To God Be the Glory!

All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.

Romans 16:27

Today we finish what we began on January 1. This will be our final reflection on Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Some Bibles indicate that the verses of Romans 16:25-27 do not appear in this location in all of the ancient manuscripts of Romans. This has led some scholars to wonder if this passage was not in Paul’s original letter, but was added later. Some believe it was written by Paul. Others argue that it was penned by a follower of Paul who summed up Romans in a marvelous doxology. Either way, verses 25-27 draw this letter to a fitting conclusion. And, most fitting of all, the last words of Romans offer glory to God.

Why does God deserve glory? Because he is “the only wise God.” This does not mean, of course, that there are other gods who are less than wise. Rather, the only true God is full of wisdom. We glimpse this wisdom through Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is centered in the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ. Thus we glorify God “through Jesus Christ,” in whom we have been brought into a right relationship with God.

We who know God through Jesus Christ live for the praise of God’s glory (see Eph. 1:12, for example). Ideally, everything we do and say will bring glory to God. Of course we fall short of this ideal because we are still works in progress. But as we grow in our faith, we find ourselves more and more eager for God’s glory, and less and less preoccupied with our own.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: In what ways do you glorify God in your life? If you were to live for God’s glory above all, how might this change the way you live each day?

PRAYER: All glory to you, O God, because you are wise beyond all comprehension.

All glory to you, O God, because you have revealed your wisdom through Jesus Christ.

All glory to you, O God, because your grace is greater than all our sin.

All glory to you, O God, because the good news of your work in Jesus Christ has the power to save us.

All glory to you, O God, because there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from your love.

All glory to you, O God, forever, and ever, and ever. Amen.