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Now here is some good news. I can magnify God by glorifying Him. So how does that happen? What is the secret?

The Greek term doxazō means “to give glory” or “to make glorious.” The New Testament gives us glimpses of when Jesus the Messiah was glorified. The transfiguration of Jesus brought His glory out into the open. The apostle Paul called Jesus the “Master of glory” and wrote that the “glory” of God radiated from His face.

John’s good news book is uniquely the book of glory. In the incarnation, the Son of God showed the glory that was His as the only begotten Son of the Father. The raising of Lazarus was a manifestation of the glory of God in the Messiah.

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is filled with comments on the glory of the Messiah, including the affirmation that the disciples of the Lord would share in that glory. John said that Jesus would be fully glorified as the result of His crucifixion and resurrection.

Giving glory to God through worship and through upright living. God’s people are exhorted to praise him and to bring honor to his name.

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

  • When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”
  • I am not called to be a microscope. I am called to be telescope. Disciples are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

These events would show the world that Jesus was no ordinary man. The resurrection, especially, would show that He was the glorious Son of God worthy of all honor. In His final prayer, Jesus asked the Father to be glorified alongside of Him—that is, in the Father’s presence by means of the glory He had with the Father before the world existed. In other words, Jesus was praying to enter into that pristine state of coequal glory with the Father, a position He possessed from eternity as God’s only Son (John 1:1, 18). He would enter into that glory in a new way—as the God-man, the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 — 11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Master Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Master Jesus the Messiah.
  • 1 Peter 2:11–12 — 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
  • Revelation 4:6–11 — 6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Master God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are You, our Master and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
  • Revelation 15:2–4 — 2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3 And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Master God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! 4 “Who will not fear, O Master, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
  • Psalm 34:1–3 — 1 I will bless the Master at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the Master; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the Master with me, And let us exalt His name together.
  • Psalm 63:3–4 — 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. 4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
  • Psalm 69:30–31 — 30 I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 And it will please the Master better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
  • Psalm 86:12–13 — 12 I will give thanks to You, O Master my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. 13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
  • Psalm 96:3–9 — 3 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Master and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Master made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Master, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Master glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Master the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the Master in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.

I want us to swim in the depth of the joy God has promised us and not to miss out on the joy set before us.

Why? Because Joy is necessary…happiness is commanded to the church.

Why? Because we were created to glorify God…and what glorifies God…

When we put our faith in Him and trust Him and obey Him and live for Him…but not simply of duty or because we have to or because we don’t want or go to hell…

That isn’t very glorifying to God if we…

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. | 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

And the whole time we are bored and sleepy or worse…unhappy for His glory.

No! God is not glorified by your bored faith…or uninterested obedience….or unhappy devotion…in those things He gets no glory…

If we are being honest…the one that gets the glory by that type of faith…un-joyful faith…is us…

It is saying…God isn’t really that awesome…Jesus isn’t my greatest treasure or the source of unending joy…I would rather be doing somethinf else than living for God…

Everyone else is having fun…but at least I am showing up…at least I am not like them.

Source(s):

Carpenter, E. E., & Comfort, P. W. (2000). In Holman treasury of key Bible words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew words defined and explained (p. 289). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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