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Episode #60 "To God Be the Glory"
Transcript
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been looking at the two life-builders of Matthew 7 - Wally the Wise Man and Martin the Moron. Together we discovered that we share a lot in common with those guys. We’ve also talked about the vital necessity of not just reading God’s Word but actually DOING what it says. James 1:22 warns us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. I’m your host, Steve Etner, Author, National Speaker, and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry. This is episode #60, and in this episode, we continue to discover the importance of building your spiritual life on the right foundation. Stay tuned and we’ll discover from Scripture not only what it means to give all the glory to God, but how to do it!
Picture this: It’s Sunday morning. You’re at church and the worship service has begun. The music begins playing and everyone joins in singing. You look around and notice that some people have their heads bowed while others are lifting hands high as corporately the words of the song drift heavenward. Smiling, you begin to sing along. “In my life, Lord, be glorified; be glorified. In my life, Lord, be glorified today!” Those are stirring words to be sure. Simple, yet packed full of meaning. “God, please be glorified in my life today!”
Sound’s great! Moving. Inspiring even. But what does that really mean? If that is truly your heart’s desire, then you know that the only time your life is going to have real meaning is as you walk in full surrender and total obedience to God.
The psalmist reminds us that “It is (God) who made us, and we are His.” (Psalm 100:3) The truth of the matter is you have been created for God’s Glory. It’s been programmed within your very DNA. Think about that for a moment. God created you with the primary purpose of living a life that glorifies Him.
True purpose and meaning to life is found only when you are doing that which God created you to do. Let me repeat that. Listen closely. True purpose and meaning to life is found only when you are DOING that which God created you to do – to live a life that glorifies Him in everything you think, everything you say, and everything you do. You see, the primary aim in the life of every Christian must be to know God and live a godly life … a life that brings all the honor and all the glory to Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” So, I have a question for you to seriously consider: How are you doing with that?
In Colossians 3:17 the Apostle Paul states that “whatever (we) do, whether in word or deed, (we are to) do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” OK, I want you to carefully consider the way that verse is written. Let me repeat it and listen closely. “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Here’s what I want you to notice: there is no option here. He says, “whatever you do, DO IT in Jesus’ name.” This isn’t something that would be nice if we could possibly fit it into our day. It’s not “try your best to accomplish this task more often than not in your life.” This is God’s expectation of all His children. This is God’s expectation of you!
Now think with me for a moment here. According to this verse, everything that you say and everything that you do is to honor the name of Christ. Are you catching this? Not just some of the things you say and most of the things you do. Everything! Sound impossible? I promise you, it’s not.
There are some very important truths I do not want you to miss here. So, let’s take a few more minutes in this episode to focus on Colossians 3:17 and meditate on it, asking ourselves three questions. 1) What is this verse really saying? 2) How does this verse apply directly to me personally? And 3) What do I need to do in my life, what do I need to adjust in my thinking and my doing as a result of the truth contained in this verse.
Here’s why those three questions are so important. It is critical as Christian’s that we be wise builders, establishing our godly lives upon the solid rock of Christ. To do that, we need to not only hear God’s Word, but put it into practice in our daily lives as well. For greater clarification and more elaboration, be sure to go back and listen to Episodes 58 and 59 of this podcast.
Ok, let’s read Colossians 3:17 once again. Listen closely. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Here’s why I wanted to repeat this verse. I want you to notice that Paul starts out this verse by using the word “whatever.” “And WHATEVER you do.” This word, as it is used here, refers to the total of each and every thing. In other words, nothing – not even a singe part of a thing – is to be left out of this equation.
When Paul says, “WHATEVER you do,’ he means exactly what it says. The words, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed,” are telling us that each and every word we speak, as well as each and every thing we do – all of it, every part of it – must be said and done to the glory of God. Remember, God’s expectation is that we glorify Him in everything. If it isn’t glorifying Him, it is sin.
So, I have this question for you to ponder. How often do you closely examine your words and actions – before ever speaking them or doing them – to make sure that they all glorify God? Yet that is what we are commanded to do. As the peace of Christ rules in your heart, and His words richly dwell in you (Colossians 3:16), each and every part of all the things that you say and all the things you do will be focused on glorifying God (Colossians 3:17). If that sounds impossible, I have great new for you – it’s not! God, who (according to Titus 1:2) cannot lie, promises us in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. Are you catching this? All things! And do you remember what the word “all” means? “All” means all and that’s all “all” means! That promise includes the ability to glorify God in every single word and deed.
Ok, now I want us to look once again at Colossians 3:17 because we’re not done yet unpacking the amazing truths that are buried in this verse. So, let’s break it down even further. You see, Paul says, “whatever you do in word or deed.” In this sentence, the word “word” is referring not just to the actual vocabulary that comes out of your mouth but includes the tone of voice you are using. Your tone of voice is often a great revealer of the attitude or motivation of your heart behind each and every word you speak.
The point Paul is making here is this: you must seriously reflect on what is going on inside your heart before you speak. Jesus says, in Luke 6:45, that “the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) So, I challenge you, I urge you, I encourage you, in fact: I dare you to intentionally reflect on the driving force behind every specific word you speak. Reflect on the reason you are saying that specific word and formulating that specific sentence. Determine whether it is for your personal benefit or for God’s glory! Remember, Jesus gives you and I a very somber and solemn warning in Matthew 12:36 when He says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Wow!
To be a godly man (or a godly woman), you must continually evaluate your heart’s motivation for using that word to construct that particular sentence to make that particular point. Why are you saying what you are to your spouse? What’s the real reason for talking to your children the way you do? What is your goal in wording things the way you do to your boss or co-worker? Why did you tell your friends that particular story in that particular way? You see, your words will always expose what’s in your heart. That’s why Jesus says in Matthew 12:34 that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So, my friend, carefully consider your words. Listen to your words. What is your heart revealing?
According to Colossians 3:17, EVERY word you say and EVERY action you do is to be said and done for one purpose alone – to bring glory to God. Does that irritate you? Does that bother you? Does that annoy you? If so, may I ask why? Think about that. Your answer will reveal much about your heart and your relationship with God.
Every time you speak, you need to be thinking about this: Is this word, this sentence, this statement, and the underlying motivation of my heart geared toward the goal of benefiting me or glorifying God. Now, if you’re not sure of the answer, ask members of your family and closest friends. They hear you speak every day. They may be able to shed some light on your motivation by what your words reveal to them.
I must confess that this entire concept was a huge challenge for me. I remember thinking: “there’s no way I can do that. ‘Every word?’ C’mon ... impossible! I speak thousands of words every day!” So, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me identify the motivations of my heart behind my words. I never realized how self-centered I really was. God began to show me that even the “good” and the “spiritual” things I said were actually for my own benefit, not His. I began to feel immensely discouraged. How could I ever gain victory over this?
Again, let me remind you that (as Luke 1:37 and 18:27 says) with God nothing is impossible. Oh, my friend, God will never set you up to fail. He will never command you to do something that is impossible to do. Our problem lies in the fact that we are used to talking throughout the day without thinking first. So, the concept of thinking through everything you say before you speak feels very foreign. The exciting thing here is that God has created us as creatures of habit. Repetitive action eventually forms habitual action. Yes, it’s work right now, but it won’t always be.
If you’ve been following all the episodes of this podcast, then you know by now that I like to ask questions geared to get you to think; so, here’s another one: Why is each and every single word you speak so important? You see, in Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus says, “(Everyone) will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Do you get the idea that God considers every individual word you speak as being vitally important – even the empty and seemingly pointless ones?
Have you ever really paused long enough to consider what God has to say in Scripture as it relates to the words that come out of your mouth? For example, Proverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” We also read in Proverbs 13:3 that “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.” God says in Proverbs 15:2 that “the tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” He also declares in Proverbs 21:23, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” And listen to this one from Ecclesiastes 5:2-3. “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. ... the speech of a fool (comes) when there are many words.”
I think it’s probably safe to say that God advocates thinking before speaking. So, let me ask you this question: Why are your words so important to God? Why does God care about the things you say? Proverbs 18 21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” I submit we need to be using that power for God’s glory and not for personal gain.
Scriptures command us in 1 Peter 3:10 to “keep (your) tongue from evil and (your) lips from deceitful speech.” That verb, “to keep,” here – means you are to make your tongue cease and desist from speaking evil. We are to restrain our tongue from saying things that will not glorify God. But how do we keep from saying things that magnify self instead of glorify God? Jesus said in Luke 6:45 that “the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” In other words, you will speak what your mind thinks. The bottom line is that you have to change your thoughts before you can ever change your speech. If you want to speak in a way that glorifies God, then you must think only those thoughts that will glorify God. Remember the children’s song that says, “Oh, be careful, little tongue what you say”? Well, to that I add: “Oh, be careful, little mind, what you think”! The prophet Isaiah said that the man whose mind is busy with evil will speak folly (Isaiah 32:6)
To be a godly man or woman is to live a life that glorifies God. One of the ways you do that is through every single word you speak. James 1:26 says, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” Keeping a tight rein on your tongue means you are disciplining yourself to be extremely careful about what you say. Every word is guarded and thoroughly considered before ever being spoken. You put a watch over your heart so that nothing escapes your lips unexamined. You never allow whatever comes to mind to leave your mouth without first examining it carefully. Will it glorify God or not?
I want you to consider for a moment the power of the spoken word. Our words can deceive, they can persuade, cause quarrels and controversies, and can appeal to the desires of the flesh. Timothy was commanded to set an example for the believers in his speech (1 Timothy 4:12). Jesus personally lived the perfect example for us. In 1 Peter 2:21-22 we learn that “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” The Scripture provides plenty of reason to examine our hearts and guard our words. Never forget that whatever you say should be said for the sole purpose of glorifying God. Period.
In Matthew 12, as Jesus addresses the heart of the Pharisees, He states, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) Now think about that for a moment. Your words – every word – and the motivation behind each word, reveal what is in your heart. Your words are a direct result of what is going on in your thoughts. What you think will come out in what you say. The psalmist declares in Psalm 139:4 that “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” In other words, before you even speak a word, it is in your heart, it is in your mind, and God already knows it.
You need to ask yourself – and answer honestly – this question: Does each and every word I speak and the motivation behind them bring glory to God? When I am speaking to my spouse, to my children, to my employer or employees, to my co-workers, to my family members, to my friends and neighbors, even to those annoying telemarketers, am I considering carefully everything I am saying to be sure each and every word is glorifying God? Since your words reveal what is in your thoughts, the real question is: Do your thoughts truly glorify God? What you think will be revealed in what you say.
If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about our ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com.
One of those resources I have been highlighting for you here is my book entitled “Extreme Mind Makeover: How to transform sinful thoughts and habits into patterns of life pleasing to God.” In fact, much of what you heard in today’s episode was taken in part from “Extreme Mind Makeover.” This book takes you on a journey through the Bible to examine what God has to say about how your thoughts, words, and actions influence and impact your heart.
When you train your mind to think godly thoughts, the fruit of your life – the things you say and do day in and day out – will be godly. On the flip side, when you allow your mind to think sinful, fleshly, ungodly thoughts, the fruit of your life (your daily attitudes and actions and even your words) will be ungodly. So, how do I change the way I think? How do I change the things I do? How do I successfully and effectively guard my heart? This book, “Extreme Mind Makeover” takes you deep into God’s Word to help you answer those questions.
So go to our website, ThePurityCoach.com, and check out our resources page, or go directly to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Extreme Mind Makeover” today.
And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!
So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.