The restoration of God's glory to the hearts of men

The restoration of God's glory to the hearts of men.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Definition of glory:
1. The glory of God refers to the sum total of His divine essence or to some part of divine essence.

2. The Greek word DOXZA means brightness, radiance, splendor, magnificence, fame, renown, honor, or glory.

3. The Hebrew word KABOD means honor, glory, riches, nobility, splendor, and majesty.

4. Glory always has the connotation of honor inherent in a person, distinction, greatness, renown, fame, nobility, or majesty. In ROM 5:2, glory refers to the integrity of God.

Christ would become the lens that would soon focus all that Paul knew as a Hebrew of Hebrews upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, the true manifestation of God’s glory to the human race.

Christ is the light as God and the lens as the God-Man and the focus of that light as the Redeemer.

Without the fall of angels and men God’s glory would be the only thing in this universe to be seen far and wide.

First it was the angels who fell and then it was mankind that fell and so God’s true glory was no longer seen in the hearts of His creatures.

The first expression of God’s glory to mankind was revealed when He restored the earth after His discipline of the fallen angels, GEN 1:3.

JOH 8:12
Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world ; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The heart of fallen man was hindered from the glory of God, but through Jesus Christ the light/glory was restored to men’s hearts.

There will be a time again when the Sun and moon are no longer necessary for light in this world because the first things have passed away.

When God said “Let there be light” in GEN 1:3 it was the glory of Jesus Christ being revealed to man, but when man fell this glory was erased from his heart.

When the first thing passed away by means of the Redeemer that same glory would be fully seen again for all eternity, hence there would be no need for any other source of light.

God has so fantastically made a plan by which mankind can experience His glory in their hearts. But to do this for us the cost was great.

God would have to become one of us. As a man God would have to become the Lamb of sacrifice that would take away the sins of the whole world by receiving them to Himself.

JOH 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Before God’s glory can be restored to man the Lamb must first be slain.

So many men have tried to put the glory back into their own hearts by many schemes, and always failing to do so.

You have been born into this world without God’s glory, but because you are born in His image you have a driving craving for that need, ECC 3:11.

ECC 3:11
He has made everything appropriate (beautiful) in its time. He has also set eternity (a hole that only God’s glory can fill) in their heart, without which [the setting of the desire for eternal things] mankind will not find out [perceive] the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

Having God’s glory revealed is one thing, but how do we get God’s glory into our hearts so that we can live in it?

The glory of God refers to the sum total of His divine essence or to some part of divine essence.

Upon completion of the substitutionary spiritual death of our Lord the barrier between God and man was torn down - Reconciliation.

MAT 27:50-51
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,

At the moment of salvation you become a new creature, you are in Christ, and you are holy and blameless before Him.

The perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine under the filling of the Holy Spirit and the execution of God’s PPOG for your life will produce His glory in your heart - the ten attributes of His essence.

1. Omnipotence: the Church-age believer has 100% availability of divine power, EPH 1:18-20.
2. Omnipresence: the Church-age believer sits at the right hand of God with Christ, EPH 2:6.
3. Omniscience: the Church-age believer is given the full revelation of God’s message to mankind, 1CO 1:12,24; ROM 15:14.

ROM 15:14
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another.

4. Righteousness: the Church-age believer possesses the very righteousness of God,
ROM 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness

5. Justice: the Church-age believer is justified before God forever, ROM 3:24 ROM 3:24
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

6. Love: the Church-age believer can love with the same love from God, JOH 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

7. Eternal Life: the Church-age believer possesses the eternal life of God, JOH 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life , and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

8. Veracity (truth): the Church-age believer is given the full revelation of the truth, John 16:13.
JOH 16:13
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth ; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

9. Sovereignty: the Church-age believer can be a ruler with Christ in the Millennial reign, REV 2:26-28.

10. Immutability: the Church-age believer is in union with Christ and his position and his resurrection body in heaven will never change, John 8:35; 1John 2:17.

The Church-age is the unique dispensation when God’s glory can be returned to the hearts of men, and this should elicit an emotional response of expectation and excitement.