Pursuing God's Glory: The Heartbeat of Christian Life

Devotional

Day 1: The Glory of God—Our Ultimate Pursuit

God’s glory is not just a theological concept but the very purpose for which we were created. We were made to behold, rejoice in, and hunger after the fullness of God’s perfection, holiness, and beauty. Sin is not merely the breaking of rules, but the turning away from this glory to chase after lesser things, leaving us empty and broken. Yet, God’s desire is to awaken in us a deep longing to see Him as He truly is, to be captivated by His majesty, and to find our satisfaction in Him alone. May your heart be stirred to seek and savor the glory of God above all else. [04:56]

Romans 16:25-27 (ESV)
"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been seeking satisfaction in something other than God’s glory? How can you intentionally redirect your desire toward beholding and honoring Him today?

Day 2: Sin—Falling Short of God’s Glory

Sin is not simply the act of doing wrong, but the failure to hunger for and pursue the glory of God. The root of all sin is our exchange of God’s infinite beauty and majesty for lesser things—whether idols, self, or fleeting pleasures. This turning away leaves us lacking, unable to reflect the glory for which we were made. But in Christ, we are invited back into the pursuit of God’s glory, to be restored and made whole as we fix our eyes on Him. [17:42]

Romans 3:23 (ESV)
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Reflection: In what ways have you settled for “lesser glories” in your daily life? Ask God to reveal one specific area where you can turn from these substitutes and seek His glory instead.

Day 3: Suffering and Hope—Glory Yet to Be Revealed

The Christian life is not free from suffering, but every hardship is put into perspective by the incomparable glory that awaits us. Our present trials, no matter how severe, are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us and in us. God’s plan is not only to redeem us but to glorify us, making us reflectors of His beauty and majesty, and even creation itself longs for this day. Let this hope anchor your soul and give you strength to endure. [22:21]

Romans 8:18, 21, 30 (ESV)
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us... that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God... And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

Reflection: When you face suffering or disappointment, how can you remind yourself of the future glory God has promised? What practical step can you take today to fix your hope on what is to come?

Day 4: Strengthened by God for His Glory

God’s glory is displayed not by keeping His people weak, but by making them strong in faith. Unlike earthly rulers who seek glory by suppressing others, God delights in strengthening His children so that their confidence, courage, and endurance point back to Him as the true source of all strength. This strength is not about worldly power or self-assertion, but about a deep assurance in Christ that enables us to stand firm, fear nothing, and live boldly for His name. [29:19]

Romans 1:11-12 (ESV)
"For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine."

Reflection: Where do you most need God’s strength in your life right now? Pray specifically for the kind of inner strength that comes from faith in Christ, and consider how you might encourage someone else’s faith today.

Day 5: United in Worship—Glorifying God Together

God’s purpose for His people is not only individual transformation but also corporate worship. The church is called to live in harmony so that, with one voice, we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our unity and collective praise display God’s glory to a watching world, inviting others to see what we see by faith. Let us pursue peace, encouragement, and shared worship, knowing that together we reflect the beauty and majesty of our glorious God. [24:55]

Romans 15:5-6 (ESV)
"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How can you contribute to greater unity and shared worship in your church family this week? Is there someone you can encourage or reconcile with so that together you may glorify God with one voice?

Sermon Summary

Romans 16:25-27 brings us to the crescendo of Paul’s letter, where the longing for God’s glory is not just a theological concept but the heartbeat of Christian life. God’s ultimate desire is that we would hunger for His glory, to see Him as He truly is—utterly unique, holy, and beautiful beyond all comparison. This glory is not something we can fully define or contain in words; it is more like beauty than a tangible object, something we perceive in part but will one day behold in fullness. Throughout Romans, Paul has shown that humanity’s greatest tragedy is not merely our sin, but our exchange of God’s glory for lesser things. Sin, at its root, is a failure to hunger for and pursue the glory of God.

Yet, God’s redemptive plan in Christ is not just to forgive us, but to restore in us a passion for His glory. Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father, to enable us to see and rejoice in God’s perfection. The Christian life is not simply about being saved from death, but about being empowered to chase after God’s glory, to be transformed into people who reflect and praise Him. This is the destiny of the church: to be a community that, with one voice, glorifies God together, displaying His beauty to a watching world.

Paul’s doxology is both a statement of fact—God is glorious—and a cry of longing—may He be glorified in us and through us. The glory of God is the infinite beauty of His holiness displayed and perceived as much as we are able. Our lives are meant to be a pursuit of this glory, and all of creation waits for the day when God’s children will be fully glorified, ushering in a new creation.

God’s glory is also seen in how He strengthens His people. Unlike earthly rulers who keep their subjects weak to maintain their own glory, God displays His glory by making His people strong—not in worldly terms, but in faith, confidence, and assurance in Christ. True strength, for both men and women, is not found in power, beauty, or intellect as the world defines it, but in a fearless, unwavering trust in God and a life oriented toward His glory. The end of all things, and the purpose of our lives, is worship: to Him be glory forever through Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. The root of sin is not just wrongdoing, but a turning away from the glory of God—a failure to hunger for and pursue His beauty and holiness. All lesser pursuits are echoes of this fundamental exchange, and true repentance is a return to seeking God’s glory above all else. [20:14]
2. God’s glory is the infinite beauty of His holiness, displayed and perceived to the extent we are able. Like beauty, it cannot be fully defined or contained, but it is the ultimate reality for which we were created and the only thing that can truly satisfy the human heart. [13:04]
3. The Christian life is not merely about being forgiven, but about being empowered to pursue and reflect God’s glory. Salvation restores our capacity to hunger for God, and the church exists to glorify Him together, making His beauty visible to the world through our unity and worship. [22:21]
4. God’s way of displaying His glory is radically different from the world’s. Earthly rulers seek glory by keeping others weak, but God is not threatened by our strength; He is most glorified when He makes His people strong in faith, courage, and assurance in Christ. [27:55]
5. True strength, for both men and women, is not found in worldly measures of power, beauty, or intellect, but in a fearless confidence in God. The strong woman is clothed in dignity and laughs at the future; the strong man stands firm in truth and leads others to Christ. This strength is a gift from God, rooted in the pursuit of His glory, and it endures when all worldly strengths fade. [29:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:25] - Peter’s Vision of Glory and the Transfiguration
[03:54] - The Cross and God’s Purpose for Us
[04:56] - Paul’s Doxology: Glory to God
[06:57] - Defining God’s Glory: Beauty and Holiness
[09:48] - The Angels’ Song: Holiness and Glory
[11:47] - Glory and Holiness in Leviticus
[13:04] - The Infinite Beauty of God’s Glory
[14:46] - Paul’s Longing for God’s Glory
[17:42] - The Exchange of Glory: Sin’s Root
[20:14] - Sin as Falling Short of God’s Glory
[22:21] - Salvation Restores Our Hunger for Glory
[27:55] - God’s Glory in Strengthening His People
[29:19] - True Strength for Women and Men
[38:00] - The End: Worship and Praise to God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 16:25-27 (ESV) — > Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Romans 1:21-23 (ESV) — > For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Romans 8:18, 21, 30 (ESV) — > For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us... that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God... And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Observation Questions

In Romans 16:25-27, what does Paul say God is able to do for believers, and how does this relate to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ?
According to Romans 1:21-23, what did people exchange God’s glory for, and what does this reveal about the root of sin?
In Romans 8:18 and 21, what future hope does Paul describe for believers and for creation itself?
The sermon describes God’s glory as “the infinite beauty of His holiness, displayed and perceived to the extent we are able.” How does this definition help us understand what Paul is longing for in his doxology? [[13:04]]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that the root of sin is not just wrongdoing, but a turning away from the glory of God—a failure to hunger for and pursue His beauty and holiness. How does this understanding of sin challenge or deepen your view of what it means to repent? [[20:14]]
Paul’s doxology is described as both a statement of fact (“God is glorious”) and a cry of longing (“may He be glorified in us and through us”). Why is it important for the church to not only acknowledge God’s glory but also to desire and pursue it together? [[14:46]]
The sermon contrasts the way earthly rulers seek glory (by keeping others weak) with the way God displays His glory (by making His people strong in faith). What does this reveal about God’s character and His intentions for His people? [[27:55]]
The sermon describes true strength for both men and women as a fearless confidence in God, not in worldly measures of power, beauty, or intellect. How does this biblical view of strength differ from what the world values? [[29:19]]

Application Questions

The sermon says that all lesser pursuits are echoes of our fundamental exchange of God’s glory for other things. What are some “lesser glories” or distractions in your life that compete for your attention and affection? How can you begin to turn from them and seek God’s glory above all else this week? [[20:14]]
The Christian life is described as not just being forgiven, but being empowered to pursue and reflect God’s glory. In what practical ways can you pursue God’s glory in your daily routines, relationships, or work? [[22:21]]
The sermon highlights that God is most glorified when He makes His people strong in faith, courage, and assurance in Christ. Where do you feel weak or lacking in confidence right now? How might God want to strengthen you in those areas for His glory? [[27:55]]
For women: The sermon challenges the world’s definition of a “strong woman” and points to biblical strength as being clothed in dignity and laughing at the future. What would it look like for you to pursue this kind of strength in your life? [[29:19]]
For men: The sermon challenges the pursuit of strength in terms of power, intellect, or control, and instead calls men to stand firm in truth and lead others to Christ. What is one area where you can practice this kind of strength this week? [[29:19]]
Paul’s longing is that the church would, with one voice, glorify God together. How can our small group or church better display God’s beauty and unity to the world? What is one step you can take to contribute to this? [[22:21]]
The end of all things, and the purpose of our lives, is worship. How can you make worship—both personal and corporate—a greater priority in your life this month? [[38:00]]

Sermon Clips

``We were always intended by God to behold and to rejoice in the fullness of his glory. We're not here simply to be forgiven. God's work in our lives is to create a people who are passionate to behold him and to see him in all of his perfection and holiness and beauty or to put it another way, a people to see him in his glory. [00:04:30] (26 seconds) #BeholdHisGlory

When we say that, what we mean is that God is in a class all to himself. He is utterly perfect. He is totally unique, and there is no other being, there is no other thing anywhere in this universe that comes close to being compared to God in his utter uniqueness, in his total perfection, in all of the splendor of his majesty. You could go out in all the world, and whether you're looking for something truly powerful, or something truly righteous, or something truly beautiful, in all of your pursuit of these things, you will find things that are but faint echoes of him. [00:09:07] (36 seconds) #GodsUniqueMajesty

They had the real thing. They could have pursued, they could have chased after real glory, but they were content with something lesser. They turned away from his glory, and of course it says they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. What image are we talking about here? Well, you could point to things like carved, you know, figurines, carved wood, and you know, even fancy carved wood overlaid with gold and diamonds and whatever else, but I think the reality is this, they were exchanging the glory of the immortal God for the image that they saw in the mirror. [00:18:22] (36 seconds) #ExchangedGloryForImages

It is too simple, my friends, if you're hearing this for the first time, it is too simple to say that sin is simply doing wrong things. That is not the definition we have in Romans. The definition we're presented in Romans is, we don't hunger and chase after with all our heart, the glory, beholding and seeing and hungering for the glory of God. That's what the text is telling us. [00:20:59] (26 seconds) #SinIsHungerForGlory

God's desire is that we would gather together and together we would glorify god as we gather as a church we are here this gathering displaying the glory of god the world sees us as we look to something unseen and as we see it by faith in scripture we praise it they cannot see it they cannot see him but they see us seeing him and they see us. [00:28:38] (35 seconds) #GatheredToGlorify

There have been many kings in history and many dictators and tyrants who have ruled over nations and over vast territories who have longed to display or to get for themselves some degree of glory if not if they if not total glory they want to be known as strong and rich and wise and powerful they want to be seen as majestic as beautiful in a sense they want glory they want to be glorious they want the world to praise them for their glory how have they done it how have they gotten glory all too often by keeping their citizens weak and poor and uneducated an uneducated people is a threat to a dictator a prosperous middle class is a threat to a tyrant a strong people is a threat to the strength of a dictator but yet god being glorious displays his glory when he takes his people and he makes them strong. [00:31:32] (71 seconds) #FalseGloryVsTrueStrength

The kind of power that you're looking for most notably is the power to be able to strength to stand your ground and to be able to say no when everyone else is calling you to a sinful behavior and then mocking you when you refuse to participate and saying that you're weak just the opposite saying no i will honor god in this decision though the world mocks it it was weakness that's real strength it only comes from jesus. [00:44:29] (31 seconds) #TrueStrengthIsSayingNo

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