Why Should We Exalt God? He Is Worthy!
Mount Sinai
Why Should We Exalt God?
This is a question that is not just relevant for Christians. It isn’t only for religious people. It is relevant to all people. Everywhere. In all places and at all times. How we answer this question has eternal implications.
So, why should we exalt God? We should exalt God because He is the only one worthy to be exalted. The God of the Bible is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that fills it (Psalm 146:6). All things owe their existence to the eternal, thrice holy God of the Bible (Revelation 4:11). All of creation proclaims the glory, power, and divine nature of its Creator (Romans 1:20). Yet, the Scriptures say that men do not honor Him as God, nor give thanks to Him, but instead they exchange His glory for created things. This is sin (Romans 1:21-22). God created man and man rejected Him. In God’s great love for man He has made a way for man to be reconciled with Him. God should be exalted because He created us and made a way for us to be reconciled to Him in and through Christ, His beloved Son (Romans 5:10).
With such an important question being addressed, let’s dig deeper.
He Created Us
The Scriptures declare that God is eternal.
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8b)
God always was. He always is. He always will be.
And, God is holy. Holiness means separate. Other. Different. Set apart.
The only attribute of God that is declared repetitively in succession is His holiness. God isn’t just holy. He is holy, holy, holy. This is declaring that God is not like His creation. He is different. He is other. There is nothing in this world, seen or unseen, that can be compared to God. Not fully. There is analogous comparison, but the analogy always breaks down somewhere.
Another aspect of His holiness is His eternality. God is eternal. He exists outside of time and is not bound by time. He was before the world was created, is while the world exists, and will be long after the world is destroyed.
The Scriptures declare the worthiness of God to be exalted in His holiness.
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:9-11, bold added)
God is worthy of exaltation because He is the thrice holy eternal God who by His will has created all things.
The God of the Bible is not just the God of Christians. He is the God of everything. Of everyone. He created all things. Not only has He created all things but He effortlessly sustains all things (Colossians 1:17).
Everyone, from the beginning of time to the end of time, owes their existence to God who created them. We all live and move and have our being in God who created us (Acts 17:28). The only proper response to this truth is to exalt our Creator. To raise Him to the highest of heights in their life, heart, and mind. To give praise and honor to Him with every thought, word, and deed.
For more on worshiping God because He is the Creator see our post: Worship God The Eternal Creator.
We Rejected Him
The Bible declares,
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
This means that all have missed the mark. The mark is the glory of God. So, all have missed the mark in pursuing the glory of God. In keeping the first and greatest commandment, to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:36). Why?
The Scriptures tell us,
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 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. (Romans 1:18-22, bold added)
Instead of giving God His due, humanity has rejected God and chosen to exalt created things above their Creator. Since Man has done this, the wrath of God abides on them. This is true collectively. It is also true individually. Man has made themselves enemies of God. Not just human beings against God. But because of each individual’s actions, the creator God has made each sinner His enemy.
If it were not for Christ, this thought should cause us to tremble, weep, and wail.
He Reconciled Us to Himself In Christ
God, as the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that fills it (Psalm 146:6), is worthy of exaltation in the life of every man, woman, and child. Yet people have exalted everything else instead. God would have been just to destroy every human because of our rebellion against Him as Creator.
Instead, God sent His Beloved Son to die for sinners. How could this be? Because God is love. Because God is patient, kind, and long-suffering. He shows humanity His love in and through Christ.
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, bold added)
This word reconcile means to restore a relationship. We must understand this message because it is at the heart of Christianity.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God! (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Be reconciled to God is the message of Christianity because apart from Christ we are separated from God and at enmity with Him. The only remedy is the love of God found in Christ Jesus alone.
Think of your most cherished relationship. Relationships are broken often. Either someone does something to cause an offense to you, or you do something to cause an offense to someone else. For the relationship to be restored this offense must be reconciled.
Humanity broke their relationship with God by their rebellion and sin. We can’t earn reconciliation with God by our own merit. So, God made a way for us to be reconciled in Christ.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10, bold added)
God had every right to destroy His rebellious creation and start over if He so pleased. Yet, He didn’t. He sent His Son to save His creation. To save us by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. What a God! What a Savior!
We should sing with all of those in heaven and the holy angels,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)
And,
“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)
Amen.
For more on God’s redemptive work in Christ be sure to see these other articles:
Related Questions
How do we exalt God in worship? Worship is not simply attending church on a Sunday and singing songs. Worship is presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). We do this because of who God is and what He has done. He is worthy to be loved with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength simultaneously and constantly (Matthew 22:37). By keeping this truth in the forefront of our minds, our actions will begin to follow.
How did God exalt Jesus? God exalted Jesus, His beloved Son, by placing Him above everything and bestowing upon Christ the name which is above every name! Jesus has been raised up by God because of what He did in humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8-10). There is no one and no thing above Jesus Christ who is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 19:16).