Exodus 34:5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 "keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation."
Now here is where the concept of understanding His glory gets really good!
Notice this statement from God concerning Himself involves both descriptions of His person and His activity. Revealed for us here is both His motivation that flows out of who He is and the behavior that results from it. Because He is a God who is merciful, gracious and long suffering, abounding in goodness and truth and keeping mercy for thousands, He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin but refuses to clear the guilty!
There is a ton of tremendously deep and rich theology in this and we will not have the time to explore all of it today. But I hope to whet your appetite for it today.
In the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology it speaks of how the word glory as it appears in the New Testament is the Greek word doxa.
In general terms it is used to describe giving honor, recognition or acclaim in vocalized reverence from the creature to the Creator and Judge. In other words giving glory involves lifting up our voices in recognition of who God is with holy reverence for Him. This giving Him glory in this manner is seen in Revelation as practiced by the angels of heaven.
Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
But when this word doxa is applied to God it denotes His majesty as seen in Romans 1:23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
This application addresses His majesty in that it reveals that God is far superior to anything created and therefore there is nothing on earth His equal. Thus the making of these false images is completely against His glory seeing that He is far greater than anything created! So doxa when applied to God is the recognition of majesty and greatness.
The word doxa also deals with God’s perfection, especially in relation to His righteousness.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
We might ask, what does sin have to do with the glory of God? Sin is anti-righteousness.
In this sense God’s glory is attached to righteousness. It is this part of His glory I want to finish out our time reflecting on. Remember we read how His glory is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ?
James refers to Jesus as the Lord of Glory in James 2:1
That means that Jesus governs the very glory of God! That makes Jesus the governor of the very righteousness of God!
Now in consideration of righteousness and the condition of men and women without Christ the Bible goes on to say,
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none who understands; there’s none who seek after God. 12 They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
As we can see this is a condition that no man can save himself from. If the God of heaven declares you unrighteous and says this is the truth about your condition to whom can you turn to nullify His testimony?
God is both the Creator and the Judge there is not another. The verdict is already in on mankind, they are guilty before God.
Tim Atchley
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About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
