Faced WIth Glory

Scripture Reading: John 1:11-14

I used to do a fair amount of scenic photography. Needless to say a lot of it wasn't very good and the remainder now resides on a hard drive. I was told once by a photography judge that a sunrise or sunset photo never scores well because it is what a lot of amateurs turn in. The judges grow tired of seeing the same old thing. There is a particular waterfall photo of mine I am fond of (yes, on a hard drive) in fact it may be my best photo I ever took, yet, in all this a photo like the above can not be improved upon. Not so much my ability to photograph it is wonderful, but the majesty and reflection of it True Author is most glorious. Being a photographer, Light, interests me. I am interested by its rays, hues, direction, shadowing, it all speaks of the Creator. Look at this photo for a moment. See the glory of gold beyond into the depths of it. Does it make you want to go far into the picture and experience this brilliance? This photo only represents the sun's magnificence. One day we will see the Son's magnificence, there will be no comparison.

Think about this kind of glory. Have you ever defined glory? We think of glory primarily as a tangible visible thing such as a glowing radiant light. Of course this is not wrong as glory can take on that form and does. I think God's glory is the total enrapture of power, wisdom, strength, beauty, holiness, and love in the same person, always the same time, for the same expression. We could expound on how His glory filled the tabernacle, or how His glory is seen in mortal perils, but let's examine this concept of God's glory and what it means to the believer.

First. His Glory is natural. When we say something is natural, or comes natural to us, we mean that it is easy or even indigenous. God did not earn or practice towards glory. God always had every ounce of Glory that He will always possess. That is a staggering thought. God is eminently glorious and glorified by His own works, His creation, His servants, His Son, His Being. To be God equals to be the total personification of Glory. No human can attain this. Satan tried and was thrown out of Heaven. This type of Holy Glory that God has is reserved for Himself. For the believer, we should feel grateful that the type of Glory ascribed to God is not earned, for then none of His promises or character would be true.

Second, His Glory is transferable. Now this may seem to be a contradiction. but it isn't. God can and will transfer some of His own glory into every believer. This is done while we are living on this Earth, and it is done forever in Heaven. God does not horde up what is special to Him. He spared not His own Son, how much more then will He give us glory! We are told that as we work and feed the flock of God, that God will reward us with a Crown of Glory! (1 Peter 5:2-4).
In the Resurrection we will receive Glorified bodies! (Philippians 3:21) John goes on to say that our new glorified bodies will be like His Glorified body! (1 John 3:2) Not only our bodies but our whole spirit will be glorified anew! (2 Cor. 3:18) Even though God will always remain sovereign and ruler of all creation, He shares His riches with us. We are so favored!

Third, His Glory is indescribable. The Glory ascribed to God cannot be fully understood by the limited scope of man's mind. When John wrote the things revealed to Him in Revelation, he had to describe God's glory in terms that are elemental to this sphere. No human definition could be had that totally described the glory, countenance, and wonders of God. The key point in all this though is the realization that God's glory cannot be counterfeited or superseded by any triumph of man. Julius Ceasar, Napoleon, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod or any other persons individually or put together can match an ounce of God's glory. The culmination of the sum of ordered design from one leaf fallen from a tree is enough to dispel the accomplishments of a thousand rulers working a lifetime to establish themselves. Should the glory of God be measured or matched in any human way, we all would be in trouble. God though can never be judged by His creation, nor put down by them. His Glory is indescribable, and for the believer that means that we serve the God whose power cannot be equaled and thus we can be assured of His staying, keeping power.

Fourthly, His Glory is eternal. What good is glory and honor if it dies? I remember a line from an old Errol Flynn movie (1930's) They Died With Their Boots On describing the 7th US Cavalry at the battle of the Little Big Horn. Flynn who played Col. Custer remarked that glory was to be prized above money, fame, women, etc. "because you can take glory with you when it's your time to go." What utter foolishness! Whatever you have in this world stays in this world! Only that which is done for Christ's sake will be rewarded and remembered in Heaven. The Glory of God has no limits of time, place or quality. God's glory has never flickered, never dimmed, never struggled nor ever questioned. Some preachers I have heard say, "Eternity is a long time." No no friends, eternity is timeless. You don't spend eternity, for there is no time to spend and eventually run out. The same is true with God's Glory, it never runs out, never can be spent and not regained. For the believer, we have that certain assurance that because what He has and what He has given to us will last unlike anything we know of in the world.

In conclusion,
We as believer's are so privileged to not only know of His Glory, but to be partakers and beholders of it. We will see first hand true Omnipotence before us. We are so fortunate to have a measure of that same glory imputed to us. We are not treated as orphans or second rate citizens. The Glory of God is unchanging and unique. Though we will never understand the full sum of what His Glory entails, we know that it is not an excuse for harsh governing over us, but is given in fairness and love. We serve a Glorified God and He has chosen us to be a glorified people.

Father thank You that Your Glory is so much more than what we realize. Thank You for the desire to share such an awesome privilege with us. We are unworthy of Your love and fall short of Your Grace and certainly unable to shine in Your Glory. Yet in all these things, You planned we should have all this through Your own dear Son Jesus. Help us to get a grasp on this concept in our lives this week. Thank You that you already see us as we shall be and not what we are now. We love You Lord, thank You for loving us first. In Your Name, Amen.