Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Faithfulness of God. Part 3.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
The Doctrine of the Faithfulness of God.
Divine faithfulness is God’s grace expression to the believer using His perfect character as the basis for expression.
Propitiation is the aspect of the work of Christ on the cross which deals with or satisfies the integrity of God.
So we have giving.
Then we have the faithfulness of God.
And then Paul loses himself in God’s glory.
“Now to our God and Father the glory to the ages of the ages. Amen!”
Nominative singular of doxa = glory, splendor, radiance, fame, renown (CBL).
The majesty which belongs to God (Thayer).
The glory of God refers to the sum total of His divine essence or to some part of divine essence.
“Christ in you” = the indwelling of Jesus Christ in your body, which is His temple.
When Jesus Christ came in the flesh, the incarnation, He came as the God-man.
“Shekinah” is derived from the Hebrew noun “SHAKAN” meaning to dwell = Jesus Christ indwelt certain sacred buildings in Israel.
In the dispensation of Israel, Jesus Christ indwelt a building: first the Tabernacle, and then two temples.
In the dispensation of the Church, Jesus Christ indwells the body of every believer.
JOH 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us; and we saw His glory,
We have the Shekinah glory indwelling the humanity of Christ in order for Him to achieve impeccability and be qualified to go to the cross and die for our sins.
When the Church-age came we have the Shekinah glory indwelling the body of every believer, and that is what he is talking about concerning the new dispensation or period of time.
The manifestation or the reflection of His glory was seen in the cloud and the pillar of fire and other Theophanies.
While Jesus Christ indwelling our bodies cannot be seen, there are certain conditions and situations in which the manifestations of His glory can be seen.
JOH 15:8 “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and {so} prove to be My disciples.”
God has revealed His purpose, His plan, and the mechanics of execution and the fantastic rewards for any believer who is interested enough in learning them.
Glory - possessive genitive of doxza which is “doxes” = in the possessive genitive it means that the wealth or the riches belongs to someone.
The Shekinah glory no longer belongs to the Jews exclusively but now to anyone who was baptized into Christ, including all the non-Jews called Gentiles.
The glory is Jesus Christ, the Shekinah glory of Israel, who lived in the holy of holies, EXO 25:21-22; LEV 26:11-12; PSA 91:1; HEB 9:5.
The Shekinah glory appeared as a bright light between the cherubs over the mercy seat in the holy of holies.
PSA 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee.
When the glory of the Lord is present, there can also be divine discipline.
REV 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.
The Shekinah glory emphasized the fact that God guaranteed temporal blessings while Israel was on earth and eternal blessings for believers afterwards.
The glory of God is the cross!
Christology is the study of the doctrines of Christ centering on His life, person, works, and divinity.
Soteriology is the study of theology which examines the work of salvation, including the doctrines of redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation.
The Shekinah Glory is a complete Christology and Soteriology living in our bodies.
What event was foreshadowed by the ritual sacrifices performed in front of the Holy of Holies where the Shekinah Glory dwelt?
Because the purpose of the Holy of Holies is to point to the Cross.
The place where God’s glory was revealed in all of its mysterious fullness was at the cross.
The cross is the ultimate manifestation of the Shekinah glory.
GAL 6:14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
GAL 6:14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The church can only show forth our Lord’s glory by means of the cross.