Short Of The Glory Of God

SCRIPTURE:: Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

INTRODUCTION: Gods glory is the infinite and matchless worth of his person which includes his triune nature, and all of His perfections, His unblemished character, and His boundless dominion and sovereignty, all of His splendor, brightness, and his infinite might and majesty, in short everything the scripture declares and hasn't declared to us about God is his glory.

Gods glory cannot really be defined, and to attempt to define it, is to give but a feeble, faint representation of it, if your eyes could take in every detail of Gods glorious creation on earth and every detail of Gods glorious creation in the heavens, and every action of God, and if you could at the same time take in all that was involved in Christs death, and in his holy, unblemished life, this would only "declare God's glory" and give you but a taste of it, the full understanding of Gods glory would be infinitely incomprehensible and unimaginable, God's glory proceeds and comes forth from his heart of hearts, and if there were some way to be able to take in such a boundless, unfathomable amount of Devine glory, our minds would literally explode because of a massive overload, it would swallow our thoughts, we would be like a man standing on a sandy beach seconds before a tsunami. Psalms 139:6 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."

PROPOSITION: to use this text and others to try to explain what it means to sin and "come short of the glory of God" and also to show that Gods glory with includes all of his attributes, have been totally, and completely vindicated through Christ's satisfying sacrifice, and that God can be "just and the justifier" of all those who come to him through the Lord Jesus, and also to show that unrepentant sinners will be shut out from Gods glory when they die in their sin, and that born again believers will behold Gods glory throughout the boundless duration of eternity.

1. What does it mean to "come short of the glory of God"?

A. It means that we have failed to live up to Gods perfect standard of truth, holiness, righteousness and love, and that our thoughts, words and deeds have not been in perfect conformity to the Devine law.

The only way to live up to Gods perfect standard of his glory is to love God supremely and to love our neighbor as ourselves, in every moment, of every day, and this we have all "fallen short of", all sin revolves around a hatred for God and our neighbor.

2.) What are the ramifications of refusing God the glory that rightfully belongs to him? 1 Chronicles 16:29 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name"

A. Those who refuse God his glory in this world, will be shut out from his majestic glory in the world to come, through a vindictive display of vengeance God will take back the glory that has been refused him, and bring a satisfaction that is proportionable to the glory of his perfections, in this way God shows his infinite glorious worth and that it is a fearful thing to brutally, and violently attack the glory and majesty of God

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

3.) How is it possible for anyone to be saved if all of God's perfections demand, and require a vindication that would fully repair the ruthless attacks aimed at the glory of God?

A. Because Christ who is the Word "became flesh and dwelt among us" and lived a life that always pleased and glorified the Father, He could offer himself up as a payment for sin, and because of his sufferings, his shed blood, and his death he vindicated fully all of God's Perfections, in this way the glory of God is never compromised in the redemption of sinners.

Romans 3:26 "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

4.) Why will believers behold Christ's glory throughout eternity?

A.Those who have taken Christ and "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" will behold God's glory throughout the ceaseless ages of Eternity. John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."