Effie Darlene Barba

Thus far, in this series;  we have looked at the fact that our hope is anchored upon the Glory of God as displayed in the face of Christ.  We are born with that great desire to seek after beauty, love, justice, and righteousness; yet, our search leads toward heartbreak until we realize that our longing is for God Himself who is the perfection of all these as well as perfect grace and mercy.  For those of us who have accepted God’s gracious gift of salvation, we are but pilgrims upon this earth preparing for our final destination.  Step by step, glory by glory God is preparing us to be able to see Him one day in all His Glory; wrapped in His Arms of love. This journey is to guide us into that place where we might fully comprehend and enjoy Him; though, dimly here on earth.  Like a blind person who has been given sight, the eyes must first be covered with dark glasses so the light won’t hurt.  So it is that God’s Glory is so bright that the eyes of our heart could not withstand the magnitude or relish in His Beauty and love were we not prepared to do so.  All of our life as a Christian is preparing us for eternity.   Our entire life is but a second compared to eternity with Him.  Ephesians 3: "16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."  We began then in this series to look at various attributes of God that display His beauty as one to be desired.  We explored the beauty of His creation, His righteousness, His justice, His Power, His Love, His grace, His joy, and His wisdom.  When we begin to see Him as desirous, seek after Him with all our hearts and souls, accept Christ as our Savior (our only means of a relationship with Him); then, He begins the work within us to prepare our hearts and minds for an eternity in His presence.  There are moments within this journey that may seem painful or we may not understand; yet, it is God Himself who is orchestrating every tiny detail of our lives. Only He knows our heart and what it will take to prepare us for the maximum joy in His presence.  I want to step aside and show you in the life of Joseph and then later in the life of Stephen what that meant.

I told you in late July that events in my life caused me to feel much like Abraham when God had laid Isaac in His arms.  Then more recently, events in my own life caused me to remember Joseph’s life.  Joseph is an example of how God orchestrated every detail so as to place Joseph in the place where God needed Him to display all the attributes above mentioned of God, including grace.  Joseph was one of the son’s of Jacob who would be matriarch for the 12 tribes of Israel. As a young lad, he believed strongly in right and wrong; thus, he would report to his father anything bad his brothers were doing.  He was favored by His father above his other brothers and that lead to a lot of jealousy against him.  There came a time when he would have dreams that were glimpses of what God had in store for him; yet, those dreams showed his brothers bowing down before him and that made his brothers even more angry.  There came a moment when they saw their opportunity to rid themselves of him.  They considered killing him; yet, when they hesitated they threw him into a pit.  As they pondered what they would do a caravan of merchants (who by the way had been traveling months to arrive at that place at that moment) were passing by. The brothers then sold their brother to these merchants who then sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt.  Stop for a second and note, God had guided this band of heathen merchants so that they would arrive at that exact moment.  God is in control over even those who do not know Him and works out His will in the lives of His children through His use of even those who would do evil. Joseph was carried into Egypt and sold to Potiphar where God blessed all that he did and he rose to a high position.  Then, Potiphar’s wife found him handsome and wanted an affair with him.  When he refused, she accused him of trying to rape her and he was thrown into jail.  There he remained for years. There God showed him favor and he became the humble servant to the chief guard who trusted him.  Two men from the Pharaoh’s palace were put into jail and Joseph was able to interpret their dreams accurately.  He asked the butcher to remember him, Genesis 40 "14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."   The butcher was released and forgot about Joseph until one day the Pharoah had a dream that no one could interpret.  Joseph was brought before the Pharoah, interpreted the dream, and placed in a position of prominence second only to Pharoah.   There he was, having prepared Egypt for the famine that entered the land when his brothers had to come to Egypt to seek food.  At first they did not recognize him and he did not reveal to them who he was; yet, he spoke harshly enough that they revered him.  The time finally came where he would reveal himself to them and this was his response.  Genesis 45: "3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." and Genesis 50: "19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."

Within Joseph’s life God displayed all of His attributes of beauty that we already listed.  Also, He had step by step, glory by glory had guided Joseph’s life to that point where he was able to understand that God had orchestrated every detail and that even what his brother’s had meant for evil, God was using for good.  That is an understanding that goes beyond human understanding.  I use to look at Joseph’s life and say, "Wow, I wish I were a Joseph who seemed to always get it right."  Yet, if we really look, I am certain there were moments in the depth of his heart that Joseph had felt anger, loneliness, sorrow, confusion as we all do at times.  It had been a step by step process that ultimately enlightened Joseph’s heart to who God was and the fact that every detail had been lead by God.  When we know that, it is easy to forgive even those who would attempt to do us harm.  Nothing happens in the life of a believer but that God is working out His plan for our good.  So why have I ever fretted or even at moments do still when evil would press in around me?  Why would I ever fear or doubt what God is doing?  Just this week God had asked I do something which felt like I was jumping off the bridge with nothing to catch me; yet, I remembered it is God who is catching me.  That simple act of blind faith changed everything and allowed me to see the Mighty Hand of God at work in every aspect of my life.  Suddenly, I understood with greater depth, Joseph and the transforming work God had done in the heart of Joseph–step by step, glory by glory. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI

Yesterday, I began to tell you about the some of the attributes of God’s beauty.  We began with the beauty of His creation, the beauty of His Righteousness, and the beauty of His justice.  So let us look at a few more of those attributes. 

Beauty of His Power—1 Chronicles 29: "11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."  God is on His throne and He reigns supreme over the just and the unjust. Matthew 5: "45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."  He has power over every aspect of nature and all of mankind.  Luke 8: "23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."  Stop and think about the fact that God spoke this very world into being. 

Beauty of His Love–God’s love is so great that it is unfathomable.  The love of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is so great Father for Son, Son for Father, Holy Spirit for the Father, the Son for the Holy Spirit and so forth.  This love is beyond measure and pours forth like a spring overflowing with love.  God created man so that the abundance of that overflowing love might be showered upon us.  Yet, man from the very first, chose the creation rather than the creator to adore–thinking himself of greater importance than God who wanted to love him.  Still, God did not just walk away; indeed, He provided the way for man’s relationship with Him to be restored.  Christ paid the price for man’s rebellion upon the cross.  On His way to Gethsemane, Christ prayed as recorded in John 17–"23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."   What greater love can be displayed than this? 

Beauty of His Grace  Isaiah 43: "25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."  2 Corinthians 5: "20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  John 3: "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  Psalm 103: "11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  His grace still amazes me.  Romans 5: "7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Beauty of His Joy—-Did you know that God is a joyous God.  He is full of Joy and desires that His children are joyous. Jude 1: "24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."  Zephaniah 3: "17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."  I can imagine God with all His might and power, reaching down because of His love for me–cradling me in His arms while singing to me a song of joy.  I am certain those mornings when at two am I awaken with a song playing in the recesses of my mind and I feel as though I am being held gently while all alone in my bed–that is God’s presence.  Then, with hope and joy in my heart, I go back to sleep.

Beauty of His Wisdom:  Daniel 2: "19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee:"

1 Corinthians 1: "19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

God is wise and we can trust Him with our lives; knowing that He has the perfect plan of love, even when we don’t understand.

James 1: "5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

When we next meet, I want to demonstrate how these attributes all fit together and are revealed in the life of man.  Particularly I want to tell you about Joseph’s life and how God orchestrated every minute detail so that He might bring the perfect plan into fruition.  Perhaps, I am thinking so much of Joseph’s story; because I just witnessed in my life the same where God moved heaven and earth to ascertain that I might hear His voice and follow.  I am still uncertain of the details of where or what we are doing; but, I trust Him and rejoice each day as I watch Him unfold my future one moment at a time.  That is exciting. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOgA2RV6Hs

We have thus far in this series reviewed the facts that our hope, if we are to have hope must be anchored upon God.  There is no anchor which can hold through the storms of this life, except Him.  These vessels of human flesh could be so easily tossed about on the sea of life here on earth, if we were not anchored by such a strong anchor firmly attached to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father.  That anchor held by the power and might of omnipotent God.  Neither are we the ones holding fast by our own gripping might to the other end of that anchor; rather, the securing chains are tightly bound about our bodies sealed by the Holy Spirit within each believer maintaining our hold. 

We have also looked at the fact that as we seek after beauty, goodness, love, righteousness, glory, and justice; we can only have these God given desires fulfilled wholly in God who is the very essence of all that we seek.  If we remember that our journey on this earth; however long it may be, is merely a pilgrimage to our final home in His presence, then we are to focus upon Christ’s Glory revealed to us ever so dimly at first drawing us out of darkness and into His light.  As we gaze upon Him then we are transformed glory by glory into whom and whose we will be.  This journey is preparing us to be able to fully comprehend and experience the magnitude of the Glory and Beauty that is God.  Without this journey, we might feel some of the joy, love, and glory which will be ours; but, God’s desire is that we are able to feel all of it’s beauty and might one day  see His full Majesty.That experience will be greater than anything that we could imagine. 

Now let us stop for a moment and look upon some of the displays of His Beauty which is a part of His Glory that we may desire to seek His Face.

Beauty of His Creation—Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"  Have you ever thought about the incredible intricacies of the Universe in which we live?   Gaze into the heavens and recognize that God spoke and from His very mouth all of the stars, the sun, the planets were immediately formed and aligned into place in a balance that is hardly imaginable.  Not to speak of the intricacies that are on this earth or even in each of our bodies.  Science is still attempting to discover the magic of how each and every cell functions.  The very intricacy of how an infant forms within a mother’s womb in which two cells join and from that union of cells eyes, lungs, feet, hair, and heart are formed–each unique and each with their own set of DNA as well as unique fingerprints.  Take a second to look around you; then, imagine how much greater is the beauty of God who created it all in all of it’s delicate intricacy.

Beauty of His Righteousness–Psalm 48: "10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness."  God is perfect righteousness and Christ being God came to earth to live out before man that perfect righteousness.  We search after what is right and what is true.  Yet, so often, what one day appears to be true is tomorrow found to be merely a lie here on earth.  Truth and righteousness can be found in God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  Only He can look beyond the outward appearances and see the heart of man; knowing the motivation, the desires and the secrets hidden deep within.  He is the measure by which all righteousness is measured  Isaiah 64:^{6 “}But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. ⁷ And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities”

Beauty of His Justice–God could not be perfect righteousness if He ignored sin and were not also the great Just Judge.  Psalm 50: 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.   Jeremiah 10: 10 “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”  Justice demands a penalty be paid for our sin and rebellion.  Yet, not only is His Justice a source of comfort and hope it became a part of the beauty of His Grace as He was willing to pay the price Himself that He might bring mankind into His presence to pour out His love and His mercy.  Isaiah 53:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Think of how wonderful and magnificent is His beauty.  This is just a beginning of the attributes of His beauty and we will continue in the next session to reveal more; although no description can fully display His Glory and His Beauty.  I urge you to seek after Him.  He is waiting for you to just ask and He will shine His light into your heart to display who He is and you can begin the journey toward Him.  Day by day He will reveal Himself glimpse by glimpse, glory by glory until one day you stand before Him in all His beauty, all His majesty and all His Glory. 

I hope you find solace in this song by True Worshippers called "Captivated"    My question to you "Are You Captivated By His Beauty, Glory, and His Love?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRZCYLe_Xaw (Preview)

Have you ever noticed that we humans seek after beauty and glory?  There is a deep longing within us to see beauty, to feel exhilarated by Beauty.  We gaze at a sunset or a sunrise and awe at it’s beauty with the colors lifting our hearts with a sense of magnificence.  Some will climb to the top of a cliff to gaze across the earth feeling very small; yet, very awed by the wonder of it all.  We are overwhelmed with joy at the miracle of how two tiny cells become a living, breathing baby.  We seek after beauty and that which is glorious.  Built within our nature is that desire to see beauty; yet, few stop to realize that what we seek is the greatest display of beauty, love, joy, righteousness, justice, and Glory–which is found only in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The creator of all that is gloriously beautiful, the Father of glory is the fulfillment of all that our heart seeks and desires.

Ephesians 1: 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

David wrote:

Psalm 27:  4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

That beauty and glory He gives us glimpses of from all of nature that surrounds us.  Although those glimpses are minute in comparison to Him.  Have you ever looked at a rainbow, a baby, or a sunset and felt a unexplained sense of majesty within your heart?

Romans 1:

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead

Then Christ came to earth to both display the magnificent Glory of God both in His Righteousness and Justice,  while displaying the beauty of perfect grace and mercy to all who would accept His gift of salvation.  Within Christ we saw the perfection of dichotomy that many psychologists have written as being the most desirable and beautiful of features harmoniously fit into one.  " He was a man of sorrow (Isaiah 53:3; Luke 19:41); yet, He is the fullness of joy (Philippians 4:4, John 15:11, John 17:13, Hebrew 12:12, Matthew 25: 21, Hebrews 1:8). He is the lamb like lion: the Conquering Lion of Tribe of Judah who became the sacrificial lamb that was slain. (Revelations 5) He is perfect justice fulfilled who provides perfect grace and mercy. He is Supreme Sovereignty (Mark 4:41, Luke 13:31-32, John 10:17-18; Luke 22: 31-32; Luke 22: 52-53; Mark 14:61-62) who became submissive to pain, suffering, and death that He might pay the price for you and me. “* There is no greater beauty or Glory that can fill the crevices of our heart than that of Christ.  If a sunset inspires you to awe, gaze for a moment at Christ.  *(excerpt from my book Ultimate Inspiration-God’s Plan of Love)

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

So, what does this mean for us?  Lay aside your search and desire for counterfeit joy and counterfeit beauty to seek after the only joy and beauty that can fulfill your heart. 

Jonathan Edwards wrote The Christian Pilgrim in September 1733 (which I urge you to obtain a copy of the full writings of this).  In it he better defines what I have been saying. 

"Heaven is that place alone where our highest end and highest good is to be

obtained. God hath made us for himself. “Of him, and through him, and to him are all

things.” Therefore, then do we attain to our highest end, when we are brought to God: but

that is by being brought to heaven, for that is God’s throne, the place of his special presence.

There is but a very imperfect union with God to be had in this world, a very imperfect

knowledge of him in the midst of much darkness: a very imperfect conformity to God,

mingled with abundance of estrangement. Here we can serve and glorify God, but in a very

imperfect manner: our service being mingled with sin, which dishonors God. — But when we

get to heaven (if ever that be), we shall be brought to a perfect union with God and have

more clear views of him. There we shall be fully conformed to God, without any remaining

sin: for “we shall see him as he is.” There we shall serve God perfectly and glorify him in an

exalted manner, even to the utmost of the powers and capacity of our nature. Then we shall

perfectly give up ourselves to God: our hearts will be pure and holy offerings, presented in a

flame of divine love.

God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of him is the

only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. — To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is

infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers,

husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the

enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun.

These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean. —

Therefore it becomes us to spend this life only as a journey towards heaven, as it becomes

us to make the seeking of our highest end and proper good, the whole work of our lives, to

which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for, or set our

hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end, and true happiness?

4. Our present state, and all that belongs to it, is designed by him that made all things,

to be wholly in order to another world. — This world was made for a place of preparation for

another. Man’s mortal life was given him, that he might be prepared for his fixed state. And

all that God has here given us, is given to this purpose. The sun shines, the rain falls upon

us, and the earth yields her increase to us for this end. Civil, ecclesiastical, and family

affairs, and all our personal concerns, are designed and ordered in subordination to a future

world, by the maker and disposer of all things. To this therefore they ought to be

subordinated by us."

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) | September 1733 | Works, Vol 2 of 2. 243-246 MANNA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP | PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | December 2010 | www.princeton.edu/manna

2 Corinthians 3: 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When we begin to see the Glory of Christ and that becomes our focus; we too become transformed into His image–step by step, glory by glory, tiny glimpses at first.  The more we seek Him, see His Glory, and revel in His love the more discontent with our own inability to love Him as we should.  We may at times become more frustrated with our own frailties and failures along this path; yet, remember this.  My whole life, even if I live to 100, is but a blink of my eye compared to the eternity that I will spend with Him.  This entire journey is preparing me to see the fullness of His magnificent Glory, His unconditional love for me, and His everlasting joy.  So, however, dim the glass image may seem at times, no matter my own frailties; my heart will be ever "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH8bV7rUVaU (Preview)

It is my desire to begin a series called Glory to Glory which the details of which are still forming; yet, before I embark further into those details, I want to share with you the truth upon what grace it is on which we stand.  It is in the center core of that Grace that we are able to see the Glory of God as it is displayed in the Face of Jesus Christ.  There we are able to stand and to rejoice in hope of the Glory of God.  As we see the glimpses of His Glory displayed we seek after His beauty, His Glory knowing that it is the only thing that will fulfill our desires for beauty and Glory.  The name of my website came from this very search, as years ago I wanted to begin to write about my journeys through grace with the heart of my mission statement being, "Seeking and Savoring Christ that His Love and His Joy might be displayed"  By seeking and savoring Him, we must see His Glory, His beauty as our greatest treasure.  Only then do we rejoice in hope of the Glory of God filling our hearts.  I want to begin this series with a chapter from my book "A Broken and Contrite Heart".

Romans 5: ¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Within the recesses of this verse is the key to getting off the rollercoaster of Christian living.  It holds the power that we need to stand firm, never wavering with our roots dug deep, unshakeable no matter what the hurricane that surrounds us.  How could I possibly say that these two little verses can hold such power over sin?  Let me help you to understand by carefully dissecting this out for you.  Oh, that God give me the wisdom and the words to make this truth real to you so that it may transform your life forever.

            “Therefore being justified by faith” begins these two verses.  Wherever there is a therefore, we need to look to what has been said before since the basis of this statement comes as a direct inevitable conclusion to what has already been said.  Paul in the chapters 1 through 4 has laid out in great detail man’s dilemma as a sinner with no means of earning merit by his own works.  He demonstrates God’s absolute justice and wrath against sin.  Carefully, He lays out God’s plan of redemption by Jesus Christ receiving on Himself God’s full fury for our sins; thus, paying our penalty once and forever by His death on the cross with separation from God the Father for a time.  He then rises from the dead, victorious against Satan and all his armies to be lifted up next to the Father full of GLORY and HONOR and Dominion.  He provided a way that unrighteous man might gain His righteousness and share in His Glory through faith in Him.  Because of all this work being performed by the Creator of the entire Universe we may be justified by faith.  Imagine He who spoke all the Galaxies into being came to earth, suffered and died that we tiny flecks of dust, so unworthy and ungrateful, might share in His full Glory one day.  This is so big that it is difficult for us to even wrap our minds around such truth-it is too big for us.  Yet, because of this we are declared just and righteous before Him, not because of anything we have done, but because of everything He has done.  Our only act, is to see His Glory, to believe that He is and by faith accept this wondrous gift that He has given.  There is no room for self-pride in our adoption as His child, only awe that He would choose me with all my flaws.  “Therefore, because of all of this redemptive work completed by God we are justified (declared innocent or guiltless; absolved; acquitted) by faith in the one who paid our price for sin to the only true Just and Righteous Judge-God.

            By faith in Jesus Christ and through His power and might, we “have peace with God.”  His entire just wrath against sin has been satisfied by the atonement of His son, so that we might enjoy peaceful, joyful communion with God.  Instead of the wrath we would deserve, we now have His full blessing.  Jeremiah 29: “¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ¹²Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you” By the justification of Jesus Christ, we are moved into the position of being sons and joint heirs with Christ of everything He has.  Romans Chapter 8 tells us “¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”  As part of this package of peace we have been provided with the Holy Spirit who reminds us of this promise of peace. Christ promised this peace in John 14: “²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I

Through Jesus Christ “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.”  Please listen very closely to this.  By faith in Jesus Christ we have access into grace which is the force that makes us stand firmly in our Christian walk and reconfirms and circles back to fill our faith which opens our eyes more fully to Grace that holds us firm in the palm of His hand.  Mercy does not give us what we deserve (death, wrath and penalty). Grace gives us what we do not deserve which is God’s unmerited favor toward us.  Grace which holds us up is based on the power and might of God; not by my power at all.  Over and over God tells us that whosoever comes to Christ will be transformed into the image of Christ.  This is found both in Romans 8: 28-29 and II Corinthians 3: 17-18.  He confirms this as His work through the Holy Spirit.  Having been saved by Jesus Christ and His power, it does not then change that I keep myself through works of my own.  Do not get me wrong here.  I am not saying then to run after sin so that God’s grace might be magnified.  There are two major problems with that idea.  First, if you are never longing after Him then I would wonder whether you had ever seen Him through the eyes of saving faith.  Second, since He has confirmed that He will complete the work; He will use however much fire and chipping needed to mold you into Christ’s image. I certainly do not want to be the child molded into obedience, kicking and screaming all the way. There is another important point to it being Grace that sustains us.  If you indeed are seeking after Christ, then stop worrying so much about yourself and your failed attempts to follow.  Again, He will complete the work and we are held by His strength, not our own.  We need to rest and relax in that promise.  He made a new covenant which Hewill not break to each and every person who accepts Christ as their Savior.

            This covenant is recorded in Hebrews 10¹⁰By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹²But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ¹³From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  ¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for everthem that are sanctified. ¹⁵Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, ¹⁶This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. ¹⁸Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. ¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹And having an high priest over the house of God; ²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”  WOW!!    Christ paid the price once and for all so that we may enter in boldly to the throne of God.  He commands us to hold fast the profession of our faith not because we are faithful but God is faithful who has made this promise to us.  Our righteousness is held tight by the power of God who cannot and will not deny himself.  So what about those moments that your faith may waiver? He still holds us.  2 Timothy 2: ^13”If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”  Guilt and shame which continues with us after we have turned it over to God is our way of saying that Christ is not enough.  Can we raise ourselves to such levels as to say I am too holy to forgive myself when God has forgiven us?   Read Romans 8: “31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”  I do not have the right to condemn even myself once I have laid my sin at the feet of Christ. I am to confess my sin, then get up with my focus ever more fixed on my Gracious Savior and march forward with Him, “the author and the finisher of my faith” as quoted from Hebrews 12: ¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  ²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

            Our ability to Stand Firm is based wholly upon Grace.  By that I do not wish you to imagine something soft and fragile; but rather this comes with the Mighty Power of A God who spoke the Galaxies into being with one breath.  Grace reigns through Jesus with Power, Authority and Dominion over the entire Universe.  That is the power that makes you stand and keeps you standing, and stand you will even in your weakest moments because God Himself is holding you there.  Romans 14: “⁴Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

            Because of all of this, “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  Would there be any reason left not to be joyous.  He saved me, He sealed me and He will finish the work of transforming me into the image of Christ.  I must rejoice in the hope that I will look like Christ.  Maybe not today, but I will one day look like Him in all His Glory.  That hope should be enough to keep me rejoicing through whatever trial or tribulation may come my way; knowing that God is working out my perfecting and He only has my best interest at heart.  Our faith which is anchored in Jesus Christ is not only for what He has already done but that this Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient Savior is steady about the work of imparting His Glory to me.  I see glimpses of that Glory, little changes and transformations that are forever presenting themselves in me.  I, like Paul, have not yet obtained it; yet, I look more like Him today than I did 10 years ago or 20 years ago.  He will complete the work He started in me by His power and might, Hallelujah, Amen. Our Faith is anchored in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  His promises remain steady and sure; therefore, our faith is not grounded and supported by yesterday only; but sustained through today and creates steady hoping for tomorrow, joyfully awaiting the grace that will come in the future.  Knowing this stabilizes us and removes that rollercoaster from our Christian Walk.

The Grace in Which I Stand

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

•