Glorify God Through Christ

One of my favorite sections of scripture is Philippians 2:9-11.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We bring glory to God, our Father, when we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The following Bible word study uses the Greek words for “glorify” and “God” in the New Testament. One valuable result of a word study is that we appreciate how our Father thinks about the subject we are studying.

What could be greater to understand and appreciate than our ability to glorify the One Who richly gives us all things? We do that by walking by the gift of holy spirit within, which is “Christ in” you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Glorifying God in the Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all use these words together.

When shepherds saw the newborn Christ, they glorified God that the promised Messiah had finally come.

Luke 2:20:
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Jesus ministered healing to a man sick of the palsy, despite the evil thoughts of religious leaders there. The man and those around glorified God. Healing and forgiveness show God’s goodness and the meek will glorify Him.

Matthew 9:8:
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

Mark 2:12:
And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Luke 5:25,26:
And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Later, Jesus healed a large number of people. The God of Israel they had known from Old Testament scriptures was at work in His Son, before their very eyes!

Matthew 15:30,31:
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus and his disciples came upon a funeral procession where a mother was mourning her dead son. Jesus had compassion on her, and raised her son to life. Those present recognized God at work in the greatest of all prophets.

Luke 7:16:
And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

One Sabbath day, Jesus healed a woman who had been bent over for 18 years. The religious leaders objected to his “working” on the Sabbath. He confronted their hypocrisy, saying that they take care of their animals on the Sabbath, shouldn’t he be able to heal on the same day? The people saw all of this, and thanked God for this man of love and integrity.

Luke 13:13:
And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

After healing ten lepers, only one returned to glorify God for what His Son had done. The man’s faith made him whole.

Luke 17:15:
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.

Near Jericho, Jesus healed a blind man and the people responded to God’s goodness.

Luke 18:43:
And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Immediately after Jesus died for our redemption, a soldier near the cross turned to God because of the witness of His Son.

Luke 23:47:
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

Jesus didn’t worry about man’s opinion of himself. He knew that His heavenly Father gave him glory as the chosen Messiah and Savior.

John 8:54:
Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God.

Jesus raised his good friend Lazarus from the dead. He knew that others would see God’s power as he proved himself to be our Lord.

John 11:4:
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

John 13:31,32:
Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

Glorifying God in the Early Church

Shortly after the Christian Church began on Pentecost, Peter and John healed a lame man at the Temple. Peter declared that they worked this great miracle by God’s power in the name of Jesus Christ, the glorified Lord.

Acts 3:13:
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

The religious leaders behind Jesus’ crucifixion were angered that they taught the people about Jesus and the resurrection. Yet, they could not harm the apostles because the people glorified God for the lame man’s healing.

Acts 4:21:
So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

Judean believers learned that Cornelius and his household were born again with the gift of holy spirit. They glorified God that any person of any background could be saved through Jesus Christ.

Acts 11:18:
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Glorifying God in the Epistles

Paul and Peter shared great truth about glorifying God in their letters to believers. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he explained that some people will reject God’s goodness, but those who believe on Christ will glorify God as one body.

Romans 1:21:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 15:6,9:
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

The Corinthian believers were to glorify God for giving His Son to redeem us. One way they did this was by giving to help others in need.

I Corinthians 6:20:
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

II Corinthians 9:13:
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men.

When Paul had a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, he turned his life around to serve the risen Savior. This caused other believers who knew of Paul’s anti-Christian past to glorify God.

Galatians 1:24:
And they glorified God in me.

Peter encouraged believers to set a good example before unbelievers. Someday they will glorify God for the good works they have seen.

I Peter 2:12:
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Peter knew the power of Christ within by the gift of holy spirit. He encouraged believers to walk by the spirit and glorify God through Jesus Christ. Some may speak evil of our Savior, but he is glorified in our lives. We are unashamed and glorify God by showing forth the Christ within us!

I Peter 4:11,14,16:
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Glorifying God as Our Father

Jesus said that we are to shine forth so that others can see the Father working in us and glorify Him.

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.

Shortly before his death, Jesus spoke of the gift of holy spirit that would come. As born-again believers, we claim blessings and produce spiritual fruit in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God is glorified as we show forth the power of “Christ in” us.

John 14:13:
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 15:8:
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

God promised in Old Testament scriptures that the Messiah would be His Son and that He would raise him from the dead. Jesus Christ finished all the Father sent him to do. He knew his Father would raise him and seat him at God’s right hand.

John 17:1,4,5:
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Only God, our loving Father, is to be glorified–through Jesus Christ our Lord. God has glorified His Son and set him at His own right hand. Now we can glorify Him through all that Jesus Christ has done for us. In Christ, we give God the glory due to Him.

Romans 16:27:
To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.