Fidelity
Glorify Your Name

God will fulfill His ultimate desire to make a way for mankind to be in relationship with Him even to the extent of dying in our place. Now, that is carrying His character beyond what any of us sinners would expect! Yet He will not violate His character and nature by either being less than sinless or forcing us to comply with His desire for us. He will let us live eternity without Him by indication of our free choice to go it our way.

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. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! ³

There is a distinct balance between the use or misuse of God’s glory. Throughout the Bible, God is faithful to His distinctiveness, never being less than He has revealed Himself to be. The old-fashioned word is “Fidelity” which carries the connotation of trustworthy, consistent, unwavering. The Greek word typically used for “Glory” is doxa (think doxology) and is used both of the radiance, the brightness of His being and the majesty expressed in the judgment of His nature. As expressed in this following quote, God is zealous for what is distinctively His:

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. ⁴

God’s jealousy for His unique nature is such that He refuses to let it be confused with lesser beings. In an example of exemplary judgment⁵ where God takes issue with the exaltation of a lesser being, we have Acts 12,

On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied. ⁶

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. ⁷

God really cares about the accuracy of His representation which should give us pause when we speak lightly of who He is. God expects those who identify with Him to be accurately in His image, a faithful representative.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ⁸

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. ⁹

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ¹⁰

Jesus made the way for us to again live in the image of God as originally intended by coming into the imprinting of Himself through God the Spirit upon us.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ¹¹

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹²

Yes, God has high expectations but He has paid the ultimate price to make fulfillment of that expectation possible. If you are agreeable, willing to pay the cost of sacrificing your wants in exchange for His desires for you in relationship with Him.