“… and I am glorified in them.” John 17:10
As God sent His Son into the world to glorify Him, we who believe in the Son are given the sublime privilege and responsibility to glorify Christ in our lives. How do we accomplish this? Let us consider the progression of ways wherein we glorify our Lord.
First, we do so by believing in Him. The Pharisees did not believe in Christ. They dismissed Him as just a “Carpenter from Nazareth”, the son of Joseph and Mary. And the world to this day does not know Who Christ is and hence they disregard Him. To acknowledge Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God Who came into this world is to give Him glory.
Second, it is to apprehend why He came and what He has done while He lived on earth. It is to be persuaded that the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s only way of salvation, that through Him we are brought back into right standing with God, into joyful fellowship with the Father.
Third, to glorify Christ is to know the meaning of the cross: that by Christ’s death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven and we become children of God. And because of what Christ has done, He is everything to us. We put an end to our self-reliance and realize that what we have become as a result of His sacrifice is entirely by the grace of God.
Fourth, it follows that we glorify Christ by telling other people about Him, pointing them to His Person, proclaiming Him as the Son of God, and His great sacrifice to free us from the bondage of our sins. The world delights in lauding and talking about people: sports heroes, politicians, actors, and other interesting personalities. The Christian is one who delights in talking about Christ and praising Him.
Fifth, we glorify Christ by being living proofs of His life in us. We are to be such men and women that the moment others meet us, they think about Christ. People took note of the apostles when they performed miracles and spoke in a manner inconsistent with the speech of ignorant fishermen: they came to the conclusion that the apostles had been with Jesus. The test of the Christian is that he or she cannot be explained apart from Christ, and by this, Christ is glorified.
Finally, we glorify Christ by being the manifestation of His power, having been separated from the world. It is only by the power of Christ that we can leave the mentality of the world, and we become different. The Christian is a person who strikes others as somebody who is distinct, somebody peculiar, not possessing the self-pride and self-assertion that the world applauds as strength; one who belongs to the lowly and humble Christ. And he is spiritually alive, interested in spiritual things, making the affairs of the soul the top priority in his life and thinking.
As Christians we have been given a new life and a new understanding, a new outlook upon everything that faces us. To the extent that we reflect this to the outside world, we glorify the Lord.
What a privilege and a great responsibility it is to be given this high calling, that Christ should be glorified in our lives.
*** Reference: Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Safe in the World: The Assurance of Our Salvation”, Crossway Books, Illinois, 1988, pp. 79-92.
*** Photography by Artemis
lilies, sparrows and grass 
Lord, make it happen – be glorified
Amen!
“A true test of a Christian…” that was the best part 🙂
Indeed, Sandra. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Great post, really enjoyed it
Thank you very much, Scott. I appreciate your comments. And thanks for stopping by!
Dee, I was just talking about this yesterday. Recently, I introduced two individuals with the hopes that, together, they could create something beautiful that would benefit them both. Both are amazing, strong, intelligent men, and both carry a light within them that is like walking along the sun. Both are Christian, but it’s more than that. Both are spiritual and their intimate relationship with God, and with all the earth and mankind, is a beacon that’s hard to resist (and hard even now to put to words). Yes, we should strive always to walk in the Light, but when we do it right, surely the LIGHT walks with us. Absolutely inspired. Thank you so much for your moving words of love. ~ Love, Bobbie
Thank you, Bobbie, for sharing this wonderful story. Walking and dwelling in the Light, and having the Light dwell in us is a marvelous thing beyond words. Love, Dee
Indeed…..and we couldn’t ‘hide under a bushel’ if we wanted to! ~ B
Nice way of putting it, Bobbie! (p.s. found your comment in the spam folder again.)
😦 consider it delayed gratifiction ~ xoxoxo
Praise Him for that new life…and for the opportunity to live for Him and point others to Him!! Great post!!
Yes, praise Him indeed for all He is and for what He has done for us! I truly appreciate your comments. Thank you so much!
my pleasure. 🙂
Hi Dee…
New life, new understanding, new outlook…that hits the nail on the head. It describes a whole new spirit; and that changes our whole life, from the inside out. Great post, my sister!
Lester
Thank you, my brother! As always, I appreciate sharing your thoughts on my posts! God bless! Dee
Christians are a peculiar people. We are new creations reflecting Jesus in all His glory, purity, and love. How different we are than the world. As we grow in the Lord, that difference is more apparent and either attracts others to us or enrages others. What privilege and responsibility Christians have. May the Lord be reflected in us this week as we sojourn in the world this week. Thank you, Dee, for a reminder of the great responsibility and inheritance that we have. Karen
How true that as we grow in the Lord, our peculiarity becomes more apparent, which attracts or enrages others. Thank you so much, Karen, for your wonderful prayer and for being such a blessing. Dee