JESUS: GOD'S GLORY

JESUS: GOD’S GLORY

Heb. 1:3 The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.  NLT

      How we relate to Christ and treat Him is how we act towards God. What we believe about God directly affects what we think about Jesus. Let us pause for a moment and consider what we do think about God. Is God for us whom He reveals He is, or have we put Him into our own little boxes within our comfort zones? Is God all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect holiness, and everywhere we are at? Is God as demanding on us as the Scriptures reveal Him to be? Or, have we limited God to that which we are comfortable with, what we want Him to be?

       I am convinced that God should make us uncomfortable. We should always see God as one who is perfect in all things good and who calls us to become like Him. There should always be an edge to our relationship with God. We are not who we should be or could be. We do not measure up to God's standards and He knows we don't and will hold us accountable for it. We should always respect God in His holiness.

      We should respect God in His glory. God radiates himself throughout all of creation. We see God in all He has made if we but take the time to observe and appreciate what we see. We see God in His workings in human life. Each changed life is a witness to God's power and greatness. We see God in history as He preserves the faithful and faithfully acts according to His Word. God is seen in His glory by all who open their eyes to see. He reveals His glory to us through His Son, our Savior and Lord.

      At the same time, we should respect Him in His love. Jesus is God's love in action. Jesus becomes for us what we are not on our own. He is our righteousness and holiness before God. He makes it possible for us to live by God's holy standards. We become holy to the degree we allow Jesus lordship over us. We dare not rest in His love and think that our work on earth is done. We must strive to constantly apply grace to our lives with the intent of becoming more like Him in His holiness. We must work out our salvation. We must not minimize the importance of becoming a holy people, a people after God's own heart.  To not become holy mocks the name of Jesus.

       Most people want to believe that God will overlook their sinfulness or lack of commitment to Him because He is love.  They want to believe that He would never allow them to go to hell because He loves them.  But, what they don’t understand that God is holy love.  Because He is, Jesus came to set us free from sin’s hold on us.  He sets us free to become a holy people, a people fit for heaven.

         Sin is what put Jesus on the cross and sin is what will send people to hell.