The Glory of God
by Ian McKerracher
Have you ever wondered what the phrase “The Glory of God” really means? I am an amateur theologian, but I know the subject, or should I say the Subject, having spent some time with Him and His Word over the years. It seems to me, in the stew of my experience in Christ, that a good definition of “Glory” is the ability to create awe. Though it starts elsewhere, it is here, under heaven and on the earth, human beings live and work and play and die, that we first get a glimpse of glory. There is a sort of glory in life, to the measure of us being bearers of the image of God. It is a borrowed glory that reflects like a mirror. The real source of the light, of course, is God. Even our struggles and difficulties can be seen in that reflection as we know that Jesus had them to deal with also. So, any glory that human beings may have is found in an expression of the divine.
For a tradesman, there is no greater accolade than for someone to say, “Hey, you do good work!” Good work is what we strive for. Any tradesman worthy of the name will strive for excellence in their trade. When someone acknowledges that we “do good work”, that’s a feather in our cap. When I say to God, “God, you do good work!” it is in that sort of sense. It is high praise, coming from a tradesman. God really does good work and that is the praise that I can give to him. It is his work in me or around me and through me that creates an awe. Since that is the definition that we are going with here, the creating of that awe is called glory. Giving God praise is acknowledging his glory; glorifying the Lord.
“God really does good work and that is the praise that I can give to him. It is his work in me or around me and through me that creates an awe. ”
One of the reasons God is properly glorified through all the goings-on around here is that he has a seemingly unending supply of grace. Grace, you see, brings glory to the one who shows it. The Christian worldview, properly pursued, impels us to show grace to those around us. Being gracious in the face of adversity is a godly trait. So is being gracious in the face of absurdity. Being gracious towards people who are angry with you (especially when they have a reason, however slim), is what you are to do. Praying for our neighbours is a gracious act. Loving our enemies is a distinctly Christian idea, not found in any other religious worldview. When we offer this grace, we receive the glory of the act in the esteem of the receiver, and we pass it on from the One who actually directed us and enabled us to do that act of grace. So much of Christianity is founded on grace: forgiveness, servanthood, evangelism, giving, even prayer and worship - all need the grace of God to exist. Food banks, soup kitchens, and outreach-help for outsiders are all very Christian things and all are gracious, bringing glory to our God.
That is one of the great failures of the “progressive” movement, either inside or outside the Church. That worldview is void of grace. Even when they turn their attention to the needy, it is without grace. It is explained in terms of some political argument for an equality of outcome. It is a human-centred political endeavour and not a God-centred gracious one. They have also dismissed grace as a valid response to any opposing idea. Since “progressivism” is incapable of reflecting grace, at least to the amount to change human nature, there can be no sense of awe at their ideas. No grace leads to no glory. No one can really glorify their attitudes or their actions. They try so hard to pump up their intentions but all they are left with is the results of the strictly human aspects of it all; something called virtue signaling …and it’s not working. Most of the “unwoke” can see through the bait-and-switch.
“Food banks, soup kitchens, and outreach-help for outsiders are all very Christian things and all are gracious, bringing glory to our God.”
Looking around to the things of this earth, I find that I have cause to have a rather low esteem for human nature. I have watched, even the noblest of the image bearers on media or even those closer around me, struggle with moral issues. I have seen them exhibiting bad behaviour or attitudes, many times seemingly unconsciously. I just heard of a woman, full of sorrow at the loss of her child in stillbirth, be told that, if she only had more faith, her child wouldn’t have died. Thoughtlessness like that is certainly not relegated to those outside the Church. I can only assume that sometimes I do the same. To whomever I might have offended unconsciously - I give my heartfelt apologies.
But I also want to tell you that my goal is to bring Glory to God, ultimately. Since we are going to go with the definition of Glory as the ability to create awe, that’s what I want to do. That means that, if I strive to be the best person I can be, the best husband, the best father, the best plumber, the God by whose name I am called, will receive glory. That is because the awe that I feel when God works in me or through me creating that best version of myself, reflects onto the One who is powering the change.
“the awe that I feel when God works in me or through me creating that best version of myself, reflects onto the One who is powering the change. ”
Most can sense the awe of a star-filled night sky, or a view of majestic mountains, or the beauty in the face of a newborn baby. Theologians call that sense, evidence of the common grace of God. We can look at that and say “God, you do good work!” And give him the glory that is the right response to his reminders of his immensity and ability. Even naturalist scientists look at those things and are compelled to try to explain the sense of awe. Carl Sagan, an avowed atheist, said this in the introduction of his TV series, The Cosmos:
“The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the
Cosmos stir us -- there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if
a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of
mysteries.”
I agree with him that we get a sensation alright. I just believe that it is inspired by the works of an amazing God. That “tingling in the spine” is coming face-to-face with the glory of God as he breaks into our universe and makes his presence known and declaring, wordlessly, that it is actually his universe and not ours. It is to remind us that it is his glory and not ours….and I am completely okay with that.