One of the themes of my blog has been God’s glory. I make reference to God’s glory in the blog
title, both the current one and the original title. And in the ‘About Me’ box on the right-hand
side of the blog I note that my intent is to write in a way that points to God
and gives Him the glory that He deserves.
I think that this is the focal point for our faith, that as
God’s story reaches its climax in Revelation 22 the primary
image is not that God’s people are gathered with Him in heaven but that God’s
gathered people are glorifying Him in heaven, eternally so.
We often think about Jesus and His work on the cross, and
how that work benefits us. His is the
work that restores wholeness between God and His people. In it is the forgiveness of sins. It is the work that brings eternal life. To be sure, these are good and wonderful
things. But I think that there is a
greater purpose in the finished work of Christ.
Today I was reading again from a collection of sermons by G.H.
Kersten that explain the teachings of the Heidelberg Catechism. In a sermon titled Christ’s Mediatorial Suffering Kersten discusses Catechism questions
37, 38 and 39, which
have to do with the necessity for Christ to suffer and die on the cross, and
the assurance of salvation that believers in Christ can know as a result.
Twice in this sermon Kersten touches on the presence of God’s
glory in this aspect of Christ’s work.
He writes:
“That which He
suffered, He subjected Himself to out of
eternal love to the glorification of God’s attributes, according to the Father’s
good pleasure, and for the salvation of His people.”(195)
Later, writing directly to the matter of assurance of
salvation, he adds,
“Oh, people of God,
may you earnestly desire to know the great mystery that is to be found in the
bearing of God’s wrath by His beloved Son, so that you may be brought back to
the fatherly heart of God from which you have withdrawn yourselves in
Adam. I would urge you to do so in order that God may be glorified and
your soul may find rest and peace.”(205)
I’ve placed the key points about God’s glory in these quotes
in bold. One of the things that Kersten
is reminding us in his preaching is of the priority of God’s glory in all that
God does, including Jesus death.
As Christians we know that Jesus dies for our salvation, but
Kersten reminds us that Jesus’ death is the work that removes sin, not so much
for our benefit, but to demonstrate the majesty and holiness of God as its
primary purpose.
Jesus loves us and acts on our behalf before the Father, but
more than that, He loves the Father, perfectly and eternally. In His death, He brings God glory first, with
our salvation as a secondary effect.
“For
from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36
Scripture quotations
are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by
Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment