The Glory of God

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (1)

The glory of God is His character. While Moses was in the mount, earnestly interceding with God, he prayed, "Please, show me Your glory." (2) In answer, God declared, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (3) The glory of God - His character - was then revealed: "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty.' " (4)

This character was revealed in the life of Christ. Jesus took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh and constantly He revealed God's character to the world. Christ desires His followers to reveal in their lives this same character. In His intercessory prayer for His disciples He declared: "The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (5)

Today it is still His purpose to sanctify and cleanse His church ".. that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.. " (6) No greater gift than the character that He revealed, can Christ ask His Father to bestow on those who believe on Him. What largeness there is in His request! What fullness of grace every follower of Christ has the privilege of receiving! O that we might more fully appreciate the honor Christ confers upon us! By wearing His yoke and learning of Him, we become like Him in aspiration, in meekness and lowliness and in fragrance of character. (7)

1. 2 Corinthians 4:6.
2. Exodus 33:18.
3. Exodus 33:19.
4. Exodus 34:6, 7.
5. John 17:22, 23.
6. Ephesians 5:6, 7.
7. God's Amazing Grace, p. 322.