Lesson 110. Give Glory to God

The message of the First Angel, who proclaims it to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, is this: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ Revelation 14:7.

What does it mean to ‘give glory to God’? From a human point of view, I understand this to mean saying aloud, ‘Glory to God!’ This phrase has become so firmly established in people’s speech that it now serves as a connecting expression used briefly to convey positive emotions or favorable comments about someone. God’s name is often spoken in vain, which is a direct and flagrant violation of the Lord’s commandment.

The enemy of souls knows how awe-inspiring God is in His majesty and how holy and great His Name is. He knows that speaking this Name draws the attention of all the angels and of God Himself, so that they may learn for what purpose it has been used in speech and what can be done for this seeking or grateful person. But their interest is met in response by emptiness of thought and an absence of meaning. Then the commandment spoken by God in Exodus 20:7 comes into force: ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.’

But the angel’s message does not call us merely to pronounce this phrase. It has a very deep meaning and brings a great blessing to those who discover the true significance of the proclaimed truth and apply this knowledge in their lives.

Glory is the giving of honor and praise to someone, the exaltation of someone’s merits and achievements, and someone’s fame and popularity. This is how the word is commonly understood in conversation. But such a definition does not reveal to me the very essence of the First Angel’s message. If I understand the word only in this literal way, I will merely speak about it more often.

In the light of the Bible, glory may be defined as a brilliant radiance and a manifestation of God’s power. But what does the Lord Himself say about His glory? I believe this is the best explanation of the meaning of the word. We read in Exodus 33:18–19: ‘And he said, I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory. And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.’ Then we read in Exodus 34:5–7: ‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.’

God has opened His heart to us and revealed the beauty of His character.

The Name and glory of God are the expression of the Creator’s character; they are His essence, His mercy and justice united.

The First Angel’s message calls me to give glory to Him. What does this mean? What does Heaven expect from me in response to this appeal? I must understand it correctly and, once I understand, obey it. For the First Angel’s message is not given as advice but as a command. I am called to fear, to give, and to worship—three actions that must be understood correctly and applied in my life according to that correct understanding.

To give glory to God means to reflect His character in my life. The group of 144,000 is described in Revelation 14:1 as follows: ‘And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.’

God’s Name upon the forehead is Christ’s character embodied in my mind. Wherever I may be, my disposition will reveal itself according to who I am. The formation of my character for Eternity is the most important task God has given me. I must accomplish it in my life and become established in it after being tested on every side. Simply speaking God’s Name, even consciously and not in vain, will not change very much in my life.

Once I saw a picture in which God’s literal Name was written upon the foreheads of the saved. It looked absurd. This was also how I imagined God’s glory. But when the meaning of God’s command was revealed to me, I understood that a great work upon myself awaited me.

A simple declaration that I want to possess the character of Christ is also a superficial understanding of the truth.

What is the essence of God’s character? He has already answered, and His definition shows that it is the manifestation of His love.

Once again I have come to this wonderful gift of God, into which He has placed Himself. Can I receive God’s character and learn to possess agape within me without communing with God? Am I able to love anyone if I do not possess this gift? Can I have God’s Name upon my forehead if I do not know Jesus personally? These are the most important questions for my soul. It is worth seeking the correct answers to them and, having found them, putting them into practice in my life.

When I ask God to give me love, I thereby express the desire to possess the character of the One Who is Love. Merely receiving an emotional experience will not change very much in my heart. But when this principle of Heaven becomes my motive and the driving force of my being, I will rightly reflect God’s character in my life.

In essence, the First Angel’s message sounds like this to me: ‘Reveal God’s character in your life, in every trial, toward every person!’ When I understand this and ask God to help me, my training begins. In it, God Himself writes His Name in my heart and establishes it in my mind, just as He promised.

It is impossible to ignore this command and remain faithful to God in everything else. If I am poor in love, I will not be able to share it with anyone. I am incapable of producing within myself what God must do. If He has promised me that He will write His law in my heart and mind, then He Himself will do it—not I by my own strength and not any other one of my friends.

How can I give God the opportunity to accomplish this work in my life? This is also important to understand.

Let us consider an example. A good man wanted to get to know me and become my close friend. He gathered all the information about me, questioned all my friends, studied my biography, and viewed all my photographs and videos. At last he met me and declared his intention. One does not often meet people like this. And so we communicate. From our conversations I already see his genuine interest in me, in what I do, and in what I plan. I see how interested this man is in me, and his sincerity and thirst to know me as a friend move me to reveal more to him than others know. I begin sharing the secrets of my life and my soul, and I see that he listens and accepts everything. He supports all my plans; none of my projects or undertakings take place without his participation. He does not judge me for failing to understand my goals but loves me as I am and longs to know me still more. Do you dream of such a friend?

God has this very same dream for each of us. The realization of this dream is called the formation of my character. By beholding God in this way, I begin to be transformed under the influence of His grace. And now He enriches me with His love. This is how love is formed.

1. What did you not understand from this lesson?

2. What did you understand from this lesson?

3. How can I give glory to God in the circumstances of my life?

4. How can I determine whether I am giving glory to God?

5. Why is God’s Name written or placed upon the forehead? What does this mean?

6. What relationship does love have to the glory of God?

7. Please read 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:40–41; 2 Corinthians 8:23–24; Ephesians 3:16–19; Philippians 3:18–19; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; and John 5:44 in the light of our lesson.

8. Did you hear God speaking personally to you?