I have been trying to wrap my mind around the concept of glory, specifically the glory of God as manifested in Jesus Christ.
This was triggered by reading The Glory of Christ by John Owen. I'm reading the abridged Puritan Paperback and even this version has so much to take in. Each sentence by Owen is packed full of meaning that I have to read much more slowly than I am used to.
Owen defines the glory of God this way in chapter 2:
The glory of God includes both the holy properties of his nature and the things he has purposed to do. The only way we can know these things of God is 'in the face' or person 'of Jesus Christ', for he is 'the image of God' (2 Cor. 4:4).
But Christ is especially glorious because he and he alone perfectly reveals God's nature and will to us. Without Christ we would have known nothing truly about God for he would have been eternally invisible to us. We would never have seen God at any time, either in this life or the next (John 1:18).
The foundation of our religion, the rock on which the church is built, the ground of all our hopes of salvation, of life and immortality, is the revelation that is made of God's nature and will by Jesus Christ. So if Christ fails, if he, the Light of the world becomes darkness, then we are for ever lost. But if this Rock stands firm, the church is safe and shall be triumphant forever.
Is Christ, then, glorious in our eyes? Do we see the Father in him? Do we daily meditate on the wisdom, love, grace, goodness, holiness and righteousness of God as revealed to us in Christ? Do we realize that to see this glory in heaven will be our everlasting blessedness? Does the sight of his glory which we have here increase our desire for that perfect sight of it we shall one day have of it above?
This is very different from a more emotional view of the glory of God that I used to hold. In my pre-DG (doctrines of grace) days, I had a friend who would often say how wonderful it would be if the glory of God descended on a Sunday morning worship time. At the time, I fully agreed with her. I think I had a very minimal concept of the glory of God. It was more like a magical aura that come down resulting in an emotional and mystical experience of singing worship choruses for at least four hours. In my past, this "sensing the presence of God" took precedence over a right Biblical understanding of God.
Looking at it now, if the glory of God descended, I'd be dead or at least face down on the floor in fear and trembling. Owen's view of the glory of God as seen in the Jesus Christ wasn't this amorphous thing that results in an emotional experience. It involves our renewed minds in understanding and appreciating Christ in His person, His attributes, and His fulfillment of God's will.
This was triggered by reading The Glory of Christ by John Owen. I'm reading the abridged Puritan Paperback and even this version has so much to take in. Each sentence by Owen is packed full of meaning that I have to read much more slowly than I am used to.
Owen defines the glory of God this way in chapter 2:
The glory of God includes both the holy properties of his nature and the things he has purposed to do. The only way we can know these things of God is 'in the face' or person 'of Jesus Christ', for he is 'the image of God' (2 Cor. 4:4).
But Christ is especially glorious because he and he alone perfectly reveals God's nature and will to us. Without Christ we would have known nothing truly about God for he would have been eternally invisible to us. We would never have seen God at any time, either in this life or the next (John 1:18).
The foundation of our religion, the rock on which the church is built, the ground of all our hopes of salvation, of life and immortality, is the revelation that is made of God's nature and will by Jesus Christ. So if Christ fails, if he, the Light of the world becomes darkness, then we are for ever lost. But if this Rock stands firm, the church is safe and shall be triumphant forever.
Is Christ, then, glorious in our eyes? Do we see the Father in him? Do we daily meditate on the wisdom, love, grace, goodness, holiness and righteousness of God as revealed to us in Christ? Do we realize that to see this glory in heaven will be our everlasting blessedness? Does the sight of his glory which we have here increase our desire for that perfect sight of it we shall one day have of it above?
This is very different from a more emotional view of the glory of God that I used to hold. In my pre-DG (doctrines of grace) days, I had a friend who would often say how wonderful it would be if the glory of God descended on a Sunday morning worship time. At the time, I fully agreed with her. I think I had a very minimal concept of the glory of God. It was more like a magical aura that come down resulting in an emotional and mystical experience of singing worship choruses for at least four hours. In my past, this "sensing the presence of God" took precedence over a right Biblical understanding of God.
Looking at it now, if the glory of God descended, I'd be dead or at least face down on the floor in fear and trembling. Owen's view of the glory of God as seen in the Jesus Christ wasn't this amorphous thing that results in an emotional experience. It involves our renewed minds in understanding and appreciating Christ in His person, His attributes, and His fulfillment of God's will.
Excellent thoughts! It took me a long time to see that God does not reveal his full glory to us as an act of mercy! If he were to reveal it to these "bodies of death" we would be consumed.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Luke 9:29-36. In this transfiguration account Peter, James, and John behold Jesus' glory and yet somehow it is still a veiled glory, as they do not fear him. But when the cloud descends on the mountain and they enter the cloud they are afraid!
If you really want a mind melt, how do Moses and Elijah appear in glory before Christ has completed the work of atonement?
I just read the account in Luke 9 about the transfiguration. It's one of those stories that becomes too familiar so it's easy to gloss over the detail of their fear when the cloud descends. It would be interesting to do a survey of the accounts in scripture where God's glory appears and the response of the witnesses.
ReplyDeleteI'm too tired to tackle Moses and Elijah tonight. Maybe tomorrow.