1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

This is not a text that God gives to the lost,
but to the saved Church That Belongs To Jesus

The lost care not a bit about glorifying God. The lost need to be saved before they can be taught to glorify God. This is a text for the Children of God. How do you become a Child of God? Do you work hard? Do you try to be better? Do you do religious things? No, you are saved by “calling upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26; Romans 10:13). The Scripture says:

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

It is faith in Jesus Christ that saves you. It is believing that the Blood of Christ, God’s Only Son, was shed on Calvary for your sins and mine. When God convinced you that you were a sinner without hope before His glorious Throne, and you repented and believed on Christ (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19) then the Holy Spirit of God changed you.

John 6:63 … It is the Spirit that quickeneth (makes alive)

The Holy Spirit made you spiritually alive. Once the Spirit makes you alive, the Spirit adopts you into the Family of God.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ‘Abba! Father!

Oh, how wondrously salvation changes a life. Once we receive Christ by faith, God adopts us into His holy family (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:23; Luke 10:27). We are part of His Kingdom. He is our King and our Lord, our Father and our Shepherd.

We who are saved are no longer SLAVES unto God,
but are SONS & DAUGHTERS unto God.
Now Saved, Dear Christian, You Are To “Glorify” God.

Illustrate: Let me see if I can explain it this way. I and my dear wife helped out at Riverside Elementary last Thursday afternoon, my day off. The class I was with – a group of second graders – were learning to read by sounding out their words. Before you can read, you have to know your alphabet. The little boy I was with struggled as we went through three paragraphs of a book about an osprey. When he hit a hard word, I would say “Sound it out. What sound does the letter ___ make?” The sound of each letter is a basic think that each child must learn before they can read. The Christian way of life cannot be effectively lived unless we understand the basic truth, “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”.

Our Example For Christian Life Is Jesus Christ

We have just come through the Christmas season, and I preached through the traditional Christmas verses. On the night that our Lord Jesus became flesh (incarnate), when God became Man, the Angel of God told the shepherds where they could find Him. The Scripture then says:

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

At His incarnation, His lowering into humanity, Christ Jesus glorified God. He did this by lowering Himself down to our level. By “humbling Himself”. Jesus “took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man … and became obedient to God unto the death of the Cross” (Philippians 2:5-8

This humility to the will of God followed Jesus throughout His earthly life. When Jesus was twelve years old (Luke 2:42), He and his earthly parents went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. Jesus would be crucified some 20 years later on that same festival as “The Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). When Mary and Joseph leave Jerusalem, Jesus – unknown to them – stayed behind in the Temple. After three days they found Him in the Temple (Luke 2:46) teaching the “Doctors of Theology” – the Rabbis. Mary asked Jesus why He stayed at the Temple when they had plans to go home. Our Lord said:

Luke 2:49 (ESV) “… Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I MUST BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ..”

This is what distinguishes the CHRISTIAN from the LOST. The CHRISTIAN wants to be near the Father, to be in His House. The LOST care little for God’s glory.

Our Lord Jesus knows the Ten Commandments, because our Lord Jesus is “the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-3). It was Jesus who dictated the Law unto Moses, Jesus Who gave the fifth commandment:

Exodus 20:12 (ESV) Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you ..

Jesus honored His earthly family – but He honored the Father God more. We who are His children are to put our God ABOVE even our earthly family. This glorifies God. Jesus told us:

Matthew 10:37 (NIV) Anyone who loves their father or mother MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME; anyone who loves their son or daughter MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME …

Though we are to honor our parents, love our wives and husbands, and raise our children, our primary duty – as it was with Jesus – is to glorify God first and foremost. This is what Jesus called “The Great Commandment”:

Luke 10:27 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

God is to have your ALL. This is what glorifying God is. You see this through the entire life of Christ. Though the Son of God (John 10:15; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 1:35; Luke 4:41),

Jesus glorified God in all things. When Jesus got ready to start His earthly ministry, He went to John the Baptist to be baptized. John told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by YOU, not YOU by me!” (Matthew 3:14). Our Lord Jesus told John:

Matthew 3:15 (ESV) … Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

We as Christians “fulfill all righteousness” when we
glorify God, putting Him first in all things.

Why did Jesus stay in the Temple? To glorify God. Why did Jesus get baptized? To glorify God. When “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). After 40 days and 40 nights of testing, the devil came to Jesus, saying:

Matthew 4:3 (ESV) “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread”.

As God, Jesus could command the stones to be bread. As a perfect but hungry Man, Jesus could be readily excused for following this suggestion from the evil one. But notice how Jesus responds:

Matthew 4:4 (ESV) “It is WRITTEN, man shall not live by bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD”.

Jesus glorified God. With every temptation Jesus told that old devil, “It is WRITTEN”. Jesus never put His needs and wants above giving glory to God.

And Beloved, Jesus expects the SAME BEHAVIOR from you! He said:

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) “You {saved people} are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When we put ourselves second, and let our light shine, we “give glory to” God. How important is it to glorify God? Jesus Christ – the Son of God and God the Son – said:

John 8:50 … I seek not mine own glory …

Jesus gave glory to God by lowering Himself to come to this earth. Jesus glorified God by upholding and cherishing the Scripture, the Word of God. Jesus glorified God by doing His will, no matter how hard it might. As Jesus prepared to go to the Cross of Calvary, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible says that Jesus:

Matthew 26:39 … fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Three times our Lord Jesus prayed (Matthew 26:44) “If it be possible, Father, let this cup pass from Me. NEVERTHELESS not My will, but Thine be done”. Jesus glorified the Father at all times. He upheld the Father’s Word, and lowered Himself. As the Scripture says, Jesus …

Philippians 2:7-10 … made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him (self) the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…

One day we all shall bow at the feet of Jesus, giving glory to God the Son. The Son glorified the Father, and died on Calvary to bring us to God. Since the Son glorified God in His life, and glorifies Him still – why do we not think that WE are to glorify God in our lives. The reason Jesus gave His life for us was to glorify God. Once we are saved by the glorious Cross of Christ, WE are to glorify God.

As Jesus Has Shown Us, We Christians Must Do

1 Corinthians 10:31 … whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Illustrate: When I was in the Air Force, every year I had to “qualify” on the rifle range, firing the M16 Rifle. I received several “Marksmanship” medals for my shooting – all but one year. When we “qualified”, we all had our own targets to shoot at. I remember one of the first times I went shooting, I put several of my rounds in my neighbor’s target. The range instructor pointed out what I had done (it was obvious, because my neighbor had too many holes in his target), and showed me (duh) what my target was. After that I hit my target every time. I was aiming at the right space.

Too many professing Christians never grow in their walk with God because they are aiming at the wrong target. There is no blessing if you’re shooting at the wrong mark!

Robertson’s Word Pictures In The New Testament notes that:

“{Glorifying God} is the ruling motive in the Christian’s life…””

God calls us into His Family by the Blood of Christ and by the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. God calls us into a Church NOT JUST TO BE A CHURCH, but to glorify God. The Scripture reminds us:

Romans 15:5-7 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

We are called to glorify God with our mouths, and our behavior. The Apostle Paul often emphasized the glory of God. He wrote:

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Philippians 4:20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The number one question we should ask before doing ANYTHING is:

Does What I Want To Do GLORIFY GOD?

The goal of the Christian walk is not to get to Heaven – Jesus has already accomplished that for us. The goal is to glorify God. I have spoken repeatedly the last few weeks on the future judgment of the Christian. Every Christian shall have their works judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Romans 14:10-12).

Do you know what the basis of your future judgment will be?
It will be whether what you did in this life glorified God or not.

Look in our context today. Leading up to this verse, the Apostle gives the Church an example of what not to do in God’s Old Testament Israel.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

The Apostle starts with “Moreover, brethren”. He is addressing the Church. Paul uses God’s Old Covenant people, Israel, to show us what to avoid. “Our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea”. This is Israel. They came out of Egypt, led by God in “pillar of fire and pillar of cloud” (Exodus 13:22). The Bible says, “the LORD went before them in a pillar” (Exodus 13:21). Every day they would get up and follow God. God took them through the Red Sea, and destroyed the armies of Egypt. God looked after His people. We read “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”. God treated every saved Israelite the same, loving them, and providing for them.

How did Israel repay the love that God gave them? They murmured. They complained. They kept looking with longing eyes back to Egypt.
They were addicted to spiritual “selfies”.

Illustrate: You know what a “selfie” is, don’t you? Most senior citizens today have photo albums filled with pictures that tell stories. Back when we took pictures, film went in a roll, and every picture was carefully judged as valuable. What will senior citizens show their grandchildren years from now? Picture after picture of “selfies”. Pictures of food they ate. Nothing deep nor of value. No story behind the picture. Just selfishness on display.

This is what the world does with its life. The world lives for the world, for the “selfie”. The Christian is to live so as to glorify God. What if we as Christians glorified God in our marriages, our families, in how we raised our children, in our businesses?

1 Corinthians 10:6-10 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

You can live to glorify God, or you can murmur. Murmuring leads to “evil things”, to “idolatry”, to “fornication” or sexual sin, to “tempting Christ” or blasphemy against God, and of course to more murmuring. When overwhelmed by life we are to glorify God, believing He is in control. We are to glorify God, and DO the things He says do.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

Verse 13 is often MISquoted with the statement, “God won’t put more on you than you can stand”. That isn’t what the verse says. You have to look at the verse before and the verse after where we see that word “Wherefore”. When I see a “Wherefore”, I always ask myself “what is it THERE FOR?”. The first “Wherefore” tells us …

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall

Christians, we do not stand in our own power. It is God that makes us stand. It is God Who is in control. When you STAND at the Red Sea, call upon to part the Sea. The worst thing you can do is to make a golden calf, as the second “wherefore” notes:

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry

Listen Beloved:

Christianity is NOT a “selfie”, but a “GOD HELP ME”!

When you run to God, make sure you are not running to a “golden calf”, but to the God of the Scripture. Rely on Him, and Him only.

We are not to be like the world.
We are to be like Jesus.

1 We glorify God when we, like Christ, put others first for the sake of the Gospel:

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

The Cross of Christ has removed many of the restrictions that Israel went under through the Law. We Christians are allowed to eat things the Israelites were forbidden to eat. When we sin, we do not need to carry an animal to an altar nor to a priest. Jesus Christ is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus Christ’s Cross is our sacrifice for sin (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Timothy 2:5). Do not allow your freedom to hinder the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 10:28 … if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake …

I do not drink alcohol because alcohol is forbidden the Christian. I do not drink alcohol because I don’t want to offend those who cannot drink. If you are witnessing Christ to a Jew, do not eat pork. If you are telling a Mormon how to be saved, do not smoke or chew tobacco.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

What is Paul talking about? Is he telling us to ignore sin, and turn a blind eye to the evil of the world? No. Paul said in Galatians 1:10, “Am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Jesus made it plain to us that – as Christians – the world will hate us. “If the world hate you, know that it hated Me first” (John 15:18-25). We never compromise the truth for “PR”. We do, however, look for ways to lead others to Christ. Paul put himself in situations that were uncomfortable for himself as an ex-Pharisee and a Jew. Yet Paul did this to lead others to Christ.

2 We glorify God when we put our own desires last and God’s desire first. We ask ourselves in every thing we do, “Is what I want glorifying God? Is what I want leading others to Christ?” If not, we need to change our trajectory. The Bible says:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God wants us to reach out to others so that they might be saved. Our unity in outreaching others with the Gospel is how we glorify Jesus, and glorify our God. May we as His Church commit to His glory as we enter this New Year. Amen and Amen.