The First Letter of Peter- 20

Subtitle: How Suffering Ties To Our Future Hope- Part 2

1 Peter 5:1-5.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Peter has been pointing to suffering and how it leads to a witness to the world.  We are suffering with Christ before the world.  Yet, he also wants to connect our suffering to our future glory with Christ at his Second Coming.

Peter now gives some exhortations to people within the body of Christ with this in view.  These are more than commands on how to do church.  It is an exhortation to Christians about being faithful under difficult circumstances.

Let’s look at our passage.

An exhortation to elders (v. 1-4)

The exhortation Peter gives to elders is connected to some commands.  These are stronger than saying, “Let’s do this!”  It pictures a person summoning others to their side in order to receive important instructions.

In this case, we have important instructions for those who are elders within the Church of Jesus Christ, the people of God.  Elder is a word that essentially refers to one who is older.  However, in this case, Peter is talking about more than those who are older.  It is a reference to those who have spiritual maturity through years of walking with God.  If an 80-year-old person repents and becomes a believer in Jesus, they are not an elder within a church because they have no maturity with spiritual matters.

Peter is writing to a large area, so these men are particularly elders within the local group of Christians where they live.  They have been through trials and joys of life while remaining steadfast followers of Jesus.  For these men, that has also meant withstanding periods of intense persecution for following Christ.  Their spiritual maturity comes from winning spiritual battles and not from degrees at a Bible school or seminary. 

Peter does not address them as an overlord, their general, or as “the Pope.”  He exhorts them as a “fellow elder.”  This is important because Peter will challenge them to be humble, so he demonstrates that here.  Though he has had spiritual training directly under Jesus, he speaks to them as one of them.  He is even now showing an example to them of how to speak to believers within their local groups.  They will perform the same function of an elder as he but with a smaller scope.

Peter further describes himself as a “witness of the sufferings of Christ.”  This is not just his suffering on the cross, but also of what Jesus suffered in order to minister to Israel.  Yes, Jesus suffered and died on a cross, but he also suffered lack of sleep, lack of time alone, physical hardship through the demands of people on his time.  All this, he endured in order to minister to people.  Jesus also suffered slander, attacks, and arrest from those who did not like what he was doing.  Lastly, let us not forget that our Lord experienced betrayal from Judas and also from the religious leaders of Israel who should have been the first to embrace him and his ministry.

Peter knows what it looks like and what it takes to follow Jesus, to minister on behalf of God.  A witness not only sees something but also gives testimony to those with ears to hear.

Peter further describes himself as a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.  Partaker translates a word that describes the portion, or share, that believers have in Jesus.  This is both a portion in what Christ is doing now and a portion in what Christ will do at his Second Coming.

However, Peter has also “partaken” of a glimpse, a foretaste, of what that glorious coming of Christ will be like.  He saw the true glory of Christ shine through his mortal body on the Mount of Transfiguration.  More than this, Peter also saw the glory of Jesus in his resurrected, glorified body, later ascending into heaven before him and many others.  In the book of Revelation, the apostle John sees Jesus in his immortal body, but it is also shining with his greater glory.  Not everyone was given such powerful portions of witness to the glory of Christ.

All believers will one day see this glorious Jesus, and they will share in it through resurrection and glorification.  We will participate and partake fully in the glory of Jesus!

In verse two, we come to the first command.  Shepherd the flock of God among you.

The shepherd image for leaders is used throughout the Bible.  God with Israel is pictured as a shepherd with a flock in the wilderness.  God led them, but also used a delegate-shepherd, Moses.  Psalm 78:52 and following uses this language.  David uses it personally of himself in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not lack!”

A shepherd watches over sheep in order to protect them from predators, protect them from themselves, whether wayward or injured, and they care for their physical needs such as food, water, and shelter.

God is our shepherd, and He has sent forth Jesus as the Good Shepherd to help the flock of God.  Jesus is still the Good Shepherd of the flock of God, but he also works through the spiritually mature, elders, in order to shepherd his people.  Mature Christians need to take this seriously and pray for the leading of Christ in helping young believers.

The flock of God, the people of God, do not belong to the elders of the Church.  Neither do they belong to any particular elder.  Notice that Peter presents himself as a fellow-elder.

Shepherd is not a term about ruling but about care.  It is about being the hand of God’s love in all its facets within the lives of His people.  Hebrews 13:17 does use the term “rule” for leaders but notice to whom it is speaking.  The spiritually immature need to respect the reality that God’s will is to use the spiritually mature believers around them in order to help them grow to maturity.  They are not God to us, but they are being used by Him.

Elders, shepherds, do not need a title or even an official position.  They don’t need payment in order to do what they are called to do.  I say this because the Greek word behind this term elder is where we get the English term, Presbyter.  Don’t say, “I’m not an official Presbyter of the church, so Peter isn’t talking to me.”  No, you must hear the Spirit speaking through Peter to the spiritually mature among us, “Shepherd the flock of God… [for His purposes and with His heart].”

Peter describes some of the things that flesh out what it means to shepherd God’s people.  They are to exercise oversight.  This is what Hebrews 13 was talking about.  Watching over and watching out for the souls of young Christians is a main responsibility for elders.  This idea of watching over is where we get the English words bishop and episcopal.  Again, this is not about having the title of a bishop (one who watches over).  He is talking about a function.  The elder does not watch over the younger for their own purposes, or for protecting the organization.  They do so for the sake of the young person’s spiritual growth.  Of course, this will help the group, but that is not the primary focus.

Peter then brings up the issue of serving voluntarily versus under compulsion.  Elders should not be forced to do this.  In fact, giving a person a title and a paycheck is one sure way to make sure something gets done.  However, we can overly lean on such types of compelling.  Of course, it is not wrong to provide materially for those who minister to us spiritually.  Yet, this should not be the thing that drives spiritual work.  Spirit work within the people of God needs to be driven by the Holy Spirit stirring up the heart of a shepherd within the spiritually mature.  This will help the Holy Spirit’s work within the heart of the young sheep of the flock.

Peter also adds the phrase, “according to God’s will.”  It is God’s will that we all voluntarily serve His purpose.  He desires those who trust His wisdom, His vision then to serve Him with joy.

Those who put their faith in Jesus are not compelled to do so.  We are all volunteers to join the ranks of those following the Good Shepherd.  Yet, amongst this great body of happy volunteers, God stirs up volunteers to watch over and help the spiritually young among us.

Peter then tells them that they should serve with eagerness and not for “sordid gain.”  Sordid is the idea of something that is base, vile, the opposite of something that is morally noble.  Thus, elders must be eager to serve the people of God, but their purpose for serving must not be for an immoral purpose.  If you want to serve because it gives you money, fame, power, and the respect of people around you, then you are not serving for the right reasons.  Repent of it.  Our eagerness must come from serving Jesus.  It must come from seeing his heart for our younger spiritual brothers and sisters.

In verse three, Peter challenges them to be examples to the flock and not “lording it over those allotted to your charge.”  We have witnessed in history how these words in the New Testament have turned into positions and titles in the Church.  Men with positions can easily fall into the trap of emphasizing their authority to the detriment of the example of Christ.  It is more important for an elder to be an example to others of how to live than it is for them to have authority over them.

Lording it over them comes from the instructions of Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Matthew 20:25-28).  Jesus reminds us that the Gentiles love to lord their authority over those under them.  It is the picture of dominating and rubbing their noses in the fact that you are the one in charge.  Yet, Jesus says to them, “It shall not be so among you!” 

We should pause and meditate on that simple command.  This is not a prophecy that no one will ever do such a thing.  Rather, it is a challenge to those who would disobey the command.  Jesus feels quite strongly about this. 

He went on to challenge his followers.  Do you want to be great?  You should then become servant to your brothers and sisters.  Do you want to be number one?  You should then become a slave to your brothers and sisters.  Notice the progression.  A servant still has some areas of their life that are up to them.  However, a slave has no personal plan or purpose.  They exist solely for God’s purposes in the lives of others.

“Those who are allotted into your charge” refers to the sphere of influence in which you find yourself.  Most of them would simply be watching over a local gathering of believers.  Peter as an apostle had a calling for a much larger sphere.  He was an apostle to the Jewish people no matter where they were.  Just like parents who have children know that God has allotted this child into their care, their charge, so elders find themselves with a sphere of influence given by God.  It is not given by Him to stroke their ego.  It is given by Him to serve the flock of God.

Verse four says that elders who serve well will receive a crown when the Chief Shepherd appears.  Our work in the midst of suffering in this life will be rewarded.  The Chief Shepherd is Jesus.  His appearing is the Second Coming.  Those who have believed in him and served his purpose will be rewarded by him.  This crown of glory may indeed be a literal crown.  But if it is literal, it still symbolizes the glory of Christ in which we participate.  Christ will resurrect us into glorified, immortal bodies to serve at his side.  We shall accompany him in his train as he takes up the reins (and the reigns) of the earth.  Our glory is to be at his side when he takes possession of the earth, raising up righteousness and putting down wickedness.

Of course, this is not only a promise for elders.  This is for all who believe.  This mortal time calls for those who are further along to help those who are coming behind.  However, there will be no “elders” in our immortal state for we shall all be fully, spiritually mature.  We shall be like Jesus!

An exhortation to younger men (v. 5a)

Peter then moves to give a short exhortation to young men, i.e., the men who are not elders, the spiritually immature benefiting from the help of spiritual elders.  They are told to be subject to their elders.

I made this point when talking about wives being subject to their husbands.  The point here is to the spiritually immature.  They are to willingly make a choice to take their proper place under the spiritually mature in the group.  It is only proper that novices listen to and learn from those who are farther down this path of following Jesus.  It is only proper for a novice to humble themselves and recognize that they have much to learn and should not be too quick to criticize and try to correct the elders.  Yet, this is something that young men need to do for themselves.  It is not the job of elders to scour the lives of their charges looking for any seeds of rebellion, quashing it instantly with harsh measures.  Elders need to recognize that the spiritually immature will never grow until they get to a place where they can make that choice willingly.  They need to choose it because they see that it is the Lord’s will and that it is good for them.

There is a long history in this world of young men chaffing at the leadership and words of their elders.  This is true in the Church and outside of it.  There are times when the elders are right.  These young men rush headlong into paths and ideas that end up destroying them and those who follow them.

However, there is also a long history of elders who are entrenched in a position and system that they love to rule.  Their heart is in the wrong place.  This creates an impasse between entrenched elders and rebel-youngers.  A young person can point to Jesus facing the religious elders of his day and fancy themselves following in his footsteps.  However, remember that you will one day stand before this very same Jesus and give account for just how well you followed his commands.

What is the end of the matter?  Elders, you must not mimic such false elders.  You need to be like Jesus who laid his life down so that the spiritually immature disciples could follow him.  Yet, young men, you must not be too quick to paint yourself as Jesus standing against wicked leaders.  You must ask, “Is my Lord pleased with my attitude and actions?”

The proper place for these young men is not under the feet of the elders, but to willingly come under their spiritual experience and to learn.  It is not to fight them all the time.

An exhortation to all Christians (v. 5b)

Peter then quickly turns to all Christians, “all of you…”  It is clear that the following command is the natural point that would be made to the younger men.  They are to choose to take their proper place under their elders and “clothe [themselves] with humility…”  Yet, Peter expands this to include the elders and the rest of the church, “all of you.”

This is important.  It is easy for elders to tell young people to humble themselves in an inadequate way.  This is when elders have an attitude that they no longer need to be humble themselves, as if humility is only for those in the “lower position.”  We could use this same criticism in the relationships between husbands and wives.

Yes, young men need to clothe themselves in humility, but so do elders.  In fact, all of God’s people need to be clothed in humility.  Why the imagery of clothing?

We wear clothing suitable for the task at hand.  One who gets up in the morning does not wear their bed clothes to go to the market or to work in the garden.  In this case, we are not talking about literal clothing.  We are talking about an attitude of heart and of the mind.

This is a purposeful action of every believer and not about any particular time of the day.  All believers regardless of age, spiritual maturity, class distinction, or sex need to consciously put on humility in their dealings with one another.

Elders cannot remind young men to be humble without first demonstrating what humility looks like.  Leaders cannot remind those who are not leaders to be humble without being humble with them.

We are not “doing church” for our purposes and our desires.  This all for Jesus.  If we do it improperly, we will give an account to him.  Thus, there should be no place in the Church for pride and ego.

Peter then quotes Proverbs 3:34, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Do we really believe that God is against the proud but gives grace to the humble?  Grace is the favor of God that can come to us in many different ways.  We can speak of it in general, but the verse is pointing to all the specific ways that God gives grace to the humble.  It is not the same specific grace for each humble person, but it is the grace given to them by God.

When a person is suffering or being persecuted, it always feels like proof that we are not favored by God.  However, we should always remember the suffering of our Lord and the fact that he was the Most Favored One of the Father!  You might quip that Jesus is different.  Of course, he is more than a man and different than you and me.  However, he was setting an example of humility in the face of suffering, faithfulness to God’s will in the face of hatred.  If you do not follow the example of Jesus because you think it was different for him, then you are not listening to what the Holy Spirit is trying to say to you throughout the New Testament.  Everywhere, Jesus is our example, our pattern, our trailblazer.  We are to pick up our cross and follow him.  Believe me, clothing yourself in humility is not the worst cross that you will have to die on, but it is a big one for us.

Do you want God’s favor, His grace?  Trust His Word and humble yourself.  It is interesting how humble circumstances and being treated lowly can stir up non-humble attitudes.  The flesh wants to respond in all of the wrong ways.  The challenge is put before us.  We must be humble if we do not want the Lord to be against us.

We have a whole generation of people who are chafing at this world and how it is run.  Of course, they are not wrong.  Things are messed up in every nation, including this republic, the United States of America.  However, if we respond with a heart of rage, destruction, pride and arrogance, then we will only make God our enemy.  We only destroy ourselves by refusing to listen to His instruction.

Just as the elders need to set the example of humility before the young, so the Church needs to set the example of humility to a lost world.  Instead of becoming angry with the proud of our land, let us humble ourselves and speak the truth in love to them so that they may have a chance to repent and avoid God’s judgment.

We have to stop here, but Peter’s instructions to them continue, which we will pick up next week.  Let’s live for Jesus this week by clothing ourselves in humility towards one another!

The First Letter of Peter- 19

Subtitle: How Suffering Ties To Our Future Hope- Part 1

1 Peter 4:12-19.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Though Peter continues talking about the suffering Christians may encounter, he now connects this suffering to a future glory that is before believers.

Let’s look at our passage.

Suffering and our future hope (12-16)

Suffering was very common among Christians in the first three centuries.  Yet, it has always been common to some degree down through the centuries.

We see this today in regard to where you a person lives.  Some places have heavy persecution to the point of martyring Christians, whereas other places see persecution at much lighter levels.

Many early Christians had expectations of a kingdom in which Christ would come back and rule over the world, casting out the wicked rulers.  However, this expectation did not come to past.  We all have expectations.  When they don’t happen, we can struggle with cognitive dissonance.

We are used to seeing this with the Jews of the first century.  However, it would be just as easy for Gentiles to expect the time of persecution to end much faster than history has shown.

The difficulty of understanding that the Kingdom of God is here but not yet fully can be hard on us.  Why are we still suffering?  Isn’t the Kingdom of God here?  We even see this with John the Baptist when he was taken to prison.  At some point, he begins to think that he may have misunderstood who Jesus was.

Of course, the Kingdom of God is not how many people claim to be Christians.  It is not the number of acres owned by churches and Christians.  It is not the number of nations that claim to be structured on the teachings of Christ.  The Kingdom of God right now is in the hearts of men, and it impacts the world through their lives.

In verse 12, Peter emphasizes that we must not think that fiery trials we face are strange.  We must be careful with the expectations we put in front of us.  Fiery trials, both spiritual and natural, are going to come.  This is par for the course here on earth.

So why are we suffering?  Peter tells us that these trials come upon us for our testing.  In fact, the offer of salvation itself is a testing of the quality of our person.  Will we choose Jesus or will we choose the world?  Having taken the hand of Christ, we are then further tested.  What is the quality of our faith in Jesus?  Will we remain with him?  Will we endure the trials and continue in faithfulness?

Yet, they don’t just test what you are but also what you will let the Lord build in your life.  It tests your ability to follow Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, there are two sides to the fiery trials we face.  The devil intends evil by the trials you encounter.  He wants to destroy your faith in Christ and separate you from God.  Yet, God doesn’t just intend good for us.  He promises that He will work all things to the good for us.

We should recognize that not all evil is caused by the devil.  Humans are quite capable of evil from our own desires.

Nevertheless, Peter then tells us that we should keep rejoicing in the midst of our trials so that we may rejoice at the revelation of Christ’s glory.  Most likely, Peter is thinking of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:11-12.  “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We should be ready for fiery trials, but even if we end up in the belly of a great fish, God’s grace is still there to help us.

Jesus focused his disciples on two things: the great reward that they have in heaven, and the good company that they are following.

Peter has learned this lesson.  Don’t just rejoice in the good times.  Keep rejoicing even during trials because the Lord is working them for your good.  In fact, there is a greater rejoicing that some will experience at the “revelation of his glory.”

In some ways, the glory of Christ has already been revealed, but a greater unveiling is going to occur at the Second Coming of Jesus.  All the world at that time will see his glory shining in the sky as he returns to take possession of the nations.

When this happens, his followers will still be rejoicing, but the wicked will not be rejoicing. 

What am I rejoicing in now?  And will the things I am rejoicing in result in rejoicing at the coming of Christ?  There are many people rejoicing in riches and power right now, but what will it be when Christ comes?  Peter is saying that if we will rejoice in the times of suffering (like Jesus commanded us to do), then we will also rejoice when his glory is revealed to the world.

In verse 14, Peter points to a condition of being reviled by people for the name of Christ.  He tells us that such a person is blessed.  How can I be blessed when men are saying evil things against me because I am following Christ?

This is tying back to what Jesus said.  You are blessed because you have a reward in heaven, and you are in the company of all the saints that have come before you. 

Peter adds to this that the Spirit of Glory and God rests upon you.  Just as the Holy Spirit rested upon Christ in a glorious demonstration of God’s favor, so we have the Spirit of God resting upon us as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. 

Yet, we are not to suffer as a sinner but as a Christian (v. 15). Peter warns us against this.  No believer should “suffer” for being a murderer, thief, evildoer, or a busybody.  Such a person is only suffering the just consequences of their sin.  But if you suffer as a Christian, as one who follows the righteous activity of Christ, this is not something that should make us ashamed.

This does not mean we are called to make suffering happen or attempt to provoke it.  If you follow the righteousness of Christ, then suffering will find you in some form or another.

It is possible that other “Christians” may be your worst persecutors.  Regardless, we should cling to Christ knowing that it is testing us, bringing us glory at the coming of Christ, and accompanied with the blessing of God’s Spirit.

Judgment has begun with the House of God (v. 17-19)

Peter tells us that it is time for judgment to begin with the Household of God.  We can immediately jump to thinking of Israel, the forty years of testing they were given following the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Notice that judgment is in the land, but it is accompanied with grace.  “Choose this day whom you will serve!”

However, Peter is also talking to Gentiles.  The Church age has a similar effect among the nations who hear the Gospel.  The nations are given a particular amount of time to hear the Gospel and make a choice (grace).  Those who believe will be tested and tried by that choice.  We Christians have stepped into the judgment of God that Jesus stepped into.  Why would God let Jesus suffer?  This question is parallel to why God let’s us suffer.  He does so to save people who are lost.  Of course, we do not die on crosses for their sins, but we do suffer in order that they may hear and believe.

If Israel was judged, how will it go for the nations?  It might be better that we think of it this way.  If God tests Christians in order to show their faith as true, then how is it going to go with those who disobey the call to serve Christ?  How will it go with those who made a short attempt at following Christ but then turned back?

This is a rhetorical question.  It will clearly not go well with them.  At God’s timing, judgment will come upon individuals, particular nations, and eventually all of the nations.

Thus, Peter quotes the verse to which he has been alluding, Proverbs 11:31, in verse 18.  Sometimes this is interpreted with the idea of scarcely being saved.  However, the word at its root means to be paid or recompensed.  This has a double meaning.  It can refer to a good payment for good things done, but it can also refer to being paid back, or punished, for doing bad things.  If God pays the righteous what they deserve, what will be come of the godless man and sinner who deserves a great pay back from God?

What is the end of this matter?  Verse 19 tells us to entrust our soul to a faithful Creator.  Entrusting your soul is yielding to the difficult decisions of God.  It is placing your life and soul into the hands of God as an act of worship.  It is declaring that He is worthy of anything we may face in this life.

We are able to do this because God is a faithful Creator.  He has the power and the character that we can trust.

It is interesting that Peter points out that our suffering is “according to the will of God.”  It is not so much God’s desire for us to suffer as it is not a coach’s desire to see his athletes suffer.  However, knowing that certain people and the devil will not like our faith in Jesus, God has purposed to allow that suffering that we face.  He has also purposed to work that suffering into great glory for us.

Jesus did the Father’s will, and men crucified him for it.  However, he also entrusted his soul to the Faithful Father in Heaven.  And so must we if we want to join him in his glory!

1 Peter 19 audio

The Glory of Jesus the Christ

1 Corinthians 1:26-31.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Resurrection Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Today we are going to contrast the glory of this world with the glory of Jesus who is the Christ.  You may or may not have anything glorious about you, at least by the world’s standards.  What you are currently doing may never be praised by other people.  But God sees our life like a Father watching over a child.  He helps as needed but also wants us to choose and grow to be like Him.

The glory of this world hits us at a very young age.  Who are the smart kids in class?  Who are the strong kids or the beautiful kids?  Most of us are somewhere in the middle of that experience.  You could say that nothing about us stood out from the rest.

The word glory (as a verb glorying) is synonymous with the idea of a boast or boasting.  At its root, there is the idea of something either worthy of praise or something that is simply praised by people.  Thus, to obtain glory in this world is to obtain something that is praise-worthy by the world’s standard.  A person who glories in their own accomplishment is praising themselves.

Paul challenges us not to boast in ourselves but to boast in the Lord Jesus.  Of course, God is not against our gifts and achievements per se.  He is the God who made muscles, but He did not make them for a muscle-bound man to praise himself and use those muscles only for selfish ends.

I said earlier that most of us are probably average.  However, we are quite innovative when it comes to this area of boasting.  Glory has a sphere to it: global, national, regional, local, my family, etc.  This area can be fraught with a driven pursuit that feeds upon that glory which is not healthy.

When people have a lot of glorious things in their life, it is hard for them to see the glory of Jesus and believe in him.  We might even see that it is impossible with a man, but all things are possible for God.  The problem for a rich man is not that he is rich.  His problem is that he boasts in himself and sees the riches as proof of how great he is.  He will idolize those riches to the exclusion of a relationship with God.

The glory of Rome and empires

Rome represents the glory of this world that is in ignorance of God’s Word.  They were an empire that ruled over a large region of the world.  They were able to project their power long distances from Rome, their capital city.  The Romans may have run into some Jews, but in the end, they did not know God.  They did not know His Word.  This ignorance was due to the rebellion of their (and our) ancestors at the Tower of Babel. 

Those first generations were in rebellion to the truth and knew it.  They purposefully rejected God and so were rejected by Him.  Of course, another generation grows up that begins to listen to justifications by their rebellious fathers.  This continues until a generation arises that is not even aware of the earlier rebellion.  They become ignorant that there was a time in which their ancestors lived and believed differently.  There is also a spiritual dynamic to this justification.  Many false religions have their roots in deceiving spirits that lead men into error and into permission-systems that give them power over whole societies.

In seeking a way different from God’s command, they followed the same path of Adam and Eve.  They (we) listened to the serpent’s lie and follow a path of false hopes and false glory, a glory that ignores and is ignorant of God.

Such a path is precarious.  The Romans were not always the empire.  Before them, there was the Greeks, and the Persians, and the Babylonians, and the Assyrians, etc.  All nations lust after this kind of glory, the glory of dominating others and being the head of the nations. 

The glory of Israel

In some ways, Israel was no different, but it was not as far down the path that the nations had gone down.  God had kept a remnant among them, and His Word was still prevalent if not followed.  Israel represents a glory that arrogates and twists God’s Word to itself.  Thus, many gave lip service to God’s glory, but in the end, they were only concerned with their own glory.

God’s work among Israel was glorious.  Somewhere along the line, the glory of God became mixed up with their own glory.  To arrogate is to presumptuously appropriate to oneself without right or authority.  This is a subtle rebellion that masks itself under a thin veneer of righteousness.  The religious leaders as a whole had twisted the system to their purpose and their glory.  This essentially ignored God’s Word while continuing a sick insistence that they were adhering to God’s Word faithfully. 

The glorious construction of temples and palaces within the people of God was not wrong.  God had told them to build the temple and make it glorious.  However, this was to point to God’s glory.  Even boasting in a temple is beneath our calling.  We can glory in all the wrong things about what God is doing in us, missing the purpose for which He gives the gifts that He does.

Idolatry and the altar of self

This is what Paul is talking about in this passage.  Christians were not generally from the great of Rome or Israel.  Yet, God had chosen them, the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

When our glory is self-seeking, it becomes an idol, idolatry.  Few people obtain the heights of worldly glory.  However, everyone glories in something.  It is because we were made by a glorious God in order to dwell within His glory.  We were made to be in relationship with the ultimate glory, God Himself.  When we cast off God, the glory within in us is simply a mark of His purpose.  Detached from God, this kind of glory is destined to fade and decay, like a corpse without a spirit.

There are pitfalls to glory that Christians must learn to navigate.  It is a mistake to glory in lesser things to the exclusion of the greater.  It is a worse mistake to glory in shameful things.  The only antidote to such pitfalls is to remain in humble relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.  Another pitfall is to be corrupted by personal glory, thinking that we are its source.  Such vainglory causes people to be entitled, over-protective, immoral, and arrogant.

God’s Word warns against all of these things and shows us that all humanity is in a slavery and a bondage to sin.  We are unable to break free from its tyrannical hold and step into the purpose for which God made us, at least without Jesus.  This brings us to the glory of Jesus the Christ.

The Glory of Jesus the Christ

The glory of Jesus is that he is the only human who perfectly lived in connection to the Glory of God the Father.  He perfectly lived out the purpose of God.  What was that purpose?  It was to restore humanity to its intended place at God the Father’s side.  It is to be His image-bearers, imaging His purpose on the earth through our lives.

Does this mean that Jesus has failed?  Jesus has not failed.  He has and is accomplishing all that the Father desires.

Paul ends this passage (vs. 31) by quoting Jeremiah 9:23-26.  “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.  It pictures a person who understands and knows God the Father.  The knowing here is not a knowing of information.  It is a knowing of experiencing life with another.  Jesus is the only one who truly understood and knew God.  He heard the words of the Father and lived them out, speaking them exactly.  He never gave up believing in the will of the Father, even when it lead to a cross.

In Jeremiah, we are told that such a person discovers some things about God.  He is full of faithful, covenant-keeping love.  His judgments are all just and true, dependable.  Finally, His dealings are all right and good with everyone.  Jesus taught us to trust the Father no matter what.

Such a person also delights in the purpose of the Father.  Jesus delighted in God’s purpose to redeem humanity.  He delighted in the covenant-keeping love of God, not just for himself, but he imaged that love to the world around him.  He delighted in the just and true judgments of God but also imaged such to the world.  He delighted in righteous dealings with all.

It may be strange to think of Jesus delighting in going to the cross.  The Father did not so much delight in the cross as He delighted in what the cross would make possible.  And so Jesus delighted in the joy that was on the other side of the cross, not avoiding it, but going through it.

We can shrink back from difficult paths that God sets before us.  However, such difficult paths only enhance the glory of God and our knowledge of Him.  It is often the price of intimacy.

Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice to pay the price for our sins.  He did so to make it possible that we could be forgiven and restored to the place intended for us at the Father’s right hand.

Let’s end with contrasting the glory of the cross with the glory of the resurrection.  The resurrection is a glorious and overcoming glory.  It is shocking in its power against an enemy that appears to be invincible (death).  It is similar to the glory of God to bring forth all of creation by His Word.  A part of us wants God to simply speak a word and fix everything.  This would be a fix that doesn’t require me (you) to change.  God will change us, but it cannot happen without death.

The glory of the cross is that Jesus sacrificed his mortal life to save us.  He is not throwing his life away because it is worthless.  Rather, he is laying down something of supreme value.  He was using it for the Father’s good purpose, to redeem humanity, you and me.

Jesus did not cling to the lesser glories that he could accomplish in his mortal flesh.  He did embrace the greater glory of one who knows the Father and trusts Him.  On the other side of laying down the false glories and the lesser glories of this world is the resurrection glories of Christ.

May we go forth and live for the glory of Jesus the Christ alone.  May we understand these two poles of the glory of God.  The glory of the cross involves pain and isn’t desirable in our flesh, but it leads to the glory of resurrection which involves great joy!

Glory of Jesus audio

Evangelist Joe Pyott

Evangelist Joe Pyott preached on Sunday, March 29, 2026.  We do not have an article or audio for this.