The Chief Purpose of Man

The Bible says in Eph 3:21, “to [God] be glory in the church.” It is our highest calling, our very purpose, to glorify God:

1 Cor 10:31  Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The main verb in this verse is “do.” It is an imperative in the present tense, and it means “a command to do something in the future which involves continuous or repeated action.”

God gives commands in the Scriptures to glorify Him repeatedly, continuously, always. And He is worthy of our praise and worship:

Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The Scripture says that our God, our Lord, is “to receive glory.” And He receives such glory from all He has created and that includes us; it is our chief purpose. It should be the desire of our heart to glorify God.

There are principles in the Bible that tell us how to glorify God.
(Click on the bookmark to download a printable copy of “Ways to Glorify God.”  Print “two-sided,” “long-edge binding”)

We can glorify God:

1. By self-sacrifice (2 Corinthians 5:15) – living no longer for ourselves, “but for Him who died for” us
2. By preference (Joshua 24:15) – choosing to “serve the Lord” rather than giving in to the tenets of this world and its culture.
3. By obedience (John 14:21) – glorifying God comes from a heart that loves Him, and demonstrates that love by obeying His commandments.
4. By humility (Philippians 2:5-9) – having the mind of Christ is having a mind that is willing to humble oneself before God, that Christ may be exalted in all things. 
5. By confessing Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:11) – Eventually “every knee” will bow (2:10) and “every tongue” will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” . . . it is inevitable. We do it this side of heaven to the glory of God.
6. By confessing our sin (Joshua 7:19) – We recognize that God is true, that we are sinners and so we confess our sin to Him. Such confession glorifies Him.
7. By trusting in Him (Romans 4:20) – We believe what God has said, we do not “waiver at the promise of God.”
8. By praising Him (Psalm 145:1-13) – We give glory to God when we acknowledge Him, recognizing Him and His attributes, praising Him!
9. By giving thanks (Luke 17:11-18) – God is glorified through our thanksgiving . . . and we have much to give Him thanks for.
10. By ministering (I Peter 4:10-11) – We are gifted by God to minister to others, to serve . . . and when we are “good stewards” of our gifts God is glorified.
11. By proclaiming the Word (II Thessalonians 3:1 – note: I Thessalonians 1:8) – In proclaiming the Word of God, speaking it, God is glorified.
12. By moral purity (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) – By fleeing the sins noted in God’s Word, by abstaining from them, by realizing that we are not our own but His, we seek to glorify God in our body and in our spirit.
13. By winning people to Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7-15 – note: Romans 15:9) – Sharing the gospel of Christ, seeing people turn from sin to the Savior . . . this most certainly glorifies God.
14. By bearing much fruit (John 15:7-8) – A life showing forthright attitudes and actions because of our being in Christ glorifies God.
15. By boasting (Galatians 6:14)— in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
16. By suffering (I Peter 4:14-16) – As we live for and proclaim Christ when we suffer reproach we glorify God.
17. By praying (John 14:13) – Praying in the will and for the will of Christ glorifies God.
18. By preserving unity (Romans 15:5-7) – Striving to be like-minded in Christ, in His Word, that true unity might be the result to the glory of God.
19. By proclaiming (1 Pet 2:9)— making known the “praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”
20. By remembering (1 Corinthians 11:26)— by observing the Lord’s Table and remembering all God has done for us.  He sent His Son Jesus, who gave His body and shed His blood to make it possible for us to be reconciled to Him.

Let it always be the desire of your heart to glorify God.

Eph 3:20-21  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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