. . . and they praised God because of me.

People are not to be praised for what they do for God, but God to be praised for what He does through people.


On one of the internet pastor’s forums I regularly participate in there was a recent conversation about what one guy called “mega Christian stars.” The topic of discussion was how this man had met one of our modern-day Christian heroes and was a bit disappointed in how the encounter turned out.
Considering what the “Christian hero” had done in his life—he was a Hollywood actor who had found Jesus and become known for his firm stand on the gospel and his love for Christ—my internet friend was disappointed that, when he met the man face-to-face, his hero was just another regular guy. I don’t know what he expected—maybe a halo hovering around his head or a bright, shining, holy light that enveloped him wherever he went—but what he expected wasn’t what he saw. He saw a normal guy and was disappointed that he wasn’t something more exciting. Something praiseworthy.
It got me to thinking this week about the nature of praise and to whom we naturally want to give it. In the Christian community we love our heroes of the faith: those people who are great teachers or preachers or leaders. The people who have really accomplished something huge for the Kingdom of God. We talk about them to our church friends and sometimes even recommend their books or CD’s or whatever to our unbelieving friends.
There’s a certain ring of truth to doing that. After all, I think what is in our minds is just to give credit where credit is due. So when we see someone who is really doing some good for the Kingdom of God, we want to acknowledge that. But . . . to whom is the credit really due?
Think about it. When we heap praise upon someone or something other than God, what do the Scriptures call that? It’s called idolatry: the placing of someone or something in the place of honor that rightly belongs to God alone. Rather than praising people for what they’ve done for God, we should instead praise God for what He’s done through people.
Let’s use the Apostle Paul as an example. In his letter to the Galatians Paul embarks on a discussion about himself. After opening his letter, he begins to tell the Galatians about how no one taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ, but that he received it in a personal revelation from Christ Himself. He launches into a discussion about what he used to be like, how he persecuted the church, how God called him and then how he did this, how he did that, the places he went, the people he met.
Now by any standards this sounds pretty prideful. Paul appears to be boasting about himself, doesn’t he? After all, I count about seventeen “I”, “me” or “my” references in those thirteen verses alone! That’s one way that you can tell when a person is really self-centered: when they talk about themselves all the time. When they say, “enough about you . . . let’s talk about ME!”
We’ve all met people like that before: people who work really, really hard to make sure you know how great they are. People who want to become some sort of idol in your eyes. But when it’s that obvious, it’s usually pretty easy to spot. It’s harder to spot the same kind of thing when we’re the ones putting someone else on a pedestal.
Whenever a group of Christians gets together, it doesn’t take long for one of them to start talking about one of their Christian heroes. Get the right circle together and you’ll hear names like Joyce Meyers or Joel Osteen. Someone really into prayer is going to mention Stormie Omartian. The folks who like to be on the cutting edge will mention Rob Bell. And you’ll hear people positively gush about how great these folks are.
I’ve got my Christian heroes, of course. If you were to ask me which books to read I’d throw out a list including Andy Stanley, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, and John Maxwell. I’d probably thrown in a little bit of Augustine and possibly even some Rick Warren or Hermann Sasse for a bit of flavor. And then no doubt I’d tell you what each of these men has accomplished for God and His Kingdom to underscore just why they’re so important. I’d want you to know the men’s lives so that you could appreciate them in the same way I do.
But pride in the person is misplaced. It’s not much different than assuming Paul is being prideful in talking about himself. It’s the same thing.
But if we back up just one verse in Galatians, it becomes obvious that there’s something deeper that Paul is saying. Forget for a moment the notion that he’s just seeking attention for himself and read verse ten. What does he say there? Galatians 1:10, “10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Paul prefaces all of his prideful-sounding “me” talk by saying that he’s NOT trying to win the praise and approval of men. If he were, he wouldn’t be a servant of Christ. The servant isn’t more important than the master. In fact, everything the servant does is done to make the master—and not himself—look good. The servant is invisible, and the master gets the praise.
That’s the ticket to understanding what Paul is saying! He’s not trying to draw attention to himself, but to what God has accomplished through him! Look at verse twenty-four: Paul doesn’t say that people praised him for what he had done for God, but Galatians 1:24, “they praised God because of me.”
So Paul’s whole story in verses eleven through twenty-four is not told to glorify himself as bragging what Paul’s done for God, but so that others may praise God for what He’s done through Paul. In telling his the story of his own redemption, Paul actually takes the focus off of himself and puts the focus on God! And just look what God has done!
In verse eleven God has established His gospel in Jesus Christ.
In verse fifteen God has called an imperfect sinner to repentance through His gospel.
In verse sixteen God has chosen that same sinner to proclaim His gospel.
In verse twenty-two an invisible, unknown servant’s life is held up before the people, and in verse twenty-four they praise God for what He’s accomplished through that man.
Paul’s still not perfect, he’s still a sinner, and yet people are praising God because of the story of how God has worked in Paul’s life.
The Greek word for praise in verse twenty-four helps us to understand this a bit better. The word translated as “praise” is the word doxazo, from which we get our word doxology. How does the doxology go? Let’s sing it together, and as we do I want you to notice who is getting the praise:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Praise God. Praise Him. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Praise be to the Triune God, the God who works, the God who redeems, the God who saves!
The only person that praise is rightly directed to is God. He is to be praised not because of people’s amazing accomplishments for Him, but because of the awesome, gracious way that He works through broken, sinful people.
Do you know anyone like that? Some poor, broken sinner through whom God has worked His story of redemption? Of course you do . . . all you have to do is look in the mirror. God has worked through you!
So you’re heard Paul’s story . . . what’s yours? How has God redeemed your life and changed what was misdirected and self-centered into something for which He is to be praised?
I know . . . it can be hard to think about your story, and it can be hard to talk about it. It’s hard to tell your story because, honestly, it may seem like bragging. But that’s okay, because when you brag, brag on what God has done, not about what you have done. Downplay your role and brag His up.
It’s not too hard to get started, really. Just start by contemplating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Think about that for a moment. About what the Gospel is. The God of all creation sent His Son to earth. Picture Jesus Christ . . . see Him teaching . . . see Him leading His disciples . . . see Him praying for His followers . . . and see Him hanging on a cross. He is there; broken and bloody but still holding to His Father’s will and strongly seeing through His mission to the very end. And He did that for you. That’s what the Gospel is.
But the Gospel isn’t just something Jesus did, but also what He is doing now. He continues to take all the work He did all those year ago and apply it to your life today. He is still teaching you, leading you, interceding for you. His death still redeems you, it buys you back from a shallow, self-centered life into a life filled with good, God-centered things.
That’s what the Gospel does, it works through you to change you, to redeem you, to save you. That’s your story of how God has worked through you. This is your way to give praise to God for what He has done.
And when others hear your story, they too can praise God for what He’s done in your life and even for what He has yet to do. I don’t know about you, but I know that God has brought about some real serious changes in my life, and I hope and pray that He’ll continue to work, because I’ve got stuff that still needs to be changed.
But when I tell others the story of how God’s worked in my life, I don’t tell them so that they’ll praise me. I don’t want them to know about seminary, or about pastoring, or anything else so that they’ll think I’m really doing something for God, but I tell them so that they can see that God can work even through a normal, flawed, every-day human being like me . . . and they will praise Him for His goodness, His mercy, and His work. He is a God worthy to be praised.
So be like Paul . . . tell your story. Fix your eyes and your heart upon Jesus and tell the story of how He has worked in your life—not so that they will praise you for what you are doing for God, but so that they will praise Him for what He has done through you. Allow others to see how Christ has shone his light into your life, and they will praise God because of you.