Those who possess the glory of God will radiate it through all their behavior. The power of His glory and majesty is the only thing that truly matters in our short lives. That is why Philippians 2:15 says, “So that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world.” Therefore, we must not be busy and noisy with trivial or small things, because such things make us lose dignity. Losing dignity is not only before the angels but also before people. We do not intend to judge anyone; we must examine ourselves. Let us not be busy counting money, pursuing rank, exalting titles, or judging appearances while failing to understand the dignity of being children of the great God, children of God who do not hurt or harm anyone.
Again, the Word of God affirms, “So that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world.” The preceding verses, Philippians 2:5–8, say, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus was crushed; in people’s eyes, there was no beauty in Him. Yet there the greatness of perfect human dignity is revealed—a person who rediscovers the lost glory of God. But remember, the Gospel is a fragrant aroma to those who are saved and a stench to those who are perishing. Sincere children of God will perceive that fragrance as fragrance. But to those whose hearts are crooked, no matter how fragrant our lives are, they will smell stench. What is corrupted is not the glory itself but their senses—their spiritual eyes and nose. Because their hearts are rotten, they only perceive corruption.
Therefore, we should not expect praise, appraisal, adulation, or idolatry from anyone. If we learn God’s Word correctly, we will not idolize humans. We may accept a pastor or servant of God as a mentor, spiritual father, or minister, but we must not idolize them. If a pastor becomes idolized, it may be because he himself cultivated that idolatry, or because his congregation did not grow. Only God deserves our exaltation. People must be honored proportionally. We must be like lights in the world, radiating the glory of God, even though not everyone can see that glory. Yet that glory must truly be present. God’s Word calls us to pursue the way of life that Jesus lived.
We cannot live merely as ordinary humans, for we must put on the life-principles of the Lord Jesus—exactly His principles, without diminution. Many who profess Christianity do not put on the life of Jesus. They are, in essence, false Christians. Terrifyingly, God seems silent. Many church teachings are erroneous, sometimes for hundreds or thousands of years, as if God allows them to be. The life-steps that Jesus took do not happen automatically; they must be fought for. We often hear Christians say, “We are the light of the world.” True. But the question is, are we truly shining? We also say, “We are the salt of the world.” But are we truly salty? Therefore, we must strive to live according to that calling.