“For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen”
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5)
To give God glory begins with acknowledging that God exists. To look at the marvels of creation and give God the credit as the Master Designer. We are also called into a relationship with the God who created us. When we decide to follow Jesus and give our lives over to Him we become the bearers of His Name. This means that the things that we say and do reflect on Him. Therefore, we have a responsibility to bring glory to God through our lives. The Apostle Paul reminds us above that, as believers, we are the “temple” of the Holy Spirit. God Himself has taken up residence in us. Paul was letting the Corinthian believers know that it was at great cost that God made this miraculous relationship possible.
During the Lenten season we are meditating on the sacrifice of Jesus…the One who “gave Himself for our sins”. We have the honor of being a living illustration of God’s redeeming grace! Some might say, “But I am a terrible example. I struggle with the Christian life and often fail.”…and God forgives you…picks you up…brushes you off and you continue to grow. That IS the story of grace. God takes imperfect, struggling, weak people like you and me and pulls us close to Him. Like the rest of creation He created us for His glory. We are His unique project that tells the world that He is a God who redeems…a God who rescues…a God who so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life!
Today, we must take to heart our calling, as followers of Jesus, to bring glory to His name. When we pray “For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory” we realize that we have a part in pointing people to Jesus.