Glorifying God by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 7, 1867

Glorifying God.

By Editor

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. v, 16.

These are the words of our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount. A good comment on the expression “glorifying God,” as confined to the idea that those around us, even sinners, may be led to do this by seeing our good works, is found in Luke xxiii, 47:

“Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.”

Here, the centurion, considering the character the Saviour had sustained, and the circumstances attending his death, was led to acknowledge that this was a righteous man; and in so doing he “glorified God.” So we are to let our good works be manifested in such a way as to compel all with whom we come in contact, to acknowledge that the religion of Christ is not a dead letter, but a vital principle, moulding the life of its possessor, leading to purity of heart, and the manifestation of every virtue in all the relations of life. And when we so live as to lead others to acknowledge this, even though they may have no saving interest in the religion which we thus honor, they glorify God, and we fulfill the instruction of the Saviour.—Ed.