The Attributes Of God – God Is Glorious

What are God’s attributes? Each Friday we will look at an attribute of God. This week, God is glorious.  Defining the glory of God is impossible.

“The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections. The infinite beauty—and I am focusing on the manifestation of His character and His worth and attributes — all of His perfections and greatness are beautiful as they are seen, and there are many of them. That is why I use the word manifold.” – John Piper. 

What is the glory of God? And what does it mean to glorify Him in our everyday lives? The glory of God is a term used often in the Bible.

When Moses asked God in Exodus 33:18, “show me your glorious presence” he wasn’t asking for a glimpse of the vault of heaven or to hear a list of God’s credentials read aloud to him. He was asking to see God–to see Him for everything He is. To see His greatness, His splendor, His majesty, His perfect holiness, His goodness. The Bible doesn’t say this, but I wonder if after he said it, Moses was worried about getting what he asked for. It was no small request that could cost him dearly. In verse 20, God says, “…you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” Moses is shielded from seeing God’s face, but God says in verse 19,  “I will make all my goodness pass before you.”  

The scriptures tell us: ”[He] has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? … all the nations of the world are, but a drop in the bucket. [to Him] …[He] spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.” (Isaiah 40: 12, 15, 22). The prophet attempts to give God’s glory some scale through word pictures. Still, even these very picturesque and helpful descriptions fall miserably short of capturing the awesome glory of God. God’s glory encompasses the greatness, beauty, and perfection of all He is. There is none like Him; He has no rivals, and no valid comparisons can be made to Him. He is beyond our ability to estimate, understand or describe.

There is one activity that Scripture associates far more than any other with glorifying God, and that is worship. At its heart, worship ascribes all glory to God alone. We can glorify God in many ways, but Scripture indicates that nothing we do delights God more than calling on His name with sincere hearts and declaring that all glory belongs to Him.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Discussion Questions:

1. The definition of glorifying God is: To honor God by our lives showing His splendor, love, and perfection, that His presence is seen in us. In what ways does the believer do this in everyday life?
2. What can we do this week to glorify God?