“That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:12).
Christ is glorified in every believer because we are the objects of His saving grace. In our salvation, He makes known the greatness of His grace and mercy, His wisdom and His love, His truth and righteousness, indeed, all of His perfections. Not only is Christ glorified in us, but we are glorified in Him. We were ordained to receive eternal glory with Him as the reward of His obedience, because He did all the will of God (2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; Heb. 10:5-8). In His work of our salvation, He glorified His Father. God therefore glorified Him (John 10:15-18; Php. 2:6-11; Heb. 10:5-17; Esther 6:6-11; John 17:1-5). God the Father has given Christ the greatest glory possible, because our Lord Jesus, by Himself, has saved His people from their sins according to the will of God. “His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” (Ps. 21:5; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12).
And Christ is glorified when we believe Him (Rom. 4:20). Our faith is the result of His conquest over the guilt and corruption of our sin (Rom. 6:17), the death we deserved (Gal. 3:13), the devil and the world (Matt. 18:7; John 16:33). Christ rules as sovereign over all and dispenses faith to His elect (Titus 1:1; Acts 3:16; 1 Pet. 1:21). He is glorified by faith because in believing, we own that Christ alone is worthy of all glory because He saved us from our sins with His own blood, and established our everlasting righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30-31; Rev. 5:9). We agree with God. He has exalted His Son. He has given Him honor and glory. The believing heart wants it that way. Moreover, Faith glorifies Christ by calling on Him as the only one who has and will yet save us (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:10). Faith looks to Him in dependence to fulfill all that He has said, in hope of the certain fulfillment of His promises (Num. 14:16-21; 2 Sam. 7:25; Ezek. 36:37). In the day of trouble, we call (Ps. 50:15). He hears. He saves. We are shown to be the objects of His grace. But we are not only passive tributes to His glory, in our heart we are glad that He has saved us by Himself, to His glory. And we say so. “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:11-12).
“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise” (Jer. 17:14).
Christ is glorified in every believer because we are the objects of His saving grace. In our salvation, He makes known the greatness of His grace and mercy, His wisdom and His love, His truth and righteousness, indeed, all of His perfections. Not only is Christ glorified in us, but we are glorified in Him. We were ordained to receive eternal glory with Him as the reward of His obedience, because He did all the will of God (2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; Heb. 10:5-8). In His work of our salvation, He glorified His Father. God therefore glorified Him (John 10:15-18; Php. 2:6-11; Heb. 10:5-17; Esther 6:6-11; John 17:1-5). God the Father has given Christ the greatest glory possible, because our Lord Jesus, by Himself, has saved His people from their sins according to the will of God. “His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him” (Ps. 21:5; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12).
And Christ is glorified when we believe Him (Rom. 4:20). Our faith is the result of His conquest over the guilt and corruption of our sin (Rom. 6:17), the death we deserved (Gal. 3:13), the devil and the world (Matt. 18:7; John 16:33). Christ rules as sovereign over all and dispenses faith to His elect (Titus 1:1; Acts 3:16; 1 Pet. 1:21). He is glorified by faith because in believing, we own that Christ alone is worthy of all glory because He saved us from our sins with His own blood, and established our everlasting righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30-31; Rev. 5:9). We agree with God. He has exalted His Son. He has given Him honor and glory. The believing heart wants it that way. Moreover, Faith glorifies Christ by calling on Him as the only one who has and will yet save us (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:10). Faith looks to Him in dependence to fulfill all that He has said, in hope of the certain fulfillment of His promises (Num. 14:16-21; 2 Sam. 7:25; Ezek. 36:37). In the day of trouble, we call (Ps. 50:15). He hears. He saves. We are shown to be the objects of His grace. But we are not only passive tributes to His glory, in our heart we are glad that He has saved us by Himself, to His glory. And we say so. “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:11-12).
“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise” (Jer. 17:14).
Rick Warta
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