The Cross and The Eternal Glory # 4

Glory: An All-Governing Object and End of God (continued)

The Four Relationships of Glory In the New Testament

We have them in this way: Stephen, in Acts 7 verse 2, opens his address to the Jewish rulers and elders, with these words, "The God of Glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Ur of the Chaldees" (Genesis 11:31): the God of Glory. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1 verse 17 uses this phrase, "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory"; the Father of Glory. Again, Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2 verse 8 speaks like this: "They crucified the Lord of Glory"; the Lord of Glory. And then Peter, in his first letter, chapter 4 verse 14 says this: "The Spirit of Glory resteth upon you." There are four relationships of Glory:

The God of Glory;
The Father of Glory;
The Lord of Glory;
The Spirit of Glory.

The Triune God: Father! Son! Holy Spirit! All Glory, the Father of Glory, the Lord of Glory, the Spirit of Glory, all designated by the Word, "Glory".

"The God of Glory"

We will look at each one of these briefly. "The God of Glory." Whenever the word or idea "God" comes into view, or into mind, there is only one thing that is the right meaning of that. If it is God, then the idea is worship. It is worship. The God of Glory then, the End of all God's Ways, will be worshiped. The Glory will be in terms of worship.

You see, this is Abraham. "The God of Glory appeared unto our father, Abraham, when he was in Ur of the Chaldees" (Genesis 11:31). And you remember in our last conference, we point out that in Ur of the Chaldees worship was given to two thousand different forms of deities. And God said, "This is not good enough. Two thousand deities getting worship? There is only One God Who ought to have the worship, Come out of that Abraham, come out of that." And you notice that the whole history of God's dealings with Abraham, indeed, His choosing of Abraham, was to constitute a people who gave all worship to One God only. "Thou shalt have no other gods besides Me". A people who give God His sole place and rights: unreservedly, undividedly, all the worship to Him alone. That was the meaning of the calling of Abraham, out from all other worships, to worship the One, the Only True and Living God. A people, a seed, in whom God got His rights: and got them thoroughly without any reservation. That was the object. And God says, "When that happens, when I have My place, and sole place, and there is no dividedness about this matter of Who has the worship, and Who gets the rights, then there will be a state of Glory." We can look right through to the End. The End will be: there will be no other gods, no other objects of worship, no dividing of allegiance with God. He will be God alone.

Paul touches on that when he says, "That even the Son Himself shall be subject ... that God may be All in All" (1 Corinthians 15:28). And that will be Glory! It is Glory in terms of worship. "The God of Glory, the God of Glory." If you and I, and this is saying a very elementary thing, if you and I believe in God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ as our God, claim Him to be our God, believe Him to be our God, see what it means, it is something which would lead to Glory. But it is a challenge all the way along as to whether He is, after all, God, our only God, altogether God.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 5 - ("The Father of Glory")