Glorifying God / A Bad Case of the Worms
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
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Straight to the Cross
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This week's theme: Give glory to God. And today,
two great articles to develop it.
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COLUMN: Field Notes
Glorifying God
by Michael E. Brooks
"Because, although they knew God, they did not
glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts
were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible
God into an image made like corruptible man -- and
birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in
the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their
bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth
of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the
creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen" (Romans 1:21-25).
The preeminent Hindu Temple in Nepal is
Pashupattinath, built beside the Bagmati River in
Kathmandu. There is one large main temple, but
surrounding it are many smaller temples and
shrines within the complex. Some of these make up
a row of temples to the gods of the animals, each
species being seen as divine. The river is lined
with burning ghats for the frequent cremations
held there so that the ashes of the deceased can
be swept into the waters of the river, said by the
Hindus to be holy. Interspersed with these ghats
are brick and concrete columns, flat on top, which
are used to place offerings to the gods. As one
walks within the complex it is common to watch the
abundant monkeys sitting on these columns eating
the sacrifices. Seeing this one wonders, are these
the gods receiving the people's offerings?
One's view of God is determinative for his self-
image and for his understanding of life. When God
is reduced to the common or profane, man is also
reduced, and life is cheapened. I am no
anthropologist or sociologist, but the Bible
teaches that it is no coincidence that people who
have remained in idolatry, who view God in terms
of inanimate images of their own creation, or of
animals, plants, or other material things, often
themselves fail to achieve a high standard of
life. Morally, materially, spiritually -- in every
way life is debased when God is dishonored.
Paul in Romans attributes this fact to God's
retributive action. He "gave them up to
uncleanness." But it can also be understood in
more direct cause-effect terms. The lower people
set their sights, the lower their achievements. A
society's view of God reflects its world view and
its aspirations. God is generally defined as "that
than which nothing is higher." If the highest
thing that can be visualized is seen in terms of
stone images and monkeys, how great can the goals
be? How high an image can such a people have of
themselves?
Charles Hodge is fond of saying, "Get God right,
and everything else falls into place." That is
Biblical, and it also is evidenced by historical
experience. People with lofty expectations of
their Deity have higher goals for themselves, and
are more likely to achieve them. And those people
with a true faith in God are most likely of all to
achieve abundance. Not just wealth or power, but
the true eternal life that can only be received as
a gift from the Creator of all things. Only when
we return to "the truth of God" can we be freed
from uncleanness and depravity and released to
claim all the blessings for which God made us.
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COLUMN: Heavenly Connections
A Bad Case of the Worms
by Tim Hall
All the trappings of human glory were
conspicuously present. The king was arrayed in his
royal robes, his golden crown positioned just so.
The throne was placed in a prominent position so
that all could marvel at its craftsmanship and
splendor. The anticipated event was an oration, an
occasion at which the king would directly address
the people.
It may or may not have been a good speech; people
are frequently given to flattery when it comes to
a dignitary. Regardless, when Herod had finished
his oration, the people "gave it up" for their
king. "The voice of a god and not of a man!" they
proclaimed. Why should Herod object? It was a
review worthy of a king, whether accurate or not.
God's review of the speech is not known. But His
review of the man is stated in Acts 12:23: "Then
immediately an angel of the Lord struck him,
because he did not give glory to God. And he was
eaten by worms and died" (New King James Version).
A case of worms? Not a very dignified cause of
death!
Herod's mistake continues to be a common one in
our day. Though few ascend to the position of
king, many of us live as kings. And to whose
credit is that? "My own," we boast. "I've worked
hard all my life, and I'm now enjoying the fruits
of my labors." The American work ethic is well
known. Among the advanced societies of earth,
Americans work the most hours and take the fewest
days off. Along with that dedication to hard work
often comes a sense of self-sufficiency. And that
is our undoing.
Romans 1 contains a description of the progression
of sin. The statement ends with a list of heinous
sins like sexual immorality, wickedness,
maliciousness, murder, evil-mindedness, etc. (v.
29). But how did these arrive at such an ungodly
position? Verse 21 gives us a clue: "Because,
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him
as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in
their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened." A failure to glorify God is where this
long slide began. Neither were they thankful; why
should they be if they were the masters of their
own fate? No, they never developed long-term goals
to become evildoers, but that's the road we travel
when we glorify no one other than ourselves.
In my library is a hymnal published in 1923. Isaac
Watts's beloved "At The Cross" is found in this
book, and its first line ends, "Would He devote
that sacred Head for such a worm as I?" Another
hymnal in my library, published in 1994, de-worms
Watts' song. "For such a one as I" is now the
close. It's a subtle change, but doesn't it say
something about sophisticated Americans? "We're
not worms; we're proud, hard-working kings . . .
er, folks."
Royal apparel; thrones; orations: That was then.
Today it's designer-label clothing, status-symbol
vehicles and diplomas. The outward trappings
change with the times. But the temptations to
godlessness remain the same.
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