Lententide week 5 Soli Deo Gloria

 “The glory of the Lord is the splendor and brilliance that is inseparably associated with all God’s attributes and His self-revelation in nature and grace, the glorious form in which He everywhere appears to His creatures.” Herman Bavinck

“The glory of God is a way to say that there is an objective, absolute reality to which all human wonder, awe, veneration, praise, honor, acclaim, and worship is pointing.” John Piper

• God’s glory fills the earth: “His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His glory.” Hab 3:3
• The glory of God is His holiness made manifest: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” Isa 6:3
• His glory therefore existed before creation: “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” John 17:5
• Glory is seen in His great power: “the glory of His might.” 2 Thes 1:9
• Glory is seen in His everlasting and unfailing love: “the glory of His grace.” Eph 1:6
• The destiny of the redeemed is marked by and for His glory: “He will make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory” Rom 9:23
• Our ultimate hope is to see God’s glory: “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Rom 5:2
• We will not only behold God’s glory, we’ll also share in it: “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed” 1 Ptr 5:1
• So, the glory of God is the goal of all things: 1 Cor. 10:31; Isa. 43:6-7
• Indeed, the mission of the church is to declare the glory of God to the uttermost parts of the earth: “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Ps 96:1-3; Ezk 39:21; Isa 66:18-19

For Further Reading and Study:

Biblical Authority After Babel by Kevin Vanhoozer

God’s Glory Alone by David Vandrunen

Desiring God by John Piper

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Going Deeper #5

Living for His Glory

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism

“We never truly glory in Him until we have utterly discarded our own glory.”

John Calvin

“The purpose of special revelation is glory. Special revelation must strive to the end of recreating the whole person into a mirror of God’s attributes and perfections. Hence the object of revelation cannot only be to teach human beings, to illuminate their intellects (rationalism), or to prompt them to practice virtue (moralism), or to arouse religious sensations in them (mysticism). God’s aim in special revelation is both much deeper and reaches much farther. It is none other than to redeem human beings in their totality of body and soul with all their capacities and powers; to redeem not only individual, isolated human beings but humanity as an organic whole. Finally, the goal is to redeem not just humanity apart from all other creatures but along with humanity to wrest heaven and earth, in a word, the whole world in its organic interconnectedness from the power of sin and again to cause the glory of God to shine forth from every creature. Sin has spoiled and destroyed everything: the intellect and the will, the ethical and the physical world. Accordingly, it is the whole person and the whole cosmos at whose salvation and restoration God is aiming in His revelation. God’s revelation therefore, is certainly soteriological, but the object of that salvation is the cosmos.” Herman Bavinck

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Col 3:23-24

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31