Sometimes the truth is so close we can’t see it. \u00a0Paul says in Romans 10:8 that,<\/p>\n
\u00a0” ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming.”\u00a0(From Deut. 30:14)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sometimes the truth is found in our hearts and mouths at the very same time we are denying it with our minds. How is it that we can proclaim that ALL glory and ALL worship belong to God while at the same time believe in doctrines that completely contradict that truth? We sang last Sunday,<\/p>\n
“ALL glory and honor and praise belong to God.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It’s a common line within worship songs for obvious reasons but this time the word ALL jumped out at me and hit me like a lightening bolt! \u00a0“ALL\u00a0glory belongs<\/em> to God.” \u00a0If it belongs to Him then it must be that He will have it…all<\/strong><\/em> of it. \u00a0I would assume every believer would agree that this is true and that it shall be true\u00a0forever.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
The problem lies with the traditional teaching that says many if not most<\/strong><\/em> of God’s image-bearers will not<\/em> give him glory forever but will in fact rebel against Him in a place where everything but Him will be “glorified.” \u00a0In the location of an eternal hell sin, death, hatred and rebellion against Him will continue in a never-ending cycle (D. A. Carson). \u00a0In this version of the Story of God where sin and death will reign forever God will obviously\u00a0not<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0receive ALL the glory.<\/p>\n
You may respond, “But His justice<\/em> for sin is being meted out in an eternal hell and therefore His glory is displayed.” \u00a0First we must ask what is the true nature of justice. \u00a0Is it someone getting justice <\/em>as in “giving another their due” or “an eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth”? \u00a0Is this the outworking of true Biblical justice? \u00a0With all the examples we have of “restorative justice” done by Christians throughout the world in prisons and inner cities (Colson, Keller) I would contend that it is not. \u00a0The Biblical model for justice is the idea of\u00a0doing justice<\/em>\u00a0rather than\u00a0getting justice.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0The meaning of the word justice is actually righteousness or “right-useness.” \u00a0In other words, returning something back to its right-useness <\/em>or original intention is actually at the heart of the idea behind true Biblical justice.<\/p>\n
Therefore to allow even one sinner to continue in his destructive and non-God-glorifying ways is to allow sin to roll on and not true justice. \u00a0This glorifies sin and death and not Christ’s all sufficient and glorious work on the cross! God is glorified when “all things are made new” and He is “all in all” and “all are reconciled back to Him.”<\/p>\n
God is glorified when we help to return things and others to their right-useness because that is His idea of ultimate justice. \u00a0Only when things are returned to their original intent will He be satisfied and truly glorified. When God sees His intention to “make man in our image” as finished then His glory will be complete.<\/p>\n
He will be fully glorified when every stray piece of worship, praise and glory in the universe is collected and redirected to Him, the only true Source of life, light, love and glory.<\/p>\n
The meaning of the verse, “For everything is from Him, through Him and back to Him” is understood now as it should: \u00a0that the glory that came from God will return back to Him and Him alone. \u00a0He will not leave it to rot in an eternal pit to be overshadowed and overcome by evil.<\/p>\n
Interestingly the meaning of the word “glory” carries with it the idea of “weight.” \u00a0If something is truly glorious to you it is because it has weight in your life. \u00a0It draws your attention and awe. \u00a0For sin and death to be kept alive forever in human form without the possibility of healing or abolishment would hold the universe in awe of its tremendous power to defy God forever. \u00a0This would be in direct contradiction to the entire word of God which says that only God will ultimately hold our awe and worship. In reality it is pagan dualism<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Prior to my understanding that God will indeed conquer every person with His love and power I possessed a fear, an awe, (a worship<\/em>) of those who had the apparent power to exercise their “free-will” to the astonishing end of damning themselves into an eternal state of sin and death. \u00a0I knew that, “my frame was weak and I was made of mere dust.” \u00a0Therefore I was in constant awe of people who seemed to be headed into a terminal state of rebellion against God on account of their own “free-will” and didn’t seem to care. Now that pulled some weight with me and stole much reverence meant for God.<\/p>\n
What a glorious thing to finally align my head with my heart in worship! \u00a0I now believe that ALL glory indeed will be given to Christ and it will be sincere, heart-felt and perfect! \u00a0Nothing in the entire universe will be more weighty, more powerful or more glorious than our omnipotent and loving Creator. \u00a0Now I can look into the eyes of the most hardened and rebellious sinner and say to myself, “not forever<\/em>. \u00a0Not forever will you be able to prevail against God. \u00a0God is more glorious than your sin. \u00a0God is stronger than your rebellion. \u00a0The Father has His ways and you WILL come home. \u00a0As the prodigal son, you will come to your senses and \u00a0you will come home.”<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0This Father is the One before Whom “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father…” (Phil 2:8-9)<\/p>\n
Finally this will be the only way for our own glory to be realized. \u00a0Often as fallen creatures our God-given glory is misdirected, misaligned and misinterpreted. \u00a0We fail to see His glory and therefore our own. \u00a0The mind-blowing thing that occurs when we give God ALL the glory: \u00a0He gives it back. \u00a0He gives it back in order to show His love to the world. \u00a0Just like His glory, our glory is for others. \u00a0John 17:22-23 says,<\/p>\n
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; \u00a0I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Hallelujah that He has revealed His glory at the cross and even magnified it! \u00a0His glory is magnified through His humble submission to the cross revealing that His glory and our restoration are one goal. \u00a0“The glory of God is man fully alive,” \u00a0said Saint Irenaeus. \u00a0All glory WILL go to God but until we desire for Him to be glorified in ALL things we will not experience the weight of our own glory. \u00a0May we all bring Him the glory that will for certain be His and therefore experience in ourselves that glory He died to share.<\/p>\n
3\/13 Here is a powerful song by Mar’s Hill Music that proclaims the desire we all have that God receive ALL the glory!<\/p>\n
“All GLory Be to Christ” by King’s Kaleidoscope, Mar’s Hill Music<\/p>\n