Since God is God (I AM that I am), selfishness takes on a vastly different meaning to God. Before creation of heavenly beings and earthly things, God is God (read Psalm 90:1). There is none else who shares the divine glory in time before time. To self-glorify basically means to be God. Should God be God? Without a doubt.

Since God is triune God as revealed in the bible, self-glorification is really a shared and mutual glory pervasively interpenetrated within the God head and orderly transmitted among the three personhoods (read the upper room discourse, especially John 16:14, and Jesus's priestly prayer, especially John 17:5).

Since God is a creator God, all in heaven and on earth declares the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Whatever splendor that shines forth, be it a colorful flower or a butterfly, a rainbow or a rainfall, a man or a woman, invariably testifies to the glory of God. In other words, all creation cannot help but exhibiting the extended glory of God. Man is at the pinnacle of the outward extension of God's glory.

Sin is the very deficiency (the falling short) of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and death is the direct consequence of sin (Roman 6:23). The redemption through Christ's atoning death and resurrection deals squarely with the issue of God's glory. We as sinners fell short of the glory of God. We are redeemed by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life of ever more glory (sanctification). In the end, we receive a glorified new body and live under the glorious radiance of God.

Glory of God is indeed at the heart of the gospel.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14). That is the angelic refrain sung in the Judean wilderness after the birth of Jesus.

Amen and Amen!!