21. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSE 2- MESSAGES IN ROMANS - GLORY IN THE SCRIPTURES – HOW DOES IT AFFECT US? - MESSAGE 21
{{Romans 5:2 through whom also WE HAVE OBTAINED our introduction by FAITH into this GRACE in which we stand, and we exult in HOPE of the GLORY of God.”}}
GLORY
GLORY – THE INTRODUCTION
The last of the 4 words from Romans 5:2 we are studying is “glory” and it is the one we can’t properly appreciate. On the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples caught a glimpse of that glory. {{Mark 9:2-3 “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves and He was transfigured before them, and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”}}
However, they only glimpsed partial glory because it is too much for any of us in our earthly bodies to be in the full glory of God. Even to be in the partial presence/glory of God has an effect on us as this next verse implies – {{Exodus 34:29 “It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.”}}
THE REQUEST OF MOSES
Moses requested he see the glory of God and this is the whole incident – {{Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, “I pray You, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY!” He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion,” but He said, “You cannot see My face, for NO MAN CAN SEE ME AND LIVE!” Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock, and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock AND COVER YOU WITH MY HAND UNTIL I HAVE PASSED BY. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”}}
“NO MAN CAN SEE ME AND LIVE”. That is literal and makes me question all these alleged stories of people being taken to heaven and walking around talking to Jesus. We live in times of deception. Regarding these verses here about Moses, Crossway has said - [[ “Whatever the details, Moses saw a theophany of God, and yet one that was less than the fullest possible exposure to the presence of God. The allusion to human-like features builds on the fact that man was made in the image of God. And of course, along with all theophanies, this one also foreshadows the appearance of God in Christ, who is the permanent and climactic theophany. In him, and through his atonement, we can see God’s face and not die.” ]]
THE GLORY OF HEAVEN
There is a scene though in heaven where I don’t think (possibly) the glory of God is blazing in the pure Shekinah glory of God in just one small focus. I refer to this verse – {{Revelation 5:6 “and I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders, A LAMB STANDING AS IF SLAIN, having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”}} That is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Perfect God and perfect Man. Perfect God in all His uncreated brilliant glory, and perfect Man in His taking on flesh, now in a glorified body. Perfect God as God Almighty, and perfect Man as the Lamb of God. That is our blessed, wonderful Saviour.
I wrote a poem relating to Jesus, the Light of the world in His glory.
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Combine the glories of the suns,
And mass in whole the blazing ones;
The black of night they’d have to own,
When set against His splendid throne.
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He came, Creator, to the earth.
The reason - to impart new birth.
No beauty then attended Him -
His dazzling face was veiled and dim.
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Forgiving light was His to give -
He freely gave that man might live.
Thus, in man’s soul His touch revealed
The brilliance, then, in time concealed.
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In purity and visage fair,
The Lord descends and cleaves the air.
In resurrection energy,
In brilliant light, He comes for me.
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Glorious burning of a star,
projecting brilliance from afar,
That is too cold and pales away,
Contrasted with His Glory Day.
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Ron Ferguson (copyright, but use it).
SOME VERSES RELATING TO GLORY FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Glory resides in the Godhead but we are the recipients of God’s glory. Here are some verses that consider the glory of God and our own relationship to glory. I won’t comment much, just leave the idea for your meditation:
[1]. The incorruptible glory of the incorruptible God can be exchanged by corruptible man into something obscene. This covers more than idols. (Romans 1:23)
[2]. Man’s sin is constantly causing him to keep departing from the glory of God. Sin drives away, never attracts. (Romans 3:23)
[3]. There is absolutely no comparison between the sufferings we now might have and the future glory that awaits us. More on this will come later. (Romans 8:18)
[4]. In order that we might share in coming glory in blessing, the wisdom of God worked on our behalf. Always trust yourself to the wisdom of God. (1Corinthians 2:7)
[5]. Ignorant, foolish men crucified the Lord of glory. This Lovey Son of God was Lord at His birth, at His crucifixion, at His burial, at His resurrection and at His future comings. He is the Lord from heaven, but is He Lord of our lives? (1Corinthians 2:8)
[6]. Our godly aim, “duty”, is to demonstrate the glory of God as in this verse – {{1Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or WHATEVER YOU DO, do all to the glory of God.”}} I think all of us shamefully would confess we fall short of that often.
[7]. Our raised (or changed) bodies in a coming day will be bodies of glory, the work of the Lord who shall change from old to the new in an instant (1Corinthians 15:43)
[8]. There was glory under the old covenant Paul explained, but how much more glorious is the new covenant. Paul concludes because of this we have such a hope and therefore we are bold. It is glory, building hope, that results in boldness. (2Corinthians 3:7-4:6). In those 18 verses the word “glory” is used 15 times.
[9]. This next one is becoming more applicable in the current world – {{2Corinthians 4:17 “for momentary, light affliction is producing for us AN ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY far beyond all comparison.”}} Paul suffered so much but he calls it “light affliction” and he makes the comparison of current suffering with future glory. There is no comparison! Christians are being distressed today by governments and murdered, but in terms of eternal glory, it is just “light affliction”.
[10]. Some interesting expressions are used in Ephesians. “the praise of His glory”; “the Father of glory”; “the glory of His grace”; “the riches of the glory of His inheritance”;
[11]. The riches of Christ's glory leads to the hope of glory. Eyes and ears and mind can not even begin to understand what glory awaits us. You know, what grace has been shown to us, that we who were sinners, could even be brought into such magnificent blessing. What a hope is ours! What glory awaits. (Colossians 1:27)
WHAT DOES PETER SAY?
1Peter 1:7-8 “that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though TESTED BY FIRE, may be found to result in praise AND GLORY and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [Verse 8] 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”}}
{{1Peter 4:13 “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also AT THE REVELATION OF HIS GLORY, you may REJOICE WITH EXULTATION.”}}
The Holy Spirit makes some interesting connections here with glory. In verse 7, faith will result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus comes again for His Church. This is a serious verse because of the expression “though tested by fire,” and it takes into account, the awful suffering that God’s children will experience through the ages. The proof of faith is steadfastness while looking at tribulation, and the reward lies at the meeting with the Lord.
My thoughts keep going to the Sudan and Nigeria and the Congo and South Africa, Egypt and India, and Islamic countries where Christians are under severe persecution, many of them becoming martyrs. How terrible it is for these fellow believers in Christ in the days of their flesh, but what unspeakable praise, glory and honour will be theirs at the meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 8 contains one of the most beautiful descriptions in all of scripture – “REJOICE WITH JOY INEXPRESSIBLE AND FULL OF GLORY.” We have not seen our glorious Lord but we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us and gave His life for ours to redeem us. We love Him because He means so much to us. Therefore we rejoice in our current position in Christ no matter what the circumstances are.
Often joy is the casualty of circumstances, and hope succumbs to tribulations, but that is the internal look of despair; it needs to be the external look of hope and anticipation we desire. That places our lives in the correct perspective. One day we’ll all go up, but too many keep looking down and they fail in the issue of rejoicing with overwhelming joy that is surrounded in glory. Why do I speak this way? It is because I too often look down instead of up to heaven, but if we do, then joy with glory will result.
In verse 13, Peter takes another perspective. The glory belongs to Christ and the expression is “the revelation of His glory”, that is, when Christ meets us, either through death or as Peter was thinking, at His coming for the saints. So glorious will be fact of Christ's revelation that it results in “rejoicing with exaltation.”
The AV translation of this is – {{“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with EXCEEDING JOY.”}} This is beyond speculation for we can not for a moment understand what the glory of Christ will be like. Peter was privileged to have only the smallest glimpse of that on the mount. He can write confidently because of first hand experience. I think the man Paul alludes to, who was taken to the third heaven may have had a similar experience.
Matthew Poole says of this verse – [[ “Ye may be glad also with exceeding joy; a joy without any the least mixture of pain or grief. The rejoicing of the saints here is mixed with pain and heaviness, but shall be pure hereafter; they rejoice in hope now, but in enjoyment then.” ]]
Glory in the absence of sin will be outstanding. Sin is like bags of stones attached to a swimming man where the swimmer struggles but presses on to attain the finish line. Meeting the Lord and being alive in His very presence, overwhelmed by glory will like the swimmer who suddenly loses that restricting bags of stones. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!
THE SHEPHERDS AT CHRIST'S BIRTH
There is another incident that we can meditate on. It is contained in this account – {{Luke 2:8-10 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord SUDDENLY stood before them and THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM, and they were terribly frightened, and the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great JOY which shall be for all the people.”}}
For one moment just think, “Was it the angel they were looking at, or was it the glory of the Lord that ‘terribly frightened’ them?” Maybe you would answer, “Both,” and that is probably true.
The angel of the Lord is not always seen in a brilliant form as we understand from Genesis when the two men came to Lot. Nevertheless in this Luke passage I believe the angel to be in a glorious form for it was a royal announcement being made. That by itself would have been quite frightening especially as the word “suddenly” is used. There he wasn’t – there he is!
What I think might have been a bit unsettling was this - “THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM,” but we ask, “What was this glory?” I think it was the light we find in God’s presence but not the full strength of that light. The light of glory was with them.
Throughout the scriptures light has always been significant. At the very beginning of the “refashioning” of the earth, and we speak of about 6 000 years ago, God proclaimed this all-powerful command, {{Genesis 1:3-4 “Then God said, “Let there be LIGHT,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness.”}}. Since that time there has always been light and darkness in the natural realm due to the light of the sun.
However there is a most horrible division of light and darkness in the spiritual realm brought about through the sin of Adam and Eve, though the previous darkness through Satan’s fall existed before that time from the bygone past. Light and darkness; good and evil; God’s way and Satan’s way; morally right and wrong; the way of life and death – just some of the descriptive terms for God’s side of the fence and Satan’s side.
When the New Testament arrives we find John declaring this, {{John 1:4-5 “In Him was life, and the life was THE LIGHT OF MEN. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:9 “THERE WAS THE TRUE LIGHT which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”}}
Shortly after, Jesus confirmed His great glory with this statement – {{John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them saying, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have THE LIGHT OF LIFE.”}}. Thereafter, light and darkness (and the related forms such as “good” and “evil”) feature commonly in the New Testament.
THE APOSTLE PAUL
What a wondrous privilege God gave to the shepherds. There was one other example of the glory of the Lord being revealed in the New Testament and it is this one on the Damascus Road – {{Acts 9:3-4 “It came about that as he journeyed he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN flashed around him, and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Acts 22:6 “It came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, A VERY BRIGHT LIGHT suddenly flashed from heaven ALL AROUND ME.” 1Corinthians 15:8 “and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, HE APPEARED TO ME ALSO.”}}
In a similar incident to the shepherds, a light shone all around and a voice spoke. It was none other than the glory of the Lord, and in Paul’s case it was the Lord Jesus Himself. Such was that glory that it blinded Paul. We have no comprehension of the depth of that glory in our earthly bodies. Such light and energy is amazing.
It is estimated that there are 10 to the power of 27 stars in the known universe. O the glory of the Lord who created those! Not only that but each of those stars is changing at least 5 million tons of hydrogen each second into helium as they burn in brilliance. Note that our own sun is a small one in comparison with most of them, some being up to 100 times larger than ours. Who can fathom all the brilliance of light in the universe.
However it pales in comparison with the glory of the Lord in heaven and the heavenly realm.
A SPECIAL POEM PRECIOUS TO ME
I wish to draw this to a close with one of my poems (maybe my favourite among the hundreds). The glory of the Lord is where our focus should be. This poem has a distinctive rhyme scheme.
GLORY AND ADORATION TO THE LORD
In heaven from earth, His full matchless worth,
We’ll sing when our race is run.
The children of grace will see His dear face
More glorious than the sun.
Our constant story - to Him be glory;
Will be of victory won.
May You be adored, blesséd risen Lord,
For You are the worthy One.
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He came from His throne, our sins to atone,
Though mostly by man denied.
He suffered sins’ pains to remove our stains;
By man He was crucified.
To us he gives peace which will never cease;
His love for us will abide.
Your honour we raise; Your name, Lord, we praise.
Your mercy is heaven-wide.
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There’ll be no shed tear, nor reason to fear,
Nor sin from which to repent.
The Lamb’s wife, the Bride, all holy inside;
No wrinkle, or spot, or rent.
The Lord is the Light so there’ll be no night;
His glory will not be spent
Your grace, when we meet, and sit at Your feet,
Evil can not circumvent.
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The devil may scheme, and line up his team
In his attempts to assail.
The Lord knows what’s best; in that I can rest.
His presence – it will not fail.
This world will decline, but we will be fine,
For we journey on God’s trail.
If peril arrives, we know that our lives
Are protected in the gale.
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Our Saviour we love, our dear Lord above;
To Him our whole lives we bring.
He is our delight, the joy of our sight;
With gladness, our hearts they ring.
It won’t be long now; before Him we’ll bow,
And His praises we will sing.
Our joy overflows; the praise to Him grows!
Majesty unto the King.
18 th & 19 th August, 1997 R E Ferguson 10-7-10-7-10-7-10-7
Last two stanzas added later. COPYRIGHT, but may be used in the Lord’s work with acknowledgement. If anyone can write a melody for it, I’d really appreciate it.
This is an intense subject as we are considering something intangible but nevertheless very real. Glory works both ways as we considered it. We are touching it spiritually all the time without coming to the full realisation of it, but we will one day, and human words can not express that on this side of glory.
