November 22, 2010

1 Chronicles 18

One of the problems of writing a thing called Meditations on the Glory is that it is both presumptuous and pretentious. It is presumptuous in that it presumes that I can say something of accurate significance about the glory of God. I guess that I have a little ability to do that, but only as it is revealed to me by the Holy Spirit through the word of God. You see, there is none like God. There really is nothing to which I can compare him. So apart from His self-revelation, I really cannot accurately know anything about Him. How do we receive this self-revelation of God? It is by His Spirit and by His Word. It is also pretentious. A child is said to be pretentious when he or she attempts to be older in behavior and thought than they really are. Perhaps I am being pretentious in hoping to explain something of the glory of God. How can I explain anything about the One to whom nothing can be compared?

Somebody has once said that we cannot know God completely, but we can know him truly. He is the infinite God. We can truly know some aspect of Him. But since we are finite, we cannot know Him completely. To know Him completely, we would have to be infinite. Similarly since anything to which we might compare Him is finite, there is none like Him. But He has chosen to enter our lives to deliver us from our sin so that He might make a name for Himself. If He were not the infinite God, that would be very prideful. But since He is the only infinite Creator, that is only right. We are most delighted and fulfilled when we find our delight in enjoying some small or new aspect of what He is like. There is none like Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

James 4
Part of the glory of Jesus is that He is jealous of us. What would I do if some man began making advances (that she did not want) toward my wife? You'd better believe that I'd be in His face pretty quick. But what if she wanted his advances? I would probably still be in his face. But I would also have to address the reason she wanted his advances. Would the reason she wanted his advances be because of a deficiency in me or a deficiency in her or a combination of both?
With Jesus there is no deficiency. When we give in to the advances of Satan, the world or the flesh, it is because of a deficiency in us, not in Him. He yearns for us, but not at the expense of His holiness. Receiving the advances of others is an indication of pride. After all, He is our Creator. We are receiving advances of a created thing over the love of the Creator. What unbelievable pride! Humility is understanding His glory and yielding only to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John