None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8

Over 500 times the Bible refers to the glory of God. God is called the “Father of glory” (Ephesians 1:17). Twice Jesus is called the “Lord of glory”.  And the Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of glory.”  Coming to understand who God is and how He has shown us something of Himself is akin to watching a small child unwrap a Christmas or birthday gift as his eyes are filled with wonder and excitement. I will long remember watching a grandson rip open the box containing the drum set that he had so wanted.

Understanding who God is and what He has done for us as His children means deepening our knowledge and understanding of what He has done and His care for us.

God’s glory is something like a multi-faceted diamond that is held under a bright light against a piece of black velvet that reflects the light many different ways, depending on how it is held and rotated.

Obviously God’s handiwork reflects the glory of Him who created our beautiful world. David cried out, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  When the Apollo 8 astronauts orbited the moon on Christmas Eve, they took turns reading from the Genesis account of creation.  John Glenn, who made two trips into space, said, “To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible.”

We live on a beautiful planet. Whether you love the beach, delicate flowers, the vastness of an Alpine landscape, or the foliage of a rain forest, our world is beautiful and reflects the glory of its creator.

And what of Him who is called the Lord of glory?  At His birth, angels proclaimed the glory of God as they hovered over shepherd’s fields in Bethlehem. At the age of 30 He came to the Jordan to be baptized, and there God spoke audibly, saying, “This is my beloved son.” Then He took Peter, James, and John into a mountain and there His face was transfigured and shone with the glory of the Father.

And how is the third person of the Trinity, one we call The Holy Spirit, also imbued with glory? Simply because He is God—very God of the very God.

So how does what I’ve shared in the past three minutes relate to the world in which we live?

God has given us a foretaste of what heaven is about, and touched our lives with His presence. Thus it can only follow that our lives should reflect His glory as well. Long ago the psalmist said that we are to “declare His glory,” which means the message our lives should bring to the world is that this marvelous God has touched our lives with His presence, making a difference, healing broken hearts, forgiving our sins that separate us from Him; and in response He wants recognition and thanks!

When movie star and entertainer Kathy Griffin accepted an Emmy award, she held up her award and proclaimed, “This award is my god now!” No, she’s not the first to insult God’s Son not will she be the last. Raised as a Catholic, Griffin has come a long ways from her moorings.

Paul told us that our accomplishments should bring glory to the Father who has given us the strength, health, and ability to get to the top. He wrote, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”.  What God has done for us is all part of what the Bible calls grace, something we neither deserve nor can demand.

I, for one, would rather opt for the great God who created our world, sent His Son to show us the way back home to heaven, and sent His Spirit to indwell our lives, than to claim a statue for my god.  How about you?

Resource reading: 2 Corinthians 3