God has always desired to be among His people and to be glorified by them. In the beginning, God would come down and walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Because of sin that relationship was broken. God later dwelled with His people through the cloud, like we talked about last week. It was first outside the camp of the Israelites, then it moved to the middle of the camp in the Tabernacle. God wants our lives to center around Him. Then, it went from portable to permanent at the Temple. Ultimately, God came to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He said it was good that He leaves because he was going to send the Holy Spirit. You and I now have the privilege of being the temple of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 6:19-20 says we were bought at a price and we are to glorify God with our body. First Corinthians 10:31 takes it a step further: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” How do we do that? What does that look like? Let’s unpack it together.
Blessings to Appreciate
Daily there are blessings to appreciate. “Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness” (1 Cor. 10:1-5). The cloud was a reminder of God’s presence. The same God who guided, protected, and provided for them will do the same for us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is a present help in time of trouble. Like Israel, God set us free from the bondage of sin. He parted the Red Sea and made a way where there seemed to be no way. We have been baptized. God gives us daily bread. Jesus is the Rock. Regardless of inflation and recession, when we build our lives upon the rock we will not be shaken. Don’t take the blessings of God for granted! An attitude of gratitude brings glory to God.
Temptations to Avoid
In addition, if you are going to glorify God daily in your life there are also temptations to avoid. “These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:11-13). Temptation is universal. Temptation itself is not sin. Yielding to temptation is sin. Jesus was tempted at all points as we are yet without sin. Others have overcome and you can too! The battle you must win is the battle within! God knows our weaknesses. Every situation that you ever face, God will make a way. Paul mentions five temptations in this passage: lust, idolatry, immorality, unbelief, and complaining (v. 6-10). We can’t glorify God in our daily lives if we yield to these temptations. We should learn from the examples before us.
Questions to Ask
If we are going to glorify God daily in our lives there are also questions that we should ask. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6 and 10 that though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial. There are a lot of things that are clearly not permissible. For the areas that aren’t covered in Scripture or the gray areas of life, we have to ask some questions:
1.Will this action be beneficial? 1 Cor 10:23
2.Will this action potentially enslave me? 1 Cor 6:12
3.Will this action encourage others? 1 Cor 8:13
4.Will this action help or hinder my witness? 1 Cor 9:12, 10:33
5.Will this violate my conscience? 1 Cor 10:25-29
6.Will this action follow the example of Christ? 1 Cor 11:1
7.Will this action show love to others? 1 Cor 13
8.Will this action honor my body which belongs to God? 1 Cor 6:19-20
9.Will this action exalt Jesus? 1 Cor 12:3
10 Will this action bring glory to God? 1 Cor 10:31
In 1 Corinthians 10:33 Paul says the reason for this is so that others may be saved. Not only do we want to please God, but we want others to see the glory of God in us. God is a spirit. He is the invisible God. The way God makes His invisible attributes visible is called glory. Does your life glorify God or is there something getting in the way?