Friday: Further Thought – All to the Glory of God
Daily Lesson for Friday 31st of July 2026
Read Ellen G. White, “Idolatry at Sinai,” Pages 315–330, in Patriarchs and Prophets
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“How much good might be done if we would make a right use of our associations with one another! Every one who has received of the heavenly benefits is under obligation to shed some light on the pathway of others. . . . Then all those who truly love God will cease their idolatry of self.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 18, 1884, p. 730.
“Paul urged his brethren to ask themselves what influence their words and deeds would have upon others and to do nothing, however innocent in itself, that would seem to sanction idolatry or offend the scruples of those who might be weak in the faith. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. . . .’
“The apostle’s words of warning to the Corinthian church are applicable to all time and are especially adapted to our day. By idolatry he meant not only the worship of idols, but self-serving, love of ease, the gratification of appetite and passion.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, Pages 316, 317.
“If you see that by doing certain things which you have a perfect right to do, you hinder the advancement of God’s work, refrain from doing those things. Do nothing that will close the minds of others against the truth. . . . All things may be lawful, but all things are not expedient.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 215.
Discussion Questions
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At the time of Paul writing to the Corinthians, my guess is the congregation was fairly small. They all knew one another. They were probably meeting in one another’s houses or in open spaces. Their faith was embryonic, and they had come into Christianity from a variety of backgrounds. Paul wanted them to be cohesive. He knew the value of focus and working together.
If you have ever had a car stuck in the mud, you know the value of working together to get the car going again. Everybody has the idea that to get the car going, but everyone has to agree to push in the same direction for the push strategy to work.
I read Corinthians as a letter to this little group of early Christians as an encouragement to all push in the same direction and not be distracted.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a lot larger than the Corinthian Church and we are easily distracted by both local issues and global. We tend to enjoy a good fight – it is much more interesting than peace and harmony. We have a common goal but so often we are fighting among ourselves about which way to push.
There is a lesson we need to learn, that is, to put into practice:
I know this message was written to another church, but it succinctly summarises what we are studying this week in Corinthians.
“By this shall all men know …”
Thank-you Maurice. You gave us a better understanding of the life and times during Paul’s time. And the importance that even though we are in different times and circumstances the principles still hold for us.
When we were gone for a month in June and came back we were greeted by a dark green-brown bird with speckles on her belly. She was scolding us every time we came out on the front porch or came home. We never could find the nest but would see the screeching parent relentless, sometimes silent, with a worm in her beak, still fluttering around as if to say stay away from my children. Then three weeks later our premonition became confirmed when we saw a little fellow barely able to fly, clinging to the bush in front of the porch. We can be assured God loves us from this humble illustration of loving protection around us, as His children who honor Him.
Psalm 34:7. “The angels of the Lord camp around those who reverence Him, and deliver them.” The Clear Word. If not just the snares of the evil one. because we don’t shun the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Mmmmm, those who worship Him.
The sad truth is that we are all guilty of either shaping the God we worship into the god we want or creating gods that satisfy our own desires. Today, idolatry may not always involve carved images, but it often appears in the form of materialism, power, success, fame, pleasure, or even relationships that take precedence over God in our hearts. Scripture repeatedly calls us to examine ourselves and ensure that our worship is directed to God alone. Jesus declared, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10), reaffirming God’s exclusive claim to our devotion. Likewise, the apostle John concludes his first letter with the solemn warning, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). The greatest danger of idolatry and false worship is that it slowly diverts our hearts from the true and living God, leading to spiritual decline and ultimately inviting God’s judgment. Therefore, believers are called to wholehearted and exclusive worship of the Lord, for He alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and adoration.
Humanity has created so many things that are both wonderful and awful, such as the internet and social media. How many of us find ourselves spending time “surfing” the net, but no time at all to study God’s Word (which is totally available online)? I hope we can build strong arguments for doing constructive things rather than justifying things that aren’t worth doing: watch out for what we are developing as an idol!
Idolatry is so dangerous because it replaces God as the ultimate authority in our lives. When we reject God as King, we inevitably make ourselves—or something else—our god. As a result, we begin defining right and wrong according to our own desires rather than according to God’s will. What starts as false worship eventually becomes false living.
This fits well with 1 Corinthians 10. Paul warns the Corinthians to flee idolatry because idol worship is never neutral. It shapes the heart, influences behavior, and even opens the door to fellowship with demonic powers (1 Corinthians 10:20–21). Idolatry is ultimately a rejection of God’s lordship.
To some degree, every sin has an element of idolatry because every sin says, “My will is more important than God’s will.” That is why the first commandment—having no other gods before Him—is foundational to all the others. When God is no longer the ruler of the heart, everything else eventually falls out of place.
From a stand point to allow Christ to guard our own soul, let’s not look at others and the things they do.
Look unto Jesus, sinless is He,
my life a scarlet my sin and woe.
When we look to Jesus dropping the things said to us that are demeaning, or critical, because we are looking to Jesus, is solace for our soul. We had better look to Jesus all the time because a Christian should not have a sad soul. And when looking to Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, there is rest and comfort for my soul.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice always
Hebrews 12:1-2. Look to Jesus
John 8:12. Christ invitation
Acts 4:12 Peter’s sermon
Matthew 11:28-29. Solace.
Through this week’s study,we have discovered that idolatory is more than what we probably thought.Even our good deeds, our legitimacy to act a certain way or not,etc can be against the will of God for us who have a relationship with Him as well as those who are learning to have a relationship with Him.
This calls for a closer walk with God in all matters of our lives to know whether the good we believe in or the right we claim we have is approved by God,our father in heaven.
Voltaire expressed this thought in the 18th century. “If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.” It seems that some things never change. Ever since the fall of humanity people have projected their own traits, flaws, and desires onto their idea of God. Wasn’t this the basis of Lucifer’s fall? Even in the church we can have a false concept of our great and glorious God.
May we never forget that the God that we worship and serve dwells between the Cheribim, not inside the box. We have to expand our concept of God to avoid the pitfalls of idolatry in it’s many flavors and iterations. We have the real thing, the One, True, God.
One True God, Mark Harris
How do we give “all to the Glory of God” if we do not understand what God’s Glory is? God’s Glory is described in Scripture and by many writers in different ways. How do we know what ‘all’ is that we give and do ‘to the Glory of God’?
Do we give all that we are, all that we do, all that we receive? Giving all of our Life to Jesus – surrendering all that I am to Him. When seeing life as the ‘all’, it covers everything we are, do, and experience.
“All” remains worthless, until we give it to God. All means all of the ‘pride of life’ – our self-sufficiency, possessions, achievements, desires, etc. Giving ‘all our life’ freely to Jesus Christ, He will refine it according to and for the Glory of God.
1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds me: “You were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are His.”
While the knowledge of the supreme cost of my salvation informs me of doctrines and sets the stage for self-assuredness and astuteness; it is love that supports the truth, in order for me to glorify God and grow humility for the edification of others.
1 Corinthians 8:1
Daunting questions arise from 1Corinthians 8: 2-3: What do I know, for sure? For what am I/will I be known?
1Corinthians 8:9 warns, “Beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak.”
It is explained, in other words, that Christian freedom never provides permission to be careless with another’s spiritual life.”
1Cor 10:31 exhorts: “Whatever you do (habits, attitudes, relationships, ambitions, achievements),” “do all to the glory of God.”
My daily prayer is Romans 5:5, as I contemplate my worth in Christ. May my ultimate will to live be fueled by wholehearted devotion and allegiance to our Creator God.🙏🏼