That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you
Christ glorified in His servants
I.
When the work of faith is fulfilled with power, Christ is glorified in His servants.
1. Christ is glorified.
(1) Passively in all His creatures, as His glorious excellencies are visibly represented in them. Natural agents (Psa_19:1-2; Psa_145:10). The new creature (Eph h1:12).
(2) Actively, as they conceive and declare His excellency.
(a) In their hearts, by estimation and love (Luk_1:46; Psa_73:25), and trust (Isa_26:3), and delight (Psa_4:6-7; Psa_73:3).
(b) With their tongues (Psa_50:23; Jam_3:10).
(c) In their lives, by fixing his glory as the end (1Co_10:31), and by doing those things as may most suit the end (1Pe_1:15).
2. The work of faith fulfilled with power glorifies Christ. Christ is glorified by--
(1) Our patience under troubles (Joh_21:19; Php_1:21), which is a work of faith.
(2) All holy conversation and godliness (Mat_5:16; 1Pe_2:12).
II. In promoting the glory of Christ we promote the salvation of our souls.
1. God has appointed this order that we should first glorify Him before He glorifies us. It would redound to God’s dishonour if he should glorify those that do not glorify Him, and make no difference between those who break His laws and those who keep them.
2. God has also appointed that we should glorify Him on earth before He glorifies us in heaven. In this we have Christ for an example (Joh_17:4-5).
3. Christ takes special notice of those that glorify Him in the world (Joh_17:10). Christ is glorified--
(1) In His Person, when He is owned as the Son of God (Joh_17:8).
(2) In His office (Joh_14:13).
(3) In His doctrine, when it is believed and practised (Act_13:48)
4. This glory is promised (1Sa_2:30; Joh_12:26; Rom_8:7).
5. The suitableness between His being glorified in us and our being glorified in Him.
(1) Objectively, because this impression of honour upon us redounds to His glory (2Th_1:10).
(2) Actively, because one part of our happiness is, that we love and praise Him. This is our glory, that we behold Christ’s glory (Joh_17:24).
6. We may expect this glory--
(a) With confidence (2Ti_4:8; 2Th_2:13).
(b) Without danger of presumption, because Christ is the Lord of glory (Jam_2:1;1Co_2:8), and because that grace whereby we glorify Him is given by Him (Joh_17:22).
III. Our complete salvation, from first to last, flows from the grace of God in Christ. (T. Manton, D. D.)
Christ is glorious in the character of His followers in that
I. They give Him the throne, and cheerfully acknowledge His authority over them.
II. Whatever is excellent in their character is but the reflection of His own.
III. They are His witnesses in this ungodly world.
IV. They love to promote His glory and advance the interests of His kingdom. Application:
1. This is full of comfort to God’s people, because they have the greatest security in His guardianship and love.
2. It is full of inducements to holy being.
3. It is full of rebuke to ungodly men, in that there are no indications of the Saviour’s glory in their characters. (G. Spring, D. D.)
A Christian is the reflex of Christ
It has often been said that the Christian virtues are only impressions of the image of Christ; and that is true and good; but these impressions must find expression in everyday life. We are called of God to make manifest the character of “Him that loved us.” Once, in a large company of Christian men, the most lively regret was expressed that there is no authentic portrait of Jesus Christ as he lived and walked upon this earth. How gladly, it was said, would Christians often look on the features of that face! But one of God’s aged pilgrims stood up and said, “I cannot deplore that at all, because a true Christian is the true likeness of Christ.” (Pastor Funcke.)
