Category Archives: Misc. Info about God

Scripture abounds in reasons to glorify the name of the Lord and shows us numerous ways we bring glory to His name. The Word also shows us what failing to bring glory to His name might look like.

Ways we Might Fail to Bring Glory to His name.

We fail to bring glory to God’s name when we do the following. Many of the verses relate directly to Israel in Old Testament time so not everything in the verses will apply to us. We can, however, fail to bring glory to His name in these ways.

don’t revere His name

If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name – the Lord your God – the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. (Deut. 28:58-59)

revile His name

How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever? — Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name. (Ps. 74:10, 18)

profane His name

I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. (Lev. 20:3)

blaspheme His name

Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. (Lev. 24:15-16)

misuse His name

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Ex. 20:7)

They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. (Ps. 139:20)

dishonor His name

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Prov. 30:9)

fail to call on His name

Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name. (Ps. 79:6)

We may not blatantly do the above but even subtly doing so affects the glory we bring to His name. Since His name represents God, failure to treat His name as holy is the same as disrespecting and dishonoring Him. It may not be the words we say but our actions that fail to glorify His name.

What Happens When We Fail to Bring Glory to His Name

God’s glory doesn’t lessen by what we do or don’t do. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Ps. 90:2; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; James 1:17). Failing to bring glory to His name by doing what was mentioned above, however, does have effects on us and those around us.

1. It puts us in an adversarial position with God. Even but a moment out of sync with our Creator God seems rather foolish.

2. Our lives won’t cause others to bring glory to His name. When we fail to glorify His name, others don’t see the full reflection of who He is in us (Matt. 5:14-16).

Though the Israelites of old repeatedly desecrated the glory of His name and did incur the consequences about which they were warned, God constantly offered restoration.

We have a faithful God. — If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)

We have a forgiving God. — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 Jn. 1:9)

Stop to think about the name of the Lord. There’s just something about that name that should lead us to proclaim, “Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory” (Ps. 115:1).

What Is It About His Name?

The Bible refers to the Lord’s name in the following ways:

endures forever (Ps. 135:13)
exalted above all things (Ps. 148:13)
glorious (Ps. 72:19)
great and awesome (Ps. 99:3)
holy and awesome (Ps. 111:9)
majestic (Ps. 8:9)
reaches to the ends of the earth (Ps. 48:10)
strong tower (Prov. 18:10)

Scripture further attributes these qualities to God’s name:

always good (Ps. 52:9)
always near (Ps. 75:1)
always loving (Ps. 115:1)
always faithful (Ps. 115:1)

We can’t say the same about our own name or that of anyone else past or present. Consequently, we exclaim, “Not to us but to your name be the glory!”

What Happens When We Give Glory to the Name of the Lord?

If we truly mean it when we say, “Not to us but to your name be the glory!” then we should find ourselves doing the following:

acknowledge His name (Ps. 91:14)
ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name (Ps. 29:2; 96:8)
bless people in the name of the LORD (Ps. 129:8)
call on His name (Ps. 80:18; 116:4, 13, 17)
exalt His name together (Ps. 34:3)
extol His name for ever and ever (Ps. 145:2)
fear His name (Ps. 86:11; 102:15)
give thanks to His holy name (Ps. 106:47)
glorify His name forever (Ps. 86:9, 12)
glory in His holy name (Ps. 105:3)
hope in His name (Ps. 52:9)
lift up our banners in the name of our God (Ps. 20:5)
love His name (Ps. 69:36; 119:132)
make music to His name (Ps. 92:1)
praise His holy name (Ps. 30:4; 44:8; 96:2; 99:3; 100:4; 103:1; 113:1-3; 135:1; 140:13; 145:1, 21; 148:5)
praise His name with dancing (Ps. 149:3)
proclaim His name (Ps. 105:1)
rejoice in His name all day long (Ps. 89:16)
remember His name (Ps. 119:55)
seek His name (Ps. 83:16)
sing praise to His name (Ps. 9:2; 18:49; 61:8; 66:2, 4; 68:4; 69:30; 135:3)
swear by His name (Ps. 63:11)
trust in name of Lord (Ps. 9:10; 20:7; 33:21)

Notice the scope in terms of time — now and forever. Also note the range of means — from our words to what we do, from how we relate to Him to how we live for Him. At all times and in all ways, may we say, “Not to us but to your name be the glory!”

Also to read:

• Failing to Bring Glory to His Name
• Church Leaders, Know the Power of God’s Name

Jesus claimed, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 17:14), the Head of the Church (Col. 1:18).  He is God who came in the flesh to whom every knee will one day bow (Phil. 2:5-11).

This means that regardless of who we are or what we do, whether we clean the bathrooms or pastor a church, we are under HIS authority. But, do we really believe that all authority belongs to the Lord?

Church leaders, do you lead like HE is “the authority” or do you expect others to treat you as the one? Bible teachers, do you teach like truth is from Him or as though you are “the authority”? Ministry workers in various areas of service, do you serve like HE is the One to whom you are accountable or do the opinions of others matter more?

An Acrostic of What It Looks Like When We Truly Believe All Authority Belongs to the Lord

Someone who truly believes that all authority belongs to the Lord tends to exhibit the following characteristics and actions:

What It Takes to Get to the Point of Acknowledging That He Has These Rights

Getting to this point in our lives begins with getting to know this God better.

Learn about the essence of who God is that gives Him rights as the supreme authority. Check out the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download for alphabetical listings of God’s many attributes.

We have a God who delights in communicating with us. He speaks to us through His Written Word, the Bible, to help us know Him better and to equip us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). He also communicates with audiovisuals as seen in Scripture. One of the greatest examples is Jesus coming to earth as God Incarnate. — “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being …” (Heb. 1:3)

Other Examples of God Using Audiovisuals

Below you’ll find a small number of examples where God used visuals to represent His ways, of what He can do, has done, and will do.

• Adam/Eve (tree to represent human choice/free will of man)
• Moses (burning bush, staff, stone, plagues, etc.)
• Israelites (ark of the covenant, temple and the altar, etc.)
• Prophets (bones, a harlot, rod, bottle, figs, etc.)
• Jesus (objects, writing on the ground, dirt, etc.)
• End Time (seals, trumpets, bowls, horses, etc.)
• Heaven/New Heaven (throne, jewels, streets of gold, etc.)

Why God Communicates Audiovisually

We have a purposeful and creative God who employs a variety of means to communicate. Since He made us, He know that we learn best the more senses we use. He meets us where we are, taking something familiar to help us better understand the unfamiliar. Sometimes He want to reinforce a truth so the more senses He engages, the better we retain it. Other times He may simply want to get our attention.

Warnings About Visual Representations

God said, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Ex. 20:4). It is one thing to let visuals represent His ways or the truth He is communicating, and another for it to represent God Himself. Graven images that represent Him should never used.

God knows that we human beings would be too quick to substitute the pretend image for the real Person. To think that we would let lifeless wood, stones, gold, silver, or bronze take His place might seem absurd. Remember the golden calf during the Exodus. Remember why the Israelites were sent into exile.

Further, nothing could ever adequately depict His greatness and glory. Our visual representations of God would always fall short. Only God could come up with a visual aid adequate to represent Himself — Jesus, God Incarnate, “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb. 1:3).

Inferences for Communicators of God’s Word

Audiovisuals should be used but purposefully to reinforce truth, not merely to entertain or hold attention. We must carefully choose visuals that enhance the lesson and not take the spotlight. And, audiovisuals should never supplant the teacher or preacher. Remember, we have a personal God who communicates audiovisually but also relationally.

Check out this helpful resource, Tips for Choosing & Using Audiovisuals Worksheet, which uses an acrostic to communicate thirteen tips.

If we study about the God of the Bible, we must conclude that He truly is unique. In His uniqueness He is incomparable … meaning no one is like Him. Be encouraged to take the time to read all the Scripture referenced in this post to gain a better grasp of the uniqueness of the God of the Bible.

Scripture Speaks of How God is Unique from Other Gods

The Bible describes God as unique being majestic in holiness (Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2), awesome in glory (Ex. 15:11), great and having a strong hand (Deut. 3:24), sovereign (2 Sam 7:22), and more.

We see it in His working of wonders and mighty acts (Ex. 15:11; Ps. 86:8-10). Other gods may have wonders attributed to them but the God of the Bible is known for doing the impossible with nothing being too hard for Him (Jer. 32:17; Mk. 14:36; Lk. 18:27). —  For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? (Deut. 3:24)

We also see His uniqueness in the way He is identified as the first and last, therefore able to not just declare what happened but also what will occur in the future (Isa. 44:6-8; 46:9-11).

As the Maker of all things (Jer. 10:16), He is unique from all else and Sovereign above all. He is our Source, Sustenance, and Strength. We live to fulfill His purposes and not the other way around (Isa. 45:9; 46:9-11; Rom. 9:20-21).

Significance of Grasping the Uniqueness of the God of the Bible

If we say we believe in the God of the Bible then we must acclaim Him as unique for that is how Scripture describes Him. Reading the verses referenced above leaves no doubt of this declaration of uniqueness. When we truly grasp who He is, we’ll find ourselves proclaiming similar to the writers of the Bible that apart from Him there is no savior (Isa. 43:11, 13). Apart from Him we have no rock to stand upon (1 Sam. 2:2; Isa. 44:8). Nothing and no one compares to Him. Nothing and no one else deserves our full devotion and praise.

You’ll find this content in the introductory pages of the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download which looks at His attributes using the alphabet. Understanding who God is, as described in the Bible, should lead to this view of Him as unique from all other gods.

Learn More about God: Theology Resources

To gain a glimpse into who God is, take a look at what God does. We could go book by book through the Bible and examine many wondrous works of the Lord to learn about the kind of God we have. Here, however, we’ll examine just three of His wonders and discover numerous attributes that make Him a God worthy of our praise and devotion.

Who God is as the God of Creation

The Bible provides many accounts of God’s activity beginning with creation. What kind of God would be able to speak the heavens and earth into existence (Gen. 1-2; Ps. 33:6, 9) as described in Scripture?

Such a majestic, strategically designed masterpiece shows us we have an all-powerful, creative, wise, purposeful, and sovereign God of order. This is the God we love, serve, and worship. — “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Rev. 4:11)

For an alphabetical listing of traits it would take to be the kind of God who could create the heavens and earth, check out the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download. It includes that plus four other alphabet renderings about who God is and what He does.

How Scripture Reflects the Kind of God We Have

The writing, compilation, and preservation of the Bible is a testament to the kind of God we have. The Bible describes itself as inerrant, sufficient, dynamic, and powerful truth that is able to make us wise for salvation and thoroughly equip us for every good deed (2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 4:12).

Only an eternal God of absolute truth, knowledge, wisdom, and perfection could produce such a comprehensive and cohesive manuscript though written over the course of time using many human writers. He not only sets the standard but is the Standard. These are the words of a God we should long to meditate on and follow in all we do. — “They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” (Ps. 19:10)

What God Does in Salvation Reflects His Character, His Essence

We don’t have to look around us but just peer into our own hearts and we have to admit that we all miss the mark. We keep messing up, if not in our words and actions, in our attitudes. Scripture puts it this way: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) — “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Rom. 7:18-19) — Here’s the real problem: “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23)

Because He is holy, righteous, and just, God can’t ignore sin. Yet, He is also a God of love who doesn’t want anyone to perish in their sin (Matt. 18:14). So, in His mercy and grace, He bridged the gap for us in Christ Jesus who, though perfect, died in our place, taking the punishment our sin deserved. Hence, if we receive Him and believe in His name (Jn. 1:12-13), our sin is forgiven and we’re made right in the eyes of God — by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). This is a God we can trust to deliver us eternally from the penalty of sin and also from the power of sin in our lives here and now.