A beautiful thing about light is that by it we see the beauty of everything else. Rich green grass and fields full of flowers, vibrant with color, are hidden at night when there is no light. The glory of the flowers is only revealed by their reflection of the light.
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
Do you tremble at the thought that God is holy?
“Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2
What is hidden from people, by the god of this world [Satan], is the light of the glorious good news of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:4) That is, God’s enemy is working to hide Jesus Christ, who is the express image of God and without Whom was not anything made that was made. (2 Corinthians 1:3, Colossians 1:15-17) Why? Because God is gracious and forgiving to the repentant and Satan would love to see our destruction. (1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 3:8, John 8:44, Acts 26:18)
God’s enemy is working to hide Jesus
God’s message to us sinful people has not changed over the millennia:
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:13
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8
“Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.” Psalms 37:27-29
What every person who has believed God has received is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
What believers have received is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God …
The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. (See Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 16:6, Job 28:28)
People who do not tremble at His word have not recognized who God is or what He has done; either through lack of knowledge or through rebellion.
Most unbelievers don’t know who they are messing with…
That’s where we who have believed come in. As ambassadors who represent Him in the world, our key purpose is to help other people see the splendor of His glory. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
Through us, His personal couriers, believers, He is drawing men, women, and children, through the splendor of His glory, to invite them into the fellowship of His extreme goodness for all of eternity. That is, through believing Him; believing His written word and His messengers who speak it.
“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” Romans 3:20-28 NLT
… we are justified by faith (believing God) …
Romans 3:28
Have you ever gathered with a group of people outside at sunset and completely missed the changing colors while you talked?
Suddenly, someone blurts out, “Look at the colors!”
The glory of the sun was there the whole time. What changed was that someone pointed out its splendor to the rest of the group so that all could enjoy it.
Other times, while enjoying a long day in the sun, someone points out, “You are getting burned!” At that point, you can respond by taking precautionary measures, or you can ignore the warning and suffer the consequences later.
On a much grander scale, God’s glory has been revealed to us, to ignore and suffer the consequences; or to believe so as to revel or bask in the glory and majesty of His goodness without fear of harm.
Jesus is the human manifestation of God to people; the express image of His person. He is our mediator and intercessor, our redeemer, and friend of all who believe Him.
Ezekiel had an encounter with the living God and wrote, “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so [was] the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it,] I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.” Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel was then given the responsibility of speaking as God’s representative to a people group who were unresponsive and unbelieving. Yet, even today, thousands of years later, we are blessed by his obedience through the written record.
The author of the book of Hebrews wrote about the glory of Jesus, “Who being the brightness of [his] [God’s] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:1-3
Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of his person .
hebrews 1:3
John, the Beloved, who leaned on Jesus at The Last Supper, wrote about a later encounter with Jesus in Revelation 1:17, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:” [I am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus said to Peter, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 I believe this applies to all believers in regard to carrying the message of salvation to the world. We have been given the keys for other people to recognize God’s glory in the person of Jesus Christ.
After His resurrection, Jesus met his disciples in the Upper Room. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:21-23
… as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you …
Jesus christ, creator
“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:14-16
“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you. For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
I believed, and therefore have I spoken…
– The Apostle Paul
My hope is that these words will encourage you to recognize God’s glory, believe Him, and proclaim His glory to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13
