To [God] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I did seven things yesterday. I went to church; I went to the Commissary; I went to El Bronco's; I took a leisurely bath; I read the first five chapters of The Making of a Disciple by Dr. Keith Phillips; I went to church again; I watched the final episode of The Next Iron Chef .
Today, Lord willing, I will do six things: I will write this article; I will do the morning Bible study with Toby via telephone; I will cook dinner; I will write the "hooks" for five evangelistic radio commercials; I will transcribe 20 minutes of a sermon series that will eventually become a book; I will write two thousand words of the novel I am working on.
These two lists comprise a typical week in my world. These are the "suspense items" that make up my week. The lists don't include things like housekeeping and prayer because I fit these things into the schedule at different times during the day, nor do they count the telephone calls and business items that need to be addressed as they come up, because I cannot anticipate those sorts of things.
But, basically this is my life. Seven days make a week. Day one, I do some or all of what I did yesterday. Days 2-6, I will be doing some or all of today's planned routine. On Saturdays I rest.
So if you were to ask me , "Amy, how was your week?" what response would you expect to hear? Unless someone died, you would expect me to say, "I had a pretty good week, thank you."
You know how we do it.
"How are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
We give those pat answers because we don't want a recap, a report of the week's activities. We just want reassurance that the world is still normal. My routine is the environment in which I live my normal life.
Today's verse works the same way. Glory is the routine in which Christians live. Glory is our normal environment.
Just as my week is made up of seven days, the Christian life is made up of two elements: the church, and Christ Jesus. As long as time exists there will be days and weeks. Likewise, there will forever be the church and Christ Jesus. And, just as my routine defines my daily life, day to day, and week to week, glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus, defines the normal routine for the Christian's daily life throughout all generations.
Glory in this sense is not a generalized glow of contentment nor is it a vision of Christmas halos. Glory, in today's verse, is the glory to God that is His due. It is dignity, honor and praise that leads to our worship of Him. It is the song of the angels in Luke 2, singing:
Glory to God in the highest!
Glory signals the presence of God in our midst.
Christ Jesus leads the church (the way the head directs the body) for the purpose of giving glory to God. Jesus leads the church in every generation. Forever and ever. In perpetuity. Throughout the ages. For all eternity.
The church is the instrument by which the glory of God is to be shown for the purpose of celebrating God's praise. (Barnes)
Glory is the language of a heart that is full of the love of God. Glory is the routine of a heart whose sole desire and motive is to live in such a way that God receives praise by the way you live your life. Glory is the speech through which eternity finds expression in a Christian's mortal life.
As you live your Christian life today, keep in mind life's purpose and flow.
My Life's Purpose: May my life bring God praise.
My Life's Flow: From today to forever and ever.
God is at work bringing many sons to glory. Therefore, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation perfect through suffering. (see Hebrews 2:10)
Christ Jesus' suffering made the way for God to bring many sons and daughters to glory. Having been born again, our only purpose in life is to rest so fully in Christ Jesus as individuals that the glory of God may be perfectly displayed through us as a community of believers.
My Christmas prayer this year is a song of praise to God our King in the words of today's verse:
To [God] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Won't you join me in this glad refrain today, tomorrow, and forever and ever. Amen.
1 comments:
Thank you, Amy, for this cup of cool, inspiring water! ")
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