For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 

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So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 

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"...whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:26-28 

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A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1 

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For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 

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Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 30:4-5 

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"...help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Acts 20:35 

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Matthew 5:3-6 

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..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Matthew 22:37-39 

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:7-10 

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Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12 

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Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

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Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30 

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Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21 

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So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 

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“Every Day Towards Eternity” (1 Cor 10:31)

| Oct 27, 2018

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So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. –1 Corinthians 10:31

When we break down this verse, the core statement is this: “Do all to the glory of God.” Paul gives us several examples that fit into this “all”: eat, drink, and whatever. The goal here is to frame up the eternal perspective for the reader. All of life has an eternal trajectory. One of the goals of the believer ought to be to redeem the everyday routines of life for God’s glory. How do we leverage our daily routines for the sake of Jesus?

In the broader context of First Corinthians, Paul is giving the church at Corinth some biblical principles for dealing with the culture surrounding them. Corinth was famously home to temple worship, idolatry, and a hub of paganism. Not unlike our culture today, it’s a secular society in which the believers are the ambassadors of Christ to a world in need of God’s grace. Open your Bible to 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 so you can understand better Paul’s flow of thought here.

The word “so” in this verse connects Paul’s thoughts in the previous paragraph to the principle being stated in verse 31. Paul is discussing Christian liberties, in particular the proper way to eat and drink in a pagan culture and how to do it in such a way as to “build up” (10:23). Who is being built up? Verse 24 tells us one’s neighbor. Verse 32 also tells us this building up is toward Jews, Greeks, and the Church of God. Anyone. Everyone. All those you come in contact with, the goal is to help them see and savor Jesus through every means at our disposal. Honoring the conscience of our brothers while also seeking to love the unbelievers in our life.

To what end? What is Paul’s goal in this? How is God glorified (10:31), others built up (10:23), and the neighbor’s good sought (10:24)?

Paul tells us in verse 33, “just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.” The particular way that the glory of God is manifested here is in the hope of salvation for the people that Paul is eating with. The goal here is not only that we enjoy God through every daily opportunity, but that by the conduct of our daily life we are enjoying him in such a way as to invite those around us to see Jesus, believe in Jesus, and to worship Jesus.

Paul tells us that even our daily eating and drinking is an opportunity to do these things in such a way as to glorify Jesus in the lives of those around us. So how do we do this?

  1. A contagious love for God starts with a heart overflowing in joy for Jesus.
  2. A contagious love for God seeks to glorify Jesus in daily life.
  3. A contagious love for God spreads a passion for Jesus to encourage the believer and to exhort the unbeliever toward trusting and following Jesus.

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Discussion Questions:

  1. Paul takes a grand concept, the glory of God, and brings it into the daily, mundane activities. How should this change your perspective about the ordinary things in your daily routine?
  2. Who do you see on a daily or weekly basis that you can encourage in their walk with Jesus or exhort to trust and follow Jesus?
  3. Paul sees even eating and drinking as an opportunity for evangelism, to seek the glory of God in the lives of those around us. Who do you need to invite over for a cup of coffee or a meal?

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Nate Miller is the Student Ministries Pastor at Revive Church in Brooklyn Park, MN. His desire is to partner with families to see students come to know and love Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and out of an overflow of that love to see them impact the lives of those around them for Jesus. Nate and his wife, Angela, live in Brooklyn Park and have three children.

Truth78 (formerly Children Desiring God) publishes curriculum, devotional books (most recently our Glorious God, Glorious Gospel resources), Scripture memory tools, and other resources designed to equip your home and church for leading children and youth to treasure God.

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Everything for God’s Glory

| Oct 21, 2013

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So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.—1 Corinthians 10:31 God created the world to display His power and His patience, His glory and His grace (Romans 9:22–23). Therefore, He commands His creatures to do everything they do for His glory. Yet it is easy to talk […]

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