Intro

I’ve recently been approached by some non-believing friends and asked why I believe, and what being a Christian is really all about.  They ask about being a “good person”, and why can’t someone be “good” that is a nonbeliever, or that follows another religion?  They ask about having faith in a “higher power” or conceptualizing a “god” made up of something unknowable, but they do so in the hopes that such beliefs will have a placebo effect, medicating their minds to be able to stand the trials of this life, without any real experience of a relationship with the Creator.

Regardless of their approach, my answer remains the same.  There is one true story of God and His relationship with man.  This week we will begin the first of a two-part series I’m calling “The Testimony of the Glory of God”.

Scripture and Commentary

Part I: Man & the Laws of God

Romans 3:19-31

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.  21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.  29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:  30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.  31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Here Paul tells us that the law pointed out sin.  This was in fact the purpose of the law, and much of the Old Testament is a study in man’s inability to be sufficiently “good” and to keep that law.  So by the deeds of the law none of us can be justified, and none can be good.  In our faith we establish the purpose of the law, and bring things full circle.  God is glorified because He has done for us what we have repeatedly proven we cannot do for ourselves.  Man’s inability to keep the law was merely Act 1 in God’s divine plan, but it provides the first kernels of testimony regarding the Glory of God. 

Part II: The First Revelation of Christ

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Luke 4

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Colossians 1:13-19

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:  15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

The Gospels are full of examples of the initial revelation of Christ.  Being born “of water and of blood” (as described in I John chapter 5), Christ by Whom all things were made, and for Whom all things were made, came to earth in human form.  This “first revelation”, as foretold by Isaiah and other prophets, served 3 purposes in establishing the Testimony of the Glory of God.  First, Christ perfectly fulfilled the many Old Testament prophecies concerning this first revelation, providing evidence that He was in fact the promised Messiah.  Second, His interactions on earth revealed the heart, nature, love, and grace of God via His ministry.  Finally, and vitally, He was crucified so as to become the blood sacrifice for our redemption.  All 3 of these facets of the first revelation testify to God’s plan, and to His goodness.

Next time we’ll discuss the role Christians play in testifying to God’s goodness, and we’ll also look at the second, and final, revelation of Christ.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K