As you acknowledged, some people often say “for the glory of God” to justify what they like to do. The verse you mentioned says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Let us make three observations about it. First, it does not teach that you can do whatever you want, but that when you do something, you should do it for the glory of God. You cannot murder someone “for the glory of God.” Second, it does not teach that when we do something, we should say that we do it for the glory of God, but that we should do it for the glory of God. You cannot rape someone “for the glory of God” just by saying it or thinking it. Third, it does not teach that you should do everything, but that when you do something, you should do it for the glory of God.

Thus it settles almost nothing when we only throw around the phrase “for the glory of God.” What should we do? How should we do it? What does it mean to do this thing for the glory of God? In the case of this verse, Paul is talking about eating, and specifically eating food that has been offered in idol worship. He says that you may eat whatever is placed before you “without raising questions” (v. 27). However, if it is pointed out that the food has been used in idol worship, “then do not eat it” (v. 28). Again, he says, “Then do NOT eat it.” It is in this context that he says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

In other words, to do something “for the glory of God” would sometimes mean that you do NOT do it, that you walk away from it. If it is pointed out to you that the food has been offered to idols a hundred times out of a hundred parties you attend “for the glory of God,” it would mean that you should never eat in any of these parties. In this scenario, to DO something for the glory of God would mean that you NEVER do it. Of course, this would bother someone who wishes to attend these parties, socialize with unbelievers, and enjoy drinking and eating with them — and just slap “for the glory of God” on the whole thing and call it ministry.

The verse is used by followers of a religious tradition that rejects a distinction between the sacred and secular, even claiming that all things are “holy,” and that boasts of a “mandate” to engage culture. They want to make their silly hobbies and talents into an epic battle between good and evil. So they throw themselves into their arts and sports, even drinking and smoking, “for the glory of God.” It is just a lie that they tell themselves, and that they wish others would believe, in order to justify what they want to do in the first place.

They especially enjoy engaging in politics “for the glory of God,” often not even doing anything in politics, but only talking about politics. This is because they have no faith in the gospel as the power of God to shape the world and save those who believe. They have rejected the gospel, which comes upon us with spiritual power, and goes forth from us with miracles of healing and prophecy, and can never be separated from these things. The Bible knows no gospel without miracle power.

Indeed, it is a very human tendency — a very sinful tendency. Up to the time before Christ ascended to heaven, the disciples still asked, “When are you going to restore our political power?” Jesus answered, “It is none of your business. But you will receive spiritual power — miracle power — when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (see Acts 1:6-8). Nowadays, those who call themselves Christians claim that they have the Spirit, even though they refuse to receive him and even though they reject this miraculous power, and then they pursue political power for themselves, in the name of Christ, even in contradiction to his command.

They make the reception of Christ and the reception of the Spirit into an identical event, so that by their mere verbal confession of Christ they can obscure the fact that they do not have the Spirit. However, the Bible makes the reception of the Spirit and the reception of miracle power into an identical event, so by their reasoning — that the reception of Christ and the Spirit are identical — the reception of Christ is also the reception of miracle power. Thus their doctrine demands the conclusion that unless they possess this miracle power, they have not received Christ. They are unsaved. They remain in their sins, and they will burn in hell. They have damned themselves by their false doctrine.

In any case, there is no excuse for this obsession with political power after we have read how Christ answered the disciples, and after the Holy Spirit has been poured out, so that anyone who has faith can receive a superhuman boldness and power. The question they asked the Lord? It never came up again. After they received the Spirit, they talked about miracles, healing, and signs and wonders (Acts 4:29-30), not politics, not sports, not the arts, and not “culture.” So why are Christians asking it? Why are Christians thinking like the disciples before the ascent of Christ and the descent of the Spirit? It is because they still do not have the Spirit, and do not have the power.

There is a place for politics in our dealings with the world, just as we can participate in the areas of business, education, science, and such things. However, unless someone demonstrates that he has received the Spirit, along with the power that this necessarily entails, he has no biblical basis to even start asking about politics, let alone actively teaching about it or engaging in it. He has no biblical basis to demand our attention. If he does not even try to lay hands on the sick, if he speaks against healing and prophecy, or if he is a cessationist, he should SHUT UP about politics. He desperately grasps for a substitute for God — a stand-in for Jesus Christ. He desperately reaches for a cultural philosophy to replace a gospel of faith and power.

Let us return to 1 Corinthians 10. Verse 27 says, “If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.” See that? He says, “and you want to go.” It is not some cultural project. It is not some mission feast. You go because you want to go. For many Christians, they go because they enjoy non-Christian things more than Christian things, and they want an excuse to maintain their ties to their old life, and still be able to stay on their religious high horse in criticizing others for their self-centered messages, their seeker-friendly evangelism, and their health and wealth doctrines — even when the doctrines are explicit gospel promises. So they drag themselves to these non-Christian events. What sacrifice! What? They say there are no apostles today? Surely they are the apostles of modern times! No healing. No prophecy. No gospel. No problem! They are making movies and going to parties for the glory of God. Genius. If Paul had thought of that, he would not have had to suffer so.

You do something because you want to do it. Stop dragging God into it. You step away from your preaching, praying, studying, and other spiritual activities to do it. There is no need to glorify what you do to make it sound spiritual. Just be honest about it. If something is right, do it. If something is acceptable, do it when you want to. If something is acceptable but becomes a stumbling block to yourself or others, then do not do it. It is that simple. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God, and this might sometimes mean that you do NOT eat that thing, drink that thing, watch that movie, attend that party, support that parade, or whatever. And when you do eat that thing, drink that thing, watch that movie, attend that party, support that parade, or whatever, do not imagine that you are performing mass evangelism or changing the course of history. You are no hero. You are just doing what you want to do. God’s way to perform evangelism and change history has always been the way of preaching and healing, delivering messages and miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. Any doctrine that distracts from this is false doctrine.

We have also answered your question about the martial arts. There are limited practical benefits such as physical exercise, and learning to defend yourself and others. But mainly, you do it because you want to. Some schools of martial arts are not purely practical in nature, but are rooted in or associated with false religions. Be honest about this. If you are going to practice martial arts, then do it “for the glory of God.” This means that you should NOT do it if a spiritual issue comes up that you cannot resolve. If the style you practice is tied to false religion or philosophy, then to do it for the glory of God would mean that you must stop doing it or switch to another style. If your practice of martial arts or if the style you practice becomes a stumbling block to someone else, then to do it for the glory of God would mean that you must stop doing it, at least not in that person’s presence or until you discuss it with him, or until you switch to another style. A Christian is doing something like this because he wants to, and he can keep on doing it; however, to do it “for the glory of God” often does not offer a justification, but rather imposes a restriction.

From: email