The Undivided Glory Of God Series

THE UNDIVIDED GLORY OF GOD

Written by Senior Pastor Ndayiragije-Misigaro Joel, February 20, 2023

"For the sake of My name, I delay My wrath, and for My praise, I restrain it for you, in order not to cut you off. "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? "And My glory I will not give to another." Isaiah 48:9-11

INTRODUCTION

What is the glory of God? The glory of God refers to the presence and greatness of God, which are so powerful that they cannot be contained or fully understood by human beings. As Isaiah speaks here, "for the sake of My name, I delay My wrath." Why can the greatness of God not be understood? because when we think of coming to know God, we realize that we do not know him completely, for even if we could understand him, he is still so powerful and majestic that it would be impossible for us to comprehend the entirety of His glory This concept of God's glory is truly awe-inspiring, for it conveys the idea that even in His mercy, He is far greater than we can ever comprehend, and it is His immense power that allows Him to delay His wrath and extend mercy to us As a result, even in the face of evil and sin, God is still willing to extend mercy and grace, which shows us His true nature This also serves to demonstrate how difficult it is for us to truly comprehend the greatness of God and His ability to extend mercy and grace even in the face of our failures and shortcomings.

This idea of understanding God's greatness is something that we should all strive for, as it can bring us closer to Him and allow us to better appreciate His grace and mercy Despite our best efforts, however, it is impossible to truly understand the magnitude of God's glory. And "for my praise, I restrain it for you." Despite our attempts to understand, we are never going to fully grasp the enormity of God's glory Nevertheless, we should strive to better appreciate Him and understand what He has done for us Through reading the Bible, prayer, and reflection, we can learn more about God's love and mercy, begin to break down the social stigmas that have been attached to the profession for centuries, and serve him with our lives as best we can.

In conclusion, by engaging in biblical study, prayer, and reflection, we can seek to gain a deeper appreciation for God's glory and love for us.

A. COMPLETED BY GOD

Isaiah says, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." What are the implications of being completed by God The implications of being completed by God, as described in Isaiah 48:9–11, are that God can use hardship and suffering to refine us, to help us grow and become better people who are not to mingle with the world's sin but rather are to bring glory to God through how we live our lives and through the positive impact that we have on the world around us It also implies that despite the difficulty and pain of such trials, we can have confidence that God is always with us, sustaining and guiding us through every challenge and helping us to become the people He has called us to be.

Furthermore, the passage implies that when we face afflictions, it is ultimately up to us to choose how we will respond and that our response should be motivated by faith and hope, trusting that the end result will be a more complete version of ourselves that is more closely aligned with God's will and, as a result, pleasing to Him.

1 Peter 1:8 "And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."

We can also better understand this through the work that was accomplished at the cross by Jesus. We're not complete without the work of the cross. The atonement shows the undivided glory of God. He cannot share his glory with anyone else. Except for Jesus Christ, no one was able to save mankind from eternal damnation. 1 Peter 5:10 " After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

B. EXPRESS SUFFERING TIME

Romans 8:18 " For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."