Glory to God
Eph. 3:21.---' Unto him be the glory in the church and Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever.' As the glory and renown of the workman is in the degree in which his work answers to his highest design, so the glory of God is in the degree in which the world and humanity embody and shadow forth the will of their Creator. ' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God before ordained that we should walk in them.' That is the Christian philosophy of man. And assuredly it is not more true that only the Creator can glorify the creature than it is true that only the creature can glorify the Creator. The sculptor glorifies his statue, touching and retouching it, remedying a defect here, and emphasizing a beauty there; and when he has brought it as near perfection as may be, then the statue glorifies the sculptor, and proclaims his skill, his soul, his genius to present and future generations. We are God's workmanship, and His glory is revealed in all of that will which He fulfils in humanity and the world, throughout all generations unto the ages of the ages. Looked at in that light, the course of Time is the dawning and gradual deepening of the glory of God. Each century has been notable as the glory of the Lord has risen upon it. History, rightly interpreted, is the amazing strife of the Spirit or Will of God with man. It is humanity, taken possession of and glorified by the Eternal, and, as Paul says, ' according to the power that worketh in us,' working out our law and life of salvation. The tragedy of history is always the course, intractable material opposing itself to the finer touches of the Eternal Hands---no, even voluntarily, in very viciousness of reaction, thwarting the sacred Artist, and bringing to naught the Divine pattern. The model prayer for all the centuries is ' Thy will be done.' Man's chief end is to glorify God by allowing God to glorify Himself, and have His prefect work in the obedience of the human spirit. I once saw how the butterfly with wings of radiant beauty spread itself in the sunlight. And I said, " What are you doing?" And it said, " Glorifying the God who made me beautiful." And in a few hours it was gone. Again, I heard the bob white singing. " What are you doing?" I said. And it answered, " Glorifying the God who taught me music." And in a few days it was dead. And I heard the stars singing in the morning for joy. " What are you doing?" I said. " Glorifying God," said they, " who has made us very good." But wise men told me that the stars were worlds dying or dead. Then I said, " Who will glorify God for evermore?" And a voice said to me, ' This is your work; for this you were made---to live for ever and to glorify God by loving Him, and obeying Him, and living in the beauty of holiness.' But God is glorified especially in the Church. ' Unto him be glory in the Church.' If the world wants to see the glory of God, to know wherein it consists, and what is the Spirit, the Will, the Life of the Eternal, it is to turn to the Church and find it there. A veiled glory, still! Veiled, as the world veils it; for here the paradox holds, that expression is repression. Revelation is limitation. But still it should be possible for all to see in every Church, as in a glass darkly, the glory of God. The glory of God in the Church is through [or in] Christ Jesus. For if, as we all believe, Jesus Christ is the fullness of the Father's glory, we say the same thing when we say that the purpose of the Church is to reveal Christ. Christ's modern incarnation is to be in His Church. Through His Church He is still and ever to be manifest to the world. Through His Church He is to continue His work of healing, helping and saving humanity. Through His Church He is still to mingle in all the joys and sorrows of men, and hallow them. Through His Church He is still to teach the humble, open the eyes of the blind, and give speech to the dumb. Through His Church His deeds of mercy and grace are to be repeated in every land and in every age; and through His Church His life of faith and labors of love shall be discovered anew to each generation unto the ages of the ages. That is the teaching of the New Testament. ' Christ in us,' the life of Christ manifest in mortal flesh. He in us and we in Him, that we may be glorified in Him, and that He may be glorified in us. It is a transcendent conception. It is the old man's dream and the young man's vision still. All the highest achievements possible to humanity sink into insignificance beside this manifestation of Christ to the world. We have here the only method of securing that unity which is the true glory of the Church. It is to be spiritually sought. It cannot be artificially concluded. It is to be sought by each of us through our personal union with the Father. Brotherhood is contained in Fatherhood. He who is not a brother in faith is not a son. All tricks of mere organization will fail. These deep and holy ties cannot be forged by the best made plans of man. All the red tape in the universe cannot make us brothers in Christ if we are not actually within the All-Father's family. Secretaries may draft resolutions, and they may be carried by slow hands, printed and circulated, but they will not carry two souls anywhere into closer actual sympathy of the spiritual sort. That is work for Divine hands! ' To them gave he the right to become children of God who were born not of the will of man but of God.' We talk of the crowning marvel of speech with other men; but what is so wonderful as to talk with Christ, and have Christ talk with us? These mystic ties are spiritual affinities. They are created in us by spiritual experience, and cultivated by genuine spiritual discipline. We must find our way through Christ into the Father's love, and then we shall be one with all who enjoy that ineffable privilege, and stand with us within that charmed circle. We shall have become a church without knowing it. Links will have been formed between us stronger than the links of steel. We shall have perfect unity of spirit and life. We shall glorify God in the Church through Christ Jesus. In Christ, timothy. maranatha
Issue Oriented Discussion Newsletter
Index | Search This Site | The Latter Rain | Babylon the Great | The Kingdom | The Nicolaitans | Jezebel
As One Body
Help To Prepare A Holy Bride!
The Baptism With the Holy Ghost | The Grand Delusion | World Trade Org | Alphabetical Index