GALATIANS 1:24
“And they were glorifying God because of me.”
What exactly does it mean to glorify God? Have you ever wondered if you were doing it right? I mean, who wants to do that wrong? Am I right? Well, according to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word doxa means “to esteem glorious.” Thanks a lot, Carl. That doesn’t really help. It means to value God for Who He really is. Only He is worthy of glory. We certainly aren’t.
I love that Paul shared this in today’s verse. The people of the Judean churches, once they knew of the change in Paul, were glorifying God. Albert Barnes says of this verse, “They regarded me (Paul) as a true convert and a sincere Christian; and they praised God that He had converted such a persecutor and had made him a preacher of the gospel.” Paul’s conversion was something only God could have done. Therefore, only He (not Paul) was deserving of glory.
APPLICATION
I am sure you have known people who were converted from a horrible lifestyle. We’ve heard of adulterers and murderers getting saved. We may know of drug addicts or alcoholics who have done the same. How do we react? We give God glory! When Peter was called before the Jewish leaders after being arrested for preaching about Jesus, he said in Acts 4:12, “‘And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.’” The same is true today.
When you hear of someone coming to Christ, give praise to the One who brings salvation to mankind. Don’t praise the actions of the one who was saved. Sure, encourage them. Walk with them as they begin their journey with Christ. But all the glory for their salvation goes to Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 is another of my favorite passages about this. It says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
That passage was written by Paul. He knew he had done nothing to deserve his salvation. He knew “it is the gift of God.” Coming out of a works-based religion, he knew his salvation in Christ wasn’t based on his works. It was all from Him. Only Jesus deserved the glory. And here, in today’s verse, Paul is praising God that the churches recognized that and gave God the glory. Will you glorify God today for all He has done in your life. He is worthy of all glory!
I glorify Your name, O God, Who saved me from the wretched life I was living and placed me into Your eternal family.