Our Purpose In Life Is to Bring Glory To God

We Bring Glory To God By Following Jesus

The first step is following Jesus is through salvation

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 17

You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Salvation in Christ is more than knowing the gospel intellectually or knowing theology. Salvation is knowing that because God loves us He sent Jesus Christ to this world because sin condemned us to eternal destruction and separates us from the Father. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, who lived a perfect life without sin. He proclaimed salvation and delivered it by dying on a cross for our sins. The punishment for our sins was satisfied by Jesus death on the cross. Jesus was raised to life on the third day victorious over sin and death and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. To believe in Christ means that the Holy Spirit reveals to you that you are totally depraved. There is nothing that you can do to merit your salvation. You must be willing to have an an inward change (repentance) (Metanoia) brought about by the Holy Spirit. This leads to an outward change (believe) (Pistis) by making Jesus Lord of your life.

14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Unfortunately, this is what happens many times. People will hear a message and get convicted of a sin. The guilt of that sin will cause them to walk an isle, say a prayer and then get baptised. This unfortunately is what people see as salvation, and many churches have packaged it this way and sold it. The problem with this is that the person wants the guilt removed from the conviction of the sin without the desire for change or the Lordship of Christ. True salvation will always result in radical change in a person’s character and behavior. This is brought on by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The second step is sanctification.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 17

I glorified You on the earth, bhaving accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 17

4 “I glorified You on the earth, bhaving accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

We glorify God by doing the work He has given us to do.

We glorify God by doing what He

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

The process of being conformed to the image of Christ is not a one time event. This is a life long process. How do I know this? Because I sin daily and Christ did not sin. The revelation of sin in my life causes a grief that can only be satisfied in forgiveness. It means that I must shed the garment of the world and put on the garments of Christ.

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

I am constantly aware of the old self and ask the Lord to help me put off the old ways and help me to put on the new ways of righteousness and holiness.

The only way this happens is by abiding in Christ.

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Abiding in Christ allows you to bear fruit, abide in His love, be obedient to His commandments, and have your soul filled with joy.

We bring glory to God by making disciples.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 17

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;

8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

Christ manifested the Father to the disciples. What does that mean?

to make manifest v. — to cause to become clearly revealed to the mind, the senses, or judgment.

Jesus did more than just teach them Bible lessons. He lived life with them and demonstrated God’s Word in His life. He used everyday situations to communicate God’s word. When he would do something, He would demonstrate it by sharing the Old testament.

The way we make disciples is no different. We manifest Jesus to our disciples. We live life with them. For example: My first discipleship responsibility is to my wife and kids. Contrary to what you may believe, we do not sit down two hours out of the day and read and discuss God’s word together. That doesn’t work for my family and probably doesn’t work for yours as well. What we do is talk about what God is doing in our daily lives and how the scriptures are alive in our life. We do all have our own quiet time and periodically we will discuss what God is teaching us. We also use the scriptures to hold one another accountable.

Our job as disciple makers is to reveal the character of God to others through His Word first. Bible study is a key essential of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. You cannot follow Jesus without being in His word. Secondly we demonstrate God’s word by showing them our obedience to the Word and how they can be obedient to God’s word. Thirdly, we can tell them where we see Jesus in our life and help show them how to recognize Jesus in their own life. Finally we train them to make disciples. It is not enough to train a person how to be a disciple, but we must teach them how to make other disciples.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 17

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.