living differently. Instead of asking only what God can do for them, they will also consider how their lives can demonstrate His greatness to others.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO GLORIFY GOD
To glorify God means to honour Him, acknowledge His greatness, and live in a manner that reveals His character and worth. God's glory does not depend on human recognition. He is already glorious, whether people acknowledge Him or not. However, believers are called to recognise His greatness and make His goodness visible through their lives.
Jesus taught this principle in Matthew 5:16:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Notice that Jesus did not instruct His followers to perform good works merely to attract attention to themselves. Their conduct should direct people's attention towards God. When others observe their honesty, compassion, faithfulness, humility, and genuine concern for people, they should have reason to recognise the goodness of the Father.
Glorifying God, therefore, involves more than attending religious gatherings, singing worship songs, or speaking about spiritual matters. These activities can be valuable expressions of faith, but the purpose of Christian living must also be evident in daily conduct.
A person may speak frequently about God while demonstrating attitudes that contradict His character. Genuine Christian witness requires consistency between what a believer professes and how that believer lives.
REFLECTING THE CHARACTER OF GOD
One of the most important ways believers glorify God is by reflecting His character. Through Christ, God has given His people a new life and called them to demonstrate the values of His kingdom.
God is loving, truthful, merciful, holy, righteous, faithful, and just. Although believers do not become divine or possess God's attributes in their unlimited perfection, they are called to reflect His character in their conduct.
Ephesians 5:1–2 instructs believers to be imitators of God as beloved children and to walk in love, following the example of Christ.
This instruction connects Christian identity with Christian behaviour. Those who have received God's love should demonstrate love. Those who have received His mercy should show mercy. Those who have been forgiven should learn to forgive others.
Reflecting God's character also means refusing to use dishonesty, manipulation, cruelty, or injustice to achieve personal goals. A believer cannot consistently represent the truth of God while deliberately practising falsehood.
This does not mean Christians will never make mistakes. Believers are still growing and must remain humble enough to acknowledge their failures, receive correction, and make necessary changes. However, their direction should be towards Christlike character rather than a lifestyle that contradicts the faith they profess.
The more believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, the more their attitudes, decisions, and relationships should reflect His character.
GLORIFYING GOD THROUGH OBEDIENCE
Obedience is an essential expression of a life that glorifies God. It demonstrates that a believer recognises God's authority and values His instructions.
Jesus said in John 14:21 that the person who has His commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Him. This shows that obedience is closely connected to love. It is not simply about following religious rules or trying to earn God's acceptance. It is a response to the relationship believers already have with Him.
God's grace does not encourage disobedience. Rather, grace teaches believers to reject ungodliness and worldly desires and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world, as explained in Titus 2:11–12.
Obedience becomes meaningful when it proceeds from a heart that trusts God. Sometimes, God's instructions may challenge personal preferences, require difficult decisions, or demand the abandonment of familiar habits. Yet believers must learn to value God's wisdom above temporary satisfaction.
Jesus also explained in John 15:8 that the Father is glorified when His disciples bear much fruit. This fruitfulness includes a life shaped by obedience, love, faithfulness, and spiritual maturity.
A believer who desires to glorify God must therefore take His Word seriously. It is not enough to know what Scripture teaches; its instructions must influence how one lives.
GLORIFYING GOD IN ORDINARY LIFE
A life that glorifies God is not restricted to extraordinary achievements or public ministry. Much of Christian faithfulness is demonstrated through ordinary responsibilities.
Paul gives a comprehensive instruction in 1 Corinthians 10:31: whether believers eat, drink, or do anything else, they should do everything to the glory of God.
This principle removes the artificial separation between spiritual activities and everyday responsibilities. Work, family life, communication, relationships, and personal decisions can all become opportunities to honour God.
A believer glorifies God at work by being diligent, honest, responsible, and respectful. In family relationships, this may involve patience, commitment, kindness, and taking responsibility. In conversations, it means avoiding destructive words, unnecessary arguments, gossip, and dishonesty.
Colossians 3:17 also teaches believers to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
This means that Christian conduct should not depend entirely on the environment. A believer should not practise honesty only when being observed or demonstrate kindness only when it is convenient. God's presence and authority should influence conduct in every setting.
Ordinary faithfulness may appear insignificant to people, but it is valuable before God. A person who consistently fulfils responsibilities with integrity is demonstrating that their faith influences practical living.
GLORIFYING GOD THROUGH GOOD WORKS AND SERVICE
God has not called believers to live without concern for the needs of others. He has provided opportunities for them to demonstrate His love through good works and meaningful service.
Ephesians 2:10 explains that believers are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for them to walk in.
This passage establishes an important distinction. Good works do not purchase salvation. Salvation is God's gift, received through faith. However, those who have received salvation are expected to express their new life through actions that benefit others and honour God.
Service may involve encouraging someone who is discouraged, helping a person in need, supporting a worthy cause, teaching, giving, volunteering, or using professional abilities to contribute positively to society.
First Peter 2:12 encourages believers to maintain good conduct among those who do not share their faith, so that their good works may lead others to glorify God.
The purpose of good works is therefore greater than receiving recognition. They provide visible evidence of the transforming influence of Christ.
However, believers must examine their motives. Service can lose its spiritual value when it becomes an instrument for pride, competition, or personal promotion. God is concerned not only with what people do but also with the motives behind their actions.
When service flows from love, gratitude, and obedience, it becomes a meaningful expression of a life devoted to God.
GLORIFYING GOD THROUGH SUFFERING AND ADVERSITY
A life that glorifies God is not necessarily a life free from hardship. Believers may experience disappointment, opposition, illness, loss, rejection, and seasons of uncertainty. Their faith does not exempt them from every painful experience.
However, difficulties do not have to destroy their witness or separate them from their commitment to God.
First Peter 4:12–16 addresses the reality of suffering and encourages believers not to be ashamed when they suffer as Christians, but to glorify God in that name.
This instruction does not mean that suffering itself is always good or that believers should pretend they are not hurting. It means that even in painful circumstances, they can remain faithful to God.
A believer may glorify God by refusing to abandon integrity when facing injustice, continuing to trust Him during uncertainty, seeking appropriate help when necessary, and responding to opposition without surrendering to hatred or destructive behaviour.
There are also times when glorifying God involves acknowledging weakness and depending on His sustaining grace. The apostle Paul experienced significant hardship, yet he learned that God's grace was sufficient for him and that divine strength was made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Believers should not measure God's faithfulness only by the absence of difficulties. His presence, promises, and sustaining power remain valuable even when circumstances are painful.
When Christians continue to demonstrate faith, hope, and godly character through adversity, their lives can become powerful testimonies of God's sustaining grace.
GLORIFYING GOD WITH OUR GIFTS AND RESOURCES
God has entrusted people with different abilities, opportunities, responsibilities, and resources. These should not be treated merely as instruments for personal advancement. They can also become means of serving others and honouring Him.
First Peter 4:10–11 teaches that believers should use whatever gifts they have received to serve one another as faithful stewards of God's grace. Those who speak should do so in a manner consistent with God's Word, while those who serve should do so with the strength God supplies, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
This principle applies to spiritual gifts as well as natural abilities and practical resources.
Some believers may be gifted in teaching, leadership, encouragement, administration, hospitality, giving, or other areas of service. Others may possess professional skills, creative abilities, business knowledge, or educational opportunities that can be used responsibly for the good of others.
The important question is not simply how much a person possesses, but how faithfully they use what has been entrusted to them.
Money, time, knowledge, influence, and opportunities should be managed with wisdom. A believer who has financial resources can demonstrate generosity and responsible stewardship. Someone with knowledge can use it to educate and encourage others. A person with influence can promote truth, fairness, and positive values.
God does not require every believer to possess identical gifts or resources. He calls each person to be faithful with what they have received.
HUMILITY AND THE DANGER OF SEEKING HUMAN PRAISE
One obstacle to glorifying God is the desire to receive recognition from people. It is possible to perform religious activities, engage in charitable service, or speak about spiritual matters while secretly seeking admiration.
Jesus warned against this attitude in Matthew 6:1, instructing His followers not to practise righteousness merely to be seen by others.
The problem is not that good works become visible. As Matthew 5:16 teaches, people may see the good works of believers and glorify God. The problem arises when the desire for attention becomes the controlling motive.
A person may become more concerned about public recognition than genuine service, more interested in receiving praise than obeying God, or more committed to protecting an impressive image than developing authentic character.
John 12:43 describes people who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Their example reveals how the desire for human approval can interfere with faithfulness.
Humility helps believers maintain the right perspective. It reminds them that their abilities, opportunities, salvation, and spiritual growth are gifts of God's grace.
This does not mean that believers should reject every form of appreciation or refuse legitimate recognition. Rather, they must not allow praise to become the foundation of their identity or the motivation for their service.
A humble believer is willing to serve when nobody is watching, remain faithful without applause, and acknowledge that every good thing ultimately comes from God.
LIVING FOR ETERNAL PURPOSE
The purpose of glorifying God extends beyond temporary achievements and earthly recognition. Believers have been called into a life that carries eternal significance.
The world often measures success through wealth, status, popularity, possessions, and visible accomplishments. While some earthly achievements may be useful, they cannot replace the greater purpose of knowing God and living according to His will.
Second Corinthians 4:17–18 reminds believers that present affliction is temporary in comparison with the eternal weight of glory. It also directs their attention towards eternal realities rather than things that are merely seen.
This perspective helps believers avoid making temporary circumstances the final measure of their lives. Success should not make them proud, and hardship should not make them abandon hope. Their ultimate purpose remains connected to God and His eternal kingdom.
Colossians 3:1–4 encourages believers to set their minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This does not mean neglecting earthly responsibilities. Rather, it means carrying them out with an eternal perspective.
A believer who lives for God's glory understands that time, opportunities, abilities, and resources are entrusted gifts. They should be used faithfully rather than wasted on pursuits that have no lasting value.
The ultimate desire should be to finish life's journey with faithfulness, having lived in a way that honours Christ and reflects the purpose for which God has called His people.
THE CENTRAL LESSON
God's provision in Christ is not merely for personal benefit; it is intended to produce a life that reflects His character, fulfils His purposes, and brings glory to His name. Every believer is called to honour God through obedience, humility, service, good works, and faithfulness in both ordinary and difficult circumstances.
BIBLICAL VERSES FOR PERSONAL STUDY
* Matthew 5:16
* John 15:8
* 1 Corinthians 10:31
* Ephesians 2:10
* Colossians 3:17
* 1 Peter 4:10–11
* 1 Peter 4:12–16
PERSONAL REFLECTION
* Does my daily conduct reflect the character of Christ?
* Am I using my gifts, abilities, and resources to honour God?
* Do my actions direct attention towards God or towards myself?
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