Monday, January 11, 2010

To God Be The Glory

The Waratah window by Alfred Handel, St Bede's Church, Sydney, Australia.
The inscription reads
"The heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament showeth his handiwork."
(Wiki Commons)

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7 KJV)

I am familiar with God’s grace, for through it I am saved. I believe the Bible when it says that grace appears to all:

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11-12 KJV)

I am in awe that in ages to come He will show the results of His grace, and that we will be included. I believe that in doing so we will see things in our lives that have glorified God. Solomon wrote that:

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: (Proverbs 25:2 KJV)

Perhaps he means that things that glorify God might not be known until He might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in these ages to come. Perhaps we will not recognize them as glorifying God as they occur.

I doubt Mary and Martha thought of Lazarus’ death as being an opportunity for God to be glorified, yet Christ did.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. (John 11:4 KJV)

Did He lie, knowing that Lazarus would be in the grave? Or do we not yet understand that there is no victory in death, that God is the God of the living.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. (Mark 12:24, 27 KJV)

When speaking of His own death, when the time came for His betrayal, He knew it would glorify God.

Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. (John 13:31 KJV)

Whether His grace and mercy in our lives be small or great, may God always be glorified. May we recognize the richness of His grace long before the ages to come.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)

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