Who is to glorify God?

God’s People are to Glorify God:

1 Cor 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Cor. 10:31

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

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 2:12

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.

All people:

Psalm 86:9

All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

Revelation 15:4

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

All created things will glorify God:

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Isaiah 43:20

The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,

Luke 19:37-40

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

So we have seen that God’s people are to glorify God, as well as all nations and even all of creation. But most importantly, Scripture declares that God will glorify God.

God Glorifies God

When we recite the answer to the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, that man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, we often follow it up with a slight revision. We also state that God’s chief end is to glorify himself, and enjoy himself forever.

This, unfortunately, is not a popular teaching today. New Testament scholar Ben Witherington had this to say regarding a recent book that teaches God seeks to bring glory to himself:

“There were various nuances and amplifications to the discussion, but the more one read, the more it appeared clear that God was being presented as a self-centered, self-referential being, whose basic motivation for what he does, including his motivation for saving people, is so that he might receive more glory… I suppose we should not be surprised that in a culture and age of narcissism, we would recreate God in our own self-centered image, but it is surprising when we find orthodox Christians, and even careful scholars doing this.”

Not too far from us is a rather popular preacher named Robert Schuller. In one of his books he said, "Classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be 'God-centered,' not 'man-centered'."

Perhaps it is unwise for those who gather in glass cathedrals to throw such stones, since the teaching that God is God-centered is throughout the Bible. We have already looked at Isaiah 48, where God declared that he does things for his own sake.

Isaiah 43:6-7

I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Jeremiah 13:11

I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory.

John 7:18

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

John 12:27-28

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’

John 14:3

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Ephesians 1:4-6

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace.

There are many more passages that could be offered, but it should be clear that God is most certainly concerned with glorifying himself. Does this make him self-centered? Then so be it, this is the clear teaching of Scripture, but we must recognize that God’s self-love is not the same as ours. For us it is sinful to be so self-centered: We are fallen, wretched beings who in ourselves do not deserve such glory. For us to be self-centered, we put ourselves before God, who does deserve glory. Since God is deserving of glory, it is only right that he glorifies himself.