The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 3:4,
"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
There is something of a progression in Paul's thinking as he penned Colossians, chapters two and three in regards to how the glory of the Lord impacts our lives. Paul tells us we will appear with the Lord in glory!
In chapter two he observes that religion is not capable of providing us the kind of life we would like to live, lives that are marked by a restraint of our sinful nature in our efforts to live for God. He starts chapter three with what will: setting our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ who is in heaven at the right hand of God. Here there exists a glory that emanates from him that impacts us. Such an impact, it does what religion cannot do, it frees us from any tendency to sin in such a way that we are capable of putting off our "earthly nature" and putting on godly qualities, like compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, the ability to bear with one another (even in their ugliness!), forgiveness and love.
What is this glory we see, we experience as we set our view on the Lord? What is it about this glory that impacts us so?
Among the definitions of glory, Merriam-Webster provides the following, "praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent... worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving... something that secures (it), great beauty and splendor, something marked by beauty or resplendence... a state of great gratification or exaltation." What I like about Merriam-Webster's entry is that it points to the two different aspects of glory that are actually present when we behold a significant view of the Lord. There is that which is inherent in the person of the Lord: his resplendence, the radiance of his many perfections, the beauty, those objective qualities of the Lord we see when we avail ourselves of the view of him. Secondly, there is the subjective aspect that is captured in the definition of "praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent." It is that impact he has on us as we view him, that which takes our breath away, stops us in our tracks, sears in our memories a moment when we beheld something beyond our wildest dreams or imaginations: a beauty of perfection, a beauty of pristine character, a view of awesome power, wisdom and stature... the Lord!
As I think about these two aspects of the glory of the Lord, that which is objectively his, what it is that impacts us so, and then the impact itself, resulting in the expressions of worship, the acknowledgement of his character and nature, the acknowledgement of his awesome deeds, I can't help be reminded of the some of the scenes provides us in the book of Revelation. Consider some of these:
Revelation 1:12-18,
"I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'"
The view of the Lord in heaven is expressed by millions of angels, Revelation 5:12,
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
And then all creatures everywhere, Revelation 5:13,
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Again, all the angels in heaven standing around the throne exclaim, Revelation 7:12,
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Consider the exclamation of the saints as they consider the acts of the Lord, Revelation 15:3-4,
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
We are treated to a great "roar of a multitude in heaven shouting..." Revelation 19:1-2,
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
Followed by the observation of "what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting", Revelation 19:6-8,
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
These are just a few of the passages that are available to us to help us begin to understand the glory of the Lord, that which we will behold for an eternity. What we view in him finds its expression in the impact in our lives, in our celebrations of him and our acknowledgements of what a wonderful God he is that moves us so.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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