Sabbath: All to the Glory of God
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 25th of July 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study
1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 10:5-22; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:28-31.
Memory Text:
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).
1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 9:1-27; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33 brings the discussion on sexuality (in chapters 5–6) to a conclusion at the same time that it introduces Paul’s answers to specific questions asked through a letter (1 Corinthians 7:1) from the Corinthians. These answers will dominate the remainder of 1 Corinthians.
The transitional nature of 1 Corinthians 7:1-40 indicates that sexual immorality (chapters 5–7) and idolatry (chapters 8–10) are related topics. Indeed, they are often mentioned together in the New Testament (see Acts 15:20,29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15).
In general, while in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20; 1 Corinthians 7:1-40 Paul deals with the problem of sexual immorality, in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 9:1-27; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33 his main concern is the issue of idolatry. He states that Christians must flee from both (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14).
Last week, we saw that by being a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), one can flee from sexual immorality. This week, we will see that one can flee from idolatry by doing “all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).
Human pride and zeal for success can become a subtle form of idolatry when the self takes the place that belongs to God. Scripture warns that people may “exchange the glory of the incorruptible God” for created things, including their own image and achievements (Romans 1:21–25). When our focus is on enhancing our profile, gaining recognition, or proving our worth, we begin to trust in ourselves rather than in the Lord; yet God declares, “My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8). In this way, pride turns the heart inward and makes self the object of devotion.
The Bible calls us back to the right order: God first, others second, and self last. Paul writes, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24), and Jesus teaches that the greatest commandments are to love God wholly and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). True worship therefore resists the idolatry of self by seeking God’s glory above personal success and by serving others in humility (Philippians 2:3–4). When God is honoured first, pride loses its throne and our lives begin to reflect His character rather than our own importance.
What does “Whatever you do” mean or refer to in 1 Corinthians 10:31?
This is not a mantra (slogan) for unlimited freedom, but it is a caution to use our freedom carefully for the glory of God. This is a solemn reminder to think twice about all that we do, so that it may glorify God. We are soberly reminded that whatever we do should reflect the character of God, honour His name and advance His course. No act or thought can glorify God if it violates His holy law. It is wrong to think that God can be glorified by anything which is not right. God is not pleased with anything evil.
Paul is cautioning us that even daily routine things like eating and drinking should glorify God. Nothing is too small to escape God’s attention. Glorifying God should be our ultimate objective of what we do and think. Our freedom in Christ must not be abused by championing our personal preferences instead of God’s glory. This strongly reminds us that we should never take anything for granted. The “small” things of life are manifestations of God’s character (love, mercy, compassion, grace and goodness). We must always learn to express our gratitude to God.
When I came to Avondale College (Now Avondale University) in the early 1960s, I was pretty proud of my high school academic record. I arrived at Avondale, full of hope that I would be embarking on a course of study that with lead me to having a science degree from the University of London. But I failed the Universities entrace examination twice. Looking back on that experience I realised that I was young and easily distracted. I was in a new country with lots of different people. There were things to see, places to go, experiences to be had, that had simply been out of reach in New Zealand. It took two years and a six month stint of working in a pipe factory before I finally settle down to work on my goal of getting a degree.
In hindsight, 65 years later, I admit that in those first two years I lost focus, distracted by the small stuff, rather than getting on with the job of learning. It took 6 months of tightening and untightening the nuts and bolts on concrete pipe molds for me to gain the perspective of what was needed for academic success.
The early Corinthian church had been focused on the distractions and their spiritual development was suffering as a result. Paul’s message to them was to focus on Jesus and let him be the guiding light for their lives. Do we need the same message today? Are we being distracted by church issues that should not be issues because we have lost focus? What is it going to take to reset our focus?
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).
A lot of us are eating and drinking ourselves to death as we engage in gluttony and such vices. The memory text is reminding us that even in our eating and drinking, God is to be glorified.
When last have you considered your diet to see if it is healing or harmful to the body???
As a Cross Country runner in high school, my coach always trained with us and stressed to pace ourselves and to keep the finish line in mind even if it wasn’t in sight. In one race I was totally exhausted, I hadn’t paced myself and ran hard early on to try to establish my position in the front of the pack. I ended up dropping out of the race. My coach took me aside and told me to never drop out of a race. Walk or crawl across the finish line if necessary, but finish the race. The two best runners on the team wore ankle weights during practice. When I inquired why they did that, they said because come race day and the weights are no longer there it’s as if they had wings on their feet.
The Christian life is much the same. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Too many have tried to run the course starting out well, only to fade away and drop out. We need to keep the finish line in mind, even if it’s not in sight. We must lay aside the weight of sin that slows and wears us down and finish strong. We must always remember that our Lord and Savior runs this race with us. Keep our eyes on Jesus, and may everything that we do be done to bring glory to him and his name. With that as our focus, sin loses it’s attraction. We have a course to complete. The finish line is near, and I can almost hear the cheers of the cloud of witnesses. Let’s stay in the race and finish strong, not for a laurel wreath that perishes, but for a crown of glory that never does. Then we will lay our crowns at Jesus’ feet, for getting us across the finish line.(Hebrews 12:1,2)
Find Us Faithful, Steve Green
Lately, I have had a great impression of the science of salvation and that it’s process involves justification and sanctification.Both of these are necessary for our restoration to fully occur. Paul discusses continuous sanctification as being particularly critical in our christian growth from glory to glory and that it is a result of the holy spirit forming the image of Christ within. Until we have a glance into the beauty of Holiness, it’s hard to appreciate the glory of God. Our natural tendencies will always be inclined towards dishonoring the LORD – be it in dress, eating or relationships! Glorifying the LORD, means living our lives in honor of the LORD, and more and more to the very similitude of Christ’ character. Having been justified by accepting the death of Christ as a sacrifice for our sins, we are to leave behind our old ways in everything we do and aim to magnify Christ and what He stands for. Through the grace of His spirit in us, our ethics then get re-defined! our ambitions are refocused! our values system is transformed! It’s loving my neighbor to the point of death. It’s loving God with all my heart and soul. Overall, It’s emptying the throne of ‘self’ off my heart and letting the vacuum be occupied by the Holy spirit who then produces his fruits in me – love, joy, piece, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. For such there is no law, because they are the very essence of the nature of God. Christ formed within our hearts through His indwelling spirit, is thus our hope of glory. As a people preparing to live in the society of angels, I pray that pressing towards mark,even Jesus Christ, becomes our preoccupation.
1 Cor.8:2-3 – ”And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
Is it more important for us to ‘know’ God or to be ‘known’ by Him? The Corinthians were at the very beginning of learning that there is only one God, and He is the Father of Whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” 1 Cor.8:6.
Have we learned more about our God and His Glory, or have we given Him access to our heart and mind to be known by Him? More than 2000 years have passed. Since the time when the children of Israel have been admonished to love their God. Have we gained a better understanding of the ‘Glory of God’ and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Deut.6:4-5.
God does not share the power inhernet in His Glory with any ‘gods’. But He called us to love Him unconditionally and, in doing so, return His Glory to Him. Jesus prayed ”The Glory that You have given me I have given to them”. Is He not referring to the Love He has for the Father? Our faith is not about ‘obedience’, but about the ability to express the capacity to love Him for the purpose to demonstrate/release God’s Glory though/by engaging HIS Goodness – John 17:22; Rom.8:17.
Only when we have acted in accordance to the will of God, can we fit into “All to the glory of God” otherwise our selfish acts are nothing but to the glory of man.
What does “all to the glory of God,” mean, or involve if you prefer?
My Bible text for this I will quote from memory. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.” That does not leave any room for misdirection selfish and desires. It leaves out idolatry and avoidance of it which is the study this week. Centered around 1 Corinthians chapters 8, 9, and 10.
Proverbs 3:5-6.
Paul connects sex and idolatry because, in the Bible (Hosea 1–3; Ezekiel 16:15-17; Jeremiah 3:8), worshiping other gods is a betrayal, just like in a marriage. So, as we should be faithful to the person God sends us to love in a responsible relationship like marriage, so we should be faithful to Him. Worshiping an image, or a body (like an idol), may represent an act of unfaithfulness.