Over the past few years I’ve noticed the topic of God’s glory is often at center stage in many evangelical circles, and for good reason. The church ought to rally around and emphasize Biblical points that are under attack, and while the “Jesus is my homeboy” fad has long died out, the sentiment behind it has not.
If God’s glory can be minimized, if He can be made out to be just like one of the guys who’s views are only opinions, and who’s willing to turn a blind eye to sin while it’s swept under the rug; then he has lost all relevance. Does that seem counter intuitive?
The best way we can make God relevant in culture is not by showing how He already fits in with our current beliefs, but how He challenges them.
It is right that God must be seen as wholly other, as extremely righteous, and set apart. God is glorious, and no one else throughout the whole of history has been deserving of all praise.
Herein lies a beautiful facet of the Gospel: God, in all His glory choose to enter in to our world as one of us, that He could take the punishment for all of our inglorious sin.
The God of glory is also the God of generosity.
We should remember both, and not emphasize one at the expense of the other. God in all of His glory has stepped into the muck of our sin to give us the life of Christ. He could have kept His distance and demanded from us begrudging submission, but in His glory He broke the distance. He brings sinners to himself through His generosity causes us to sing Heartfelt praises and enables us to live lives full of meaning.
When we say that something is done “for God’s glory” let’s be careful not to make it hip church lingo that is dead in its meaning. God’s glory is displayed through His generosity. If we minimize His generosity, we will minimize His glory also. He wants us to look to him alone for hope, because He alone can give it.