The Principle or Example's Glory to God and Kingdom Advancement
Scripture commands believers to glorify God in all things, establishing this as the central purpose of Christian life and witness. The psalmist declares, "Let me give glory to you, O God, my King; and blessing to your name for ever and ever" [5], while Paul insists that glorifying God is an obligation of all saints [2]. This principle extends beyond private devotion to encompass the Church's corporate mission and the advancement of God's kingdom in the world.
The Biblical Foundation
God's glory is exhibited in Christ [4], in His majesty, power, works, and holiness [4]. The declaration of this glory serves a specific purpose: "the extension of His knowledge and perfections in the world" [7]. When the angelic host announced Christ's birth, they sang of "glory to God" as the first note of their hymn, directly linking it to the peace He would bring as Prince [11]. This pattern reveals that God's glory and kingdom advancement are inseparable—the Church's mission is to make known the excellency of God's name throughout the earth [6].
The Church's glory derives entirely from God and Christ [1], consisting in its identity as the temple of God, the body of Christ, and the bride of Christ [1]. This derived glory obligates believers to reflect God's character through their conduct. Paul urged the Thessalonians to "walk worthy of God" in relation to "his kingdom and glory," which Clarke interprets as both "the kingdom of God among men" in the present Church and "his glory hereafter" in the eternal state [12].
Means of Glorifying God
Believers glorify God through relying on His promises, praising Him, and "doing all" [2]—a phrase suggesting comprehensive obedience across every sphere of life. God is glorified through His people's faith, repentance, meekness, and uprightness [3], and through the grace He bestows on others, which prompts grateful acknowledgment of divine goodness [2, 8]. Christ exemplified this principle perfectly, declaring "I have glorified thee on the earth" [2], providing the pattern for His followers.
The ultimate aim is doxological: ascribing to God "glory and dominion for ever and ever" [8, 9]. Paul's confidence that God's glory would be upheld even in the face of his own execution [10] demonstrates that kingdom advancement does not depend on human success but on faithful witness to God's transcendent excellency, which remains "great, eternal, rich, and highly exalted" [4] regardless of earthly circumstances.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Excellency and Glory of the Church, The — Derived from God -- Isa 28:5. Derived from Christ -- Isa 60:1; Lu 2:34. Result from the favour of God -- Isa 43:4. God delights in -- Ps 45:11; Isa 62:3-5. Saints delight in -- Isa 66:11. Consist in its Being the seat of God's worship. -- Ps 96:6. Being the temple of God. -- 1Co 3:16,17; Eph 2:21,22. Being the body of Christ. -- Eph 1:22,23. Being the bride of Christ. -- Ps 45:13,14; Re 19:7,8; 21:2. Being established. -- Ps 48:8; Isa 33:20. Eminent position. -- Ps 48:2; Isa 2:2. Graces of character. -- Song 2:14. Perfection ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glorifying God — Commanded -- 1Ch 16:28; Ps 22:23; Isa 42:12. Due to him -- 1Ch 16:29. For his Holiness. -- Ps 99:9; Re 15:4. Mercy and truth. -- Ps 115:1; Ro 15:9. Faithfulness and truth. -- Isa 25:1. Wondrous works. -- Mt 15:31; Ac 4:21. Judgments. -- Isa 25:3; Eze 28:22; Re 14:7. Deliverance. -- Ps 50:15. Grace to others. -- Ac 11:18; 2Co 9:13; Ga 1:24. Obligation of saints to -- 1Co 6:20. Is acceptable through Christ -- Php 1:11; 1Pe 4:11. Christ, an example of -- Joh 17:4. Accomplished by Relying on his promises. -- Ro 4:20. Praising him. -- Ps 50:23. Doing all ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Joy of God Over His People, The — Greatness of, described -- Zep 3:17. On account of their Repentance. -- Lu 15:7,10. Faith. -- Heb 11:5,6. Fear of him. -- Ps 147:11. Praying to him. -- Pr 15:8. Hope in his mercy. -- Ps 147:11. Meekness. -- Ps 149:4. Uprightness. -- 1Ch 29:17; Pr 11:20. Leads to him Prosper them. -- De 30:9. Do them good. -- De 28:63; Jer 32:41. Deliver them. -- 2Sa 22:20. Comfort them. -- Isa 65:19. Give them the inheritance. -- Nu 14:8. Illustrated -- Isa 62:5; Lu 15:23,24. Exemplified Solomon. -- 1Ki 10:9.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glory of God, The — Exhibited in Christ -- Joh 1:14; 2Co 4:6; Heb 1:3. Exhibited in His name. -- De 28:58; Ne 9:5. His majesty. -- Job 37:22; Ps 93:1; 104:1; 145:5,12; Isa 2:10. His power. -- Ex 15:1,6; Ro 6:4. His works. -- Ps 19:1; 111:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11. Described as Great. -- Ps 138:5. Eternal. -- Ps 104:31. Rich. -- Eph 3:16. Highly exalted. -- Ps 8:1; 113:4. Exhibited to Moses. -- Ex 34:5-7; 33:18-23. Stephen. -- Ac 7:55. His Church. -- De 5:24; Ps 102:16. Enlightens the Church -- Isa 60:1,2; Re 21:11,23. Saints desire to behold -- Ps 63:2; 90:16. God”
- Psalms “Psalms 145:1 (BBE) — Let me give glory to you, O God, my King; and blessing to your name for ever and ever.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 8 (introduction): This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's name. It is proposed for proof (Psa 8:1) that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and then it is repeated as proved (with a "quod erat demonstrandum" - which was to be demonstrated) in the last verse. For the proof of God's glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for God's goodness is his glor”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 145:11: The declaration of God's glory is for the extension of His knowledge and perfections in the world.”
- 1 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Peter 5:11: To him be glory, and dominion, for ever and ever, Amen. The Syriac version begins this doxology in the preceding verse, reading the words thus, "to the God of grace", and then putting what follows, "who hath called us", &c. into a parenthesis, connects them with these, "be glory, and power, and honour", &c. "glory" is due to God for all the grace he bestows on men; and to give it to him shows a sense of divine goodness, and a grateful heart; and to him very fitly is "dominion" ascribed, whose kingdom rules over all, and who dispenses his grace, as well as his provide”
- 1 Peter (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 5:11: To him - The God of all grace, be glory - l honor and praise be ascribed, and dominion - e government of heaven, earth, and hell, for ever - rough time, and ever - rough eternity. Amen - be it, so let it be, and so it shall be. Amen and Amen!”
- 2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 4:18: 4:18 God would continue to strengthen Paul and keep him strong in the faith (4:7) to the end of his life (see 1:12). • The Lord’s heavenly Kingdom contrasts with the earthly kingdom that was about to pass judgment on Paul (see also 4:1; 1 Cor 15:48-49; Heb 12:18-29). • All glory . . . Amen: Paul’s doxology in the face of execution expresses confidence that God’s glory will be upheld (cp. 1 Tim 1:17; 6:15-16). • to God (literally to him): The Greek suggests that this praise is ascribed to “the Lord” of the preceding sentence—namely, to Jesus (cp. Titus 2:13).”
- Luke (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Luke 2:14: Glory, &c.--brief but transporting hymn--not only in articulate human speech, for our benefit, but in tunable measure, in the form of a Hebrew parallelism of two complete clauses, and a third one only amplifying the second, and so without a connecting "and." The "glory to God," which the new-born "Saviour" was to bring, is the first note of this sublime hymn: to this answers, in the second clause, the "peace on earth," of which He was to be "the Prince" (Isa 9:6) --probably sung responsively by the celestial choir; while quickly follows the glad echo of ”
- 1 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 2:12: That ye would walk worthy of God - That they should, in every respect, act up to their high calling, that it would not be a reproach to the God of holiness to acknowledge them as his sons and daughters. See the notes on Eph 4:1; Phi 1:27 (note); and Col 1:10 (note). His Kingdom and glory - His Church here, for that is the kingdom of God among men; and his glory hereafter, for that is the state to which the dispensations of grace in his Church lead. The words, how ever, may be a hendiadys, and signify his glorious kingdom.”