The only life to glorify the Lord    Psalms 103:1-5  

Rev. Cho, Y.M

Glorifying the Lord is the reason and purpose of human beings' existence. Missing this reason and purpose is an apostasy and crime. In general , a crime means deviating from any moral and legal rules, that is a wrong doing. But a crime predicted in the Bible has its origin in the relationship with the Lord. The deviation of a word, crime in hebrew is "Hata" and "Hamartia" in Hella. This means "missing a target", or "deviating from a target." This means deviating from the reason and purpose which the Lord have given us.

Adam and Hawa ate the fruit of evil and good which was banned to eat by the Lord, due to the temptation of Satan "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Trying to be on the same position as the Lord is a challenge against the glory of the Lord. Adam and Hawa completely stayed away from the target of the reason and purpose they should have glorified only the lord.

The history of corrupted descendents of Adam has been dotted with records of indifference, challenge and distrubance against the glory of Lord. They have built the Babel Towers which are atheism, idol worship and humanism. Such a human beings'history will be end up with a Lord's punishment and judgement. A real way that human beings lead a life worthy of man is to glorify only the Lord. The only way to make your life good has a life which the Lord receives glory.

Today I would like to share the grace looking into how to glorify the Lord. First, if you lead your life to glorify the Lord, you have to believe in Jesus and be redeemed. There are four kinds of people relating to a belief.

First, there are atheists who deny the Lord or an absolute being.

Second, there are agnostics, who insist that human beings can't recognize any unlimited existence because of their limitedness. Therefore they announce that we human beings can't know whether a god exists or not.

Third, there are idol worshipers who believe in God's existence but don't believe in the Lord predicted in the Bible. They believe in idols which are nothing. Their idols are various from the spirit to a high levels of religion.

Fourth, there are christians who believe in and know the Lord predicted in the Bible.

They believe in the only Lord, creator and trinity of the father, son, holy Ghost. Also they believe in the Lord who save sinners with the redemption of Jusus christ. Unless human beings stay away from wrong thoughts, therories, and idols and return to the creator, saver who is our Lord, their life will be far away from a life to glorify the lord.

It is recorded in the Ephesians of the Bible that only the man who believes in Jesus can glorify the Lord and praise to the Lord. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."(Ephesians 1:3-6)

Therefore believing in the Jesus, being a son of the Lord, and becoming a christian are the beginning and the base of life to glorify the Lord. Second, to glorify the Lord, you have to lead your life to give the lord a thankful praise. When you consider how valuable and great the grace you receive from the Lord you will have to give the Lord an endless thanks and praises.

David gave a thankful praise to the Lord considering the grace the Lord gave. "Praise the Lord, O my soul ; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."(Psalm103:1-5)

It is appropriate for the people who got a redemption to offer thanks and praise to the Lord. Bible says, "Sing hoyfully to the Lord, you righteous;it is fitting for the upright to praise him."(Psalm33:1) Bible always says that christians always have to praise and thank to the Lord. Leading your life to give thanks and praises to the Lord is suitable for the purpose which the Lord chose us and made us reborn. Bible says, "The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."(Isaiah43:21)

Third, to lead your life to glorify the Lord, you have to live lives worthy of God. Apostle Paul sent a letter to the Thessalonian church, "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of god, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."(Thessalonians 2:10-12)

The lives worthy of God is lives worthy of God's character. God is holy, so we have to live holy lives.
God is good. We have to treat people with a good and mercy. The Lord is justifiable, so we should treat our neighbors with justice.
God is turthful. So we must discard falsehood and do everything truthfully.

Jesus says, "take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble."(Mathew 11:29)

We also have to live with a good and numble mind. Through living worthy of the Lord, we can give a glory to the Lord.
Jesus says, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.(Mathew 5:16)

Fourth, if you want to live to the Lord a glory, you have to live putting efforts on the Lord's work. A man who devote and serve to the Lord's work have to do it only for the Lord's glory. A man who try to do his church duty for his own pleasure or satisfaction will have difficulty doing it. A man who devote and serve to the Lord's work must endure and do it with wisdom. Doing the Lord's work with endurance and wisdom let you offer glory to the Lord. And it is the most important thing to spread gospel.

In fact, christians'life has to be focused on spreading gospel to get more people saved. To get more people saved, christians spread gospel in a front line or help the people who spread gospel from behind. "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:Preach the Word;be prepared in season and out of season;correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."(Timothy 4: 2)

Hard working on the Lord's work is the most blessed and valuable. When we are resurrected and changed on Jesus'coming again, we will realize doing our best on the Lord's work would be very important.

Bible says, "Listen, I tell you a mystery : We will not all sleep but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."(Corinthians15:51,52)

Recorded is in the today's Bible context, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."(Psalms115:1)

Our redemption came from the Lord's mercy and truthfulness, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."(John 3:16)

As he promised us to send his only son, he sent us his only son whom he made our sin redeemed. The Lord is extremly mirciful and truthful. Therefore lives which give the Lord glory go side by side with a depth of experience for the Lord's mercy and truthfulness.

Beloved christians! Please remember the fact that the glory we will enjoy in the heaven in the future is related to the lives to offer glory to the Lord. I bless you in the name of Jesus your life will be only life to give the Lord glory.