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Glory to God Alone

Glory to God Alone
February 5, 2017

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:28-31

I. You bring glory to God alone in your good works.

A. What was one of the purposes that God had for saving the Corinthians? Verse 29 says that God saved these nothing Corinthians so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. The only reason we will be allowed access into heaven is because of the mercy of God and the gift of His Son Jesus. According to vs. 30 Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. Jesus is everything. So Paul says in vs. 31, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Let the whole church say, “Glory to God alone for our salvation!”

B. We glorify God not just for one hour in a worship service in a church on a Sunday morning. We glorify God on Mondays too. In fact we Christians glorify God every day of the week no matter where we are and no matter what we do. We see that in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Even in the most ordinary, normal activities of human life, like eating and drinking, we can bring glory to God. We can honor him simply by doing human things for His praise.

II. You bring glory to God alone in your priesthood.

A. If you are a Christian, you are a priest because of your union with Jesus. 1 Peter 2:5 and 9: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” You are priests who help connect other people to God.

B. We bring glory to God alone by loving one another. Jesus taught this in His prayer that He prayed for the church on the night before He died in John 17:20-21: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The world will see this unusual display of love, and they will believe in Jesus who has caused His church to be one. Glory will be brought to God alone!

III. You bring glory to God alone in your calling.

A. What is a calling? A calling comes from God and is a special position of service. 1 Corinthians 7:20: Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.” We are called by God to be either single or married, to be a father or mother. These positions may seem ordinary, but they are a calling from God. Your calling is your current circumstances in life. The same is true for your job. God has called you to your job for this moment. And remember that even if you don’t like your current job you can still serve other people. You can still bring glory to God alone. You can go to work with the attitude Paul describes in Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Application:
In every moment of your life bring glory to God alone.

Sources:
The letter of 1 Corinthians
Commentary on 1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
“Why the Reformation Still Matters” by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester