Man’s Glory Examples and Problems

Man’s glory and the disadvantages of stealing glory from God. Sin separating man from God and from his true purpose.

Material Glory

“Every citizen has been granted the desired freedom and material goods in such quantity and of such quality as to guarantee in theory the achievement of happiness — in the morally inferior sense of the word which has come into being during those same decades. In the process, however, one psychological detail has been overlooked: the constant desire to have still more things and a still better life and the struggle to attain them imprint many Western faces with worry and even depression, though it is customary to conceal such feelings. Active and tense competition fills all human thoughts without opening a way to free spiritual development”.—Alexander Solzhenitsyn: Harvard Commencement Address.

Wrong Highest Ends

To make that end the highest commanding end of our actions. That we should recognize it as the chief end, and determine to promote it. Some make
(a.) Their own happiness their end.
(b.) Others, their friends,
(c.) Others, their country.
(d.) Others, their kind, human beings as a whole,
(e.) Others, all beings.
These are all false ends. The selection of either of them vitiates and destroys religion. It makes something besides regard to God the motive, and something besides God the end of action. That is, it substitutes something for religion, which is not religion.—Charles Hodge.

“The term “glory” is sometimes used in Scripture to denote a condition of temporal dignity and worldly opulence.”—Henry Craik.

  1. Genesis 31:1—“Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s, and of that which was our father’s hath he gotton all this glory.” KJV (glory meaning wealth)
  2. Genesis 45:13—”And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.” KJV (glory meaning honor)
  3. Matthew 4:8—”Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.” KJV (glory meaning greatness, splendor or grandeur)

Man’s Worldly Glory

  • Wealth (Gen 31:1 – Craik)
  • Temporal dignity (Gen 31:1 – Craik)
  • Opulence (Gen 31:1 – Craik)
  • External elevation (Gen 45:14 – Craik)
  • Kingdoms of the world (Christ’s temptation)
  • A rich man’s glory is his riches (Craik)
  • A great man’s glory is his power (Craik)
  • A wise man’s glory is his wisdom (Craik)
  • A person worthy of admiration (Craik)
  • A beneficent’s glory is his charity (Craik)
  • A scientist’s glory is his discoveries (Craik)
  • The glory of any human beings consists in the display of those parts of their conduct which are deemed worthy of admiration.