In the closing verses of his last will and testament Peter presents four ways that Christians can bring glory to God in and through their lives. In fact, both his letters culminate in the theme of the glory of God. 2nd Peter 3:18: “to Him be the glory both now and forever.” We didn’t have time to dig into this theme too deep – and yet it is a thesis found so pervasively throughout Scripture; it’s seen virtually around every corner that we turn in Scripture; the phrase itself (or variations) is found hundreds of times throughout God’s Word. So what I wanted to do over the next few weeks on the Back Page is to share some additional thoughts and look at some additional insights into the meaning of the glory to God the goal of which will be to help us as we purpose, by God’s grace, to apply this over-arching goal for God’s children: to live lives that bring glory to God. As we are conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29) we bring glory to God; as we are purposefully involved in the process of progressive sanctification we bring glory to God. As the apostle Paul said in 1st Cor. 10:31: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” So what does this mean?
The glory of God in Scripture is so prominent it has been called the fundamental characteristic of God to which believers respond – thereby by giving Him glory. So to help get us better understand what this means, the place we need to start is to get a better grasp of just what the word “glory” means – it’s such a key term to know. In the Old Testament, the most common form of the word “glory” comes from a Hebrew root word that signifies “weight.” This aspect of “glory” seemed something Paul knew about because he says in 2nd Cor. 4:17: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Still further insight comes in understanding the word “glory” in the Greek language as it is used in both the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) and the New Testament. In the Greek the word “glory” is most often the word δοχα (doxa) and is found over 150 times in the Greek New Testament. The word originally meant “an opinion.” So in a sense, when we talk about giving God glory, one way we can think of it is to give Him literally “weighted opinion” – meaning His opinions, His thoughts, His desires, His will, His commands, and so on take precedence over everything. Such an attitude can be seen behind the words: “Nevertheless not my will but thine be done” – the weight is given to God’s will over Christ’s will.
So the rebar under the concrete as it were, what undergirds the word glory is the concept of having “weighted opinion.” And a practical definition, how it works out, as it used in both the Old and New Testaments, is this: “excellence and praiseworthiness set forth in display” (think of this as “glory shown”). It also means: “honor and adoration expressed in response to this display” (think of this as “glory given”).
Well, we’re out room today – so we’ll pick it up right here next week. I pray you have a blessed week and show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light!
Pastor John