Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1Co 10:31)
NOTE: The blue and underlined words below are alive and link to Bible verses. Rub your cursor over a link and look at the bottom of your screen.I began thinking about this forty years ago when I read somewhere that Johann Sebastian Bach, the great musician and music writer, wrote all of his music to the glory of God. It followed that I ought to examine my inner reasons for music or preaching or any other Christian activity. Is it for the glory of God or is it for me?
We want to do our best for the glory of God, but that subtle dividing line is there where we may wonder what the audience thought of us as performers. Jesus said of the religious leaders who paraded themselves on street corners and prayed beautiful prayers: "They have their reward." They had better enjoy it now because they won't get any reward for it in the hereafter.
Christian liberty and its relationship to relating to a holy God is a daily challenge. We have a Biblical duty and destiny to be like Him, to be holy because He is holy, while we are still saddled with a corrupt "old man" nature. We also have a new nature given to us at the time of the new birth and this new nature never prompts us to sin against God. These two conflicting natures are in a state of warfare all of our lives. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit indwells each of us as believers. It is not a neat, precise warfare. Our three-fold enemy is the world, the flesh and the devil. And out of that compound setting we are commanded to do everything to the glory of God and to bring every thought unto the captivity of Christ.
"Paul has stated certain great principles that relate to Christian liberty. One of those principles is: All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. Also, all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Now here is another one: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, and whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
"This is the test every believer should apply to his life. Not "should I do this, or should I do that," but "can I do it for the glory of God?" Unfortunately, there are Christians who don't even go to church for the glory of God. They go for some other reason—maybe to criticize or to gossip. With a motive like that it is better to stay at home. Whatever a believer does should be done for the glory of God. That is very important" (McGee).
Whether therefore ye eat or drink – The principle is introduced by the case in hand; eating and drinking the things that had been offered in sacrifice to idols. "Still, however, it contains a general direction that is applicable to eating and drinking at all times; and the phrase "whatsoever ye do" is evidently designed by the apostle to make the direction universal." (Barnes)
Or whatsoever ye do – A principle is established here that covers all the actions and plans of life; there is nothing that is not covered here in principle. The Bible mentions some things by name and everything else is covered by principles. Let all be done to the glory of God.
Jesus laid bare a principal we should heed - How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? (John 5:44)
It appears to be a matter of keeping everything in perspective. We are told to honor rightly and we are told that if we suffer with Him we will be glorified together with Him. So the truth does not lie in the idea that we are never to praise each other for a job well-done or to thank people for their gifts and kindness. There is that legitimate area where praise and honor toward one another is in order. But above it all, there is the overriding umbrella of God who gave it all and to Him is the chief praise and for His glory. Ω
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