His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4NIV
The glory of God is something which no man can define.
Four dependable Bible teachers (past and present) teach that defining the Glory of God is very difficult, if not impossible. In some ways it is like defining the wind, an undefined, invisible force that is difficult to determine where it comes from or where it is going.
John Piper says, “God’s glory is a big deal in Scripture.” “God’s glory is the goal of all things. God’s glory is the unifying goal of history. God’s glory is the source and sum of all full and lasting joy.” But… “Defining the glory of God is impossible.”[1]
R.C. Sproul says, “Any study of God’s glory would be incomplete without a look at what the term glory actually means. Setting forth a precise definition of the word glory, however, is no easy task. Like many other theological concepts, God’s glory is a concept that we have an awareness of without necessarily being able to describe it in all its fullness.”[2]
Paul Trip says, “No single drawing, painting, photograph, or verbal description could ever capture glory. Glory isn't so much a thing as it is a description of a thing. Glory isn't a part of God; it's all that God is. Every aspect of who God is and every part of what God does is glorious. But even that's not enough of a description. Not only is he glorious in every way, but his very glory is glorious!”[3]
Martin Lloyd-Jones wrote, “The glory of God is something which no man can define. The glory of God is his essential and ultimate attribute. It means his greatness, his splendor, his majesty. The real trouble with all of us . . . is that we do not know God. The glory of God – have you ever thought of it?”[4]
I spent considerable time researching, “God’s Glory” for this blog post, and there are many great teachings out there. But here is what I gleaned from what I read and what I feel the Holy Spirit downloaded to me:
God’s glory is a sum of all He is!
A sum of all His greatness!
Let’s consider how great God is by looking at three scriptures together:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Isaiah 60:1-3
And,
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
Exodus 34:39-30
And,
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
Revelation 21:22-25
I cannot imagine such brilliance.
How was it that Moses’ face was radiant from being in the Lord’s presence?
How is it that the New heaven and earth will be illuminated by God’s glory?
His glory is unfathomable!
The Boys Scouts of America memorize a Scout Oath and Scout Law, which are goals to try to live by.
Scout Law: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law: A scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.
Such honorable goals!
But I don’t know a single human that can be all those things all the time.
However, God is ALL those things and more always (past, present and future). To Infinity and beyond!
God is:
Powerful, Infinitely Powerful!
Holy, Infinitely Holy!
Creative, Infinitely Creative!
Merciful, Infinitely Merciful!
Just, Infinitely Just!
Having All Authority, Infinite Authority!
Trustworthy, Infinitely Trustworthy!
Having Knowledge of all things, Infinitely Knowledgeable!
Present, Infinitely Omnipresent!
Beautiful, Infinitely Beautiful!
Brilliant, Infinitely and Awesomely Brilliant!
Loving, Uncompromisingly Loving!
Sacrificial, Ultimate Sacrificial!
Giving, Infinitely Giving!
Comforting, Infinitely Comforting!
Peaceful, Infinitely full of Peace!
Wise, Infinitely Wise!
Good, Forever Good!
Infinitely Infinite!
…
My short list of God’s glorious attributes falls far short….
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
I close my eyes and try to imagine what it would be like to be in God’s glorious presence. The first picture I see:
The woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22), that believed that if she could just reach through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe that she would be healed. She saw the glory of his infinite healing power.
Then,
The Centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant, recognizing God’s infinite Authority (Matthew 8:5-13).
And,
Daniel facing the lions because of his obedience to an always present God. (Daniel 6).
And,
Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faithfully entered into the fiery furnace because of their trust in an always trustworthy and faithful Lord and Savior (Daniel 3).
Zacchaeus climbed a tree hoping to see His Savior. What he witnessed was an infinitely holy, merciful friend who went to his house and had a meal with him (Luke 19:1-10).
And,
David danced through the streets worshiping an infinitely deserving, just and victorious Savior and Lord (2 Samuel 6).
Mary Magdeline, Noah, Rahab, Joshua, the Thief on the Cross, Herod, Adam and Eve……
There is an endless supply of Bible stories where someone recognized a portion of God’s glory and acted accordingly.
Kenneth Copeland says,
“The glory of God isn’t just a feeling, an event or an Old Testament experience—it’s a spiritual tsunami of everything contained in the character of God. The word glory is literally translated “heavy weight,” meaning the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone.”[5]
I feel like I have barely touched the hem of God’s glory in this post.
But I want to leave this one thought on God’s glory.
God’s glory has always, and still today, looks for a place to reside. In the Old Testament, it resided in the tabernacle. However,God has declared that you and I, as believers in Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord, are the temple of the Lord. The Holy Spirit of God resides within you.
Perhaps you also have access to His glory.
[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-gods-glory--2
[2] https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/for-glory-god/
[3] https://www.paultripp.com/articles/posts/the-doctrine-of-glory-article?gclid=CjwKCAiA2fjjBRAjEiwAuewS_TzbjYHErKIq5ZCEa4sDAKVycvMn4CpxstOLIiPKwbED7ZvMBQsGWxoCVsQQAvD_BwE
[4] Martin Lloyd-Jones, Revival. Crossway Books (1987), p. 296.
[5] https://blog.kcm.org/4-ways-tap-glory-god/