Intrinsic Glory

So let's consider that our First Love is glorious. In doing so, I have benefitted greatly from the theologian Christopher Morgan.

One of his summaries on God's glory goes like this:

"The triune God who is glorious displays his glory, largely through his creation, image-bearers, providence, and redemptive acts. God's people respond by glorifying him. God receives glory and, through uniting his people to Christ, shares his glory with them—all to his glory."

Or similarly, as the theologian Scott Swain writes,

"Because God alone is the supreme good, he must be the supreme end of all his external works in creation, redemption, and consummation. Because God himself is the supreme good, nothing outside God himself could be the ultimate end of his external works."

Throughout First Love, we have sought to behold the glory of God. Incomprehensibly great, God is glorious. His glory stems from being altogether lovely. As the Creator, He exudes glory. Our First Love's Triune nature adds to His glory. God is glorious – a truth reinforced by every excellency we've found in Him!

Instead of a self-centered, pragmatic, and even selfish approach to God, we have sought to humble ourselves. We have reckoned with the reality that God has an identity, a purpose, and a majesty independent of us. Instead of always considering how God matters to me, we've spent time gazing upon our glorious God.

God is glorious, independent of anything he does for us or anyone else. As Christopher Morgan writes, "God is intrinsically glorious in the sense of fullness, sufficiency, majesty, beauty, and splendor."

What we have been doing is in accordance with Psalm 29, which says,

"Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty."

If you study this depiction carefully, you will note that what makes God praiseworthy here is that he has the true fullness of what Baal worshippers said about their god. As one commentator declares, "The poet has deliberately utilized Canaanite–type language and imagery in order to emphasize the Lord's strength and victory, in contrast to the weakness of the inimical Baal."

There is a false glory attributed to our idols. But the real glory belongs to God - and both angels and God's image bearers are exhorted to know and proclaim this truth.

As God himself declares in Isaiah 42, "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols."

Or, as we read later in the Psalms, "Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!"

God does not need to prove himself. God does not need to do anything in order to be glorious. Part of becoming mature and wise is to know and declare that God is glorious in this way.

By contrast, consider how insulting this would be to a dear friend. "You know, you're a pretty great person, but you haven't done anything for me recently, so this relationship is over." To really value someone, you love them regardless of what they can do for you.

If that's true of our human relationships, how much more sense does it make for us to raise our eyes to consider that our Triune God, independent of anything he has done or will do for us, is stunning, sensational, and completely magnificent?

To sum it up, the word "glory" reminds us of everything else that is wonderful about God. Merriam-Webster defines it as "praise, honor, or distinction" or "something marked by beauty or resplendence."

Whatever it is that is praiseworthy, or honorable, or distinctive about God - and there are an infinite number of these perfections, a handful of which we have discussed throughout this course - all of that is why God is glorious.

So from now on, when you read or hear that God is glorious, I hope that this concept will have a far richer and multi-faceted sense to it. It won't just be a fancy theological word that is empty of meaning.

Rather, when you hear that God is glorious, it will remind you of the many, many, many, many, many ways in which God is marvelous, wonderful, and beyond comparison.