Friday, January 28, 2011

Passion for the Glory of God



God has been very good to us in the NT by giving us many different ways of seeing the greatness of his glory. I am going to mention eleven of these in the hope that one or several will sink into your heart and give you a longing for for God's glory. I am not going to define it first, but just let the texts point you to the reality.

1. God shows that his glory is very great by saying that it is eternal. Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen." The greatness of God's glory is seen in the fact that it will never end. It is great in durability and permanence.

2. God shows the greatness of his glory by contrasting it with the frail and temporary glory of the world. 1 Peter 1:24, "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides for ever."

"Flesh" in that verse simply refers to all that is not spiritual. All the accomplishments of natural man are like grass and all their glory -- engineering glory, architectural glory, artistic glory, electrical glory, atomic glory, computerized glory -- all our greatest human glory is like a dandelion ball compared to God's permanent glory.

C.S. Lewis preached a great sermon on June 8, 1941 called "The Weight of Glory". He said, "Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat." And if the greatest glories of the world are to us as the life of a gnat, how much greater must be the God of glory in whom we live and move and have our being.

3. God shows the greatness of his glory by speaking of its might and power. Colossians 1:11, "May you be strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory." And 2 Thessalonians 1:9 turns it around and speaks of "the glory of his might." The point is not very different: the glory of God shines forth in great power, and the power of God exhibits itself in great glory.

If you want to conceive of the glory of God in its proper proportions, dwell on the scope of God's power. How great is the power of God when Isaiah 40 says "He measured the seas in the hollow of his hands... and weighed the mountains in scales"; and when Daniel 4 says, "He does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest Thou?" and when Hebrews 1:3 says "He upholds the universe by his word of power." God is exceedingly powerful beyond all imagination, and his power is only one expression of his glory. Therefore his glory is very great.

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