Last Sunday, Ryan Heard encouraged us from Psalm 139 to live intimately with God, remembering that he is our all-knowing keeper, ever-present sustainer, and loving creator. As we do, we will grow in our love for God and hatred of unrighteousness. This, in turn, will lead us to further invite and yield to God’s sanctifying work in our lives.

Read: Psalm 115

This Sunday, Will Jackson will conclude our Psalms series with a message from Psalm 115. This Psalm exhorts us to worship God alone, for “Our God is in the heavens, and he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). All praise is due not to us but to him for the sake of his steadfast love and faithfulness. As you prepare your heart for our corporate gathering, let this devotion from Milton Vincent stir you to praise the Lord for his steadfast love and faithfulness to us in Jesus Christ.

Reflect: “To Him Be the Glory”

“To the praise of the glory of His grace . . . to the praise of His glory . . . to the praise of His glory.” These refrains fly as banners over the gospel truths parading through the early verses of Ephesians. They herald the ultimate motive of God in all His gospel acts on behalf of those whom He has saved. They also announce the effect which the gospel will most certainly wield upon those who experience its fullness. It is no surprise, then, that the Apostle ends his gospel review in Ephesians 3 by bowing his knees in worship and ascribing all glory to God. “Unto Him be the glory,” Paul exclaims at the end of Ephesians 3. “To . . . Him be the glory,” he cries after his gospel meditations through Romans. “To the King . . . be glory,” he urges in 1 Timothy after speaking of God’s merciful saving of him. Clearly, the gospel generated in Paul an enormous passion for God’s glory; and the gospel does the same in me as I make it the meditation of my heart each day.

Understanding that I am not the ultimate end of the gospel, but rather that God’s glory is, actually enables me to embrace my salvation more boldly than I would otherwise dare to do. For example, when my timid heart questions why God would want to love one so sinful as I, I read the answer, “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” I figure, then, that my unworthiness must actually be useful to God, because it magnifies the degree to which His grace might be glorified as He lavishes His saving kindness upon me. This line of reasoning makes perfect sense to me and convinces me to embrace the gospel with greater passion so that God might glorify Himself through me, an unworthy sinner. Indeed, the more I embrace and experience the gospel, the more I delight in the worship of God, the more expressive my joy in Him becomes, and the more I yearn to glorify Him in all I say and do.

“To Him be the Glory,” in A Gospel Primer for Christians, by Milton Vincent

Sing: Song List for Sunday

1. “Exalted Over All,” by Vertical Worship
2. “How Great Thou Art,” arr. by Shane & Shane
3. “Forever Reign,” by Hillsong Live
4. “Yes I Will,” by Vertical Worship
5. “Trust You,” arr. by Shane & Shane