THE UNDIVIDED GLORY OF GOD
Written by Senior Pastor Ndayiragije-Misigaro Joel, February 20, 2023
"For the sake of My name, I delay My wrath, and for My praise, I restrain it for you, in order not to cut you off. "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? "And My glory I will not give to another." Isaiah 48:9-11
INTRODUCTION
What is the glory of God? The glory of God refers to the presence and greatness of God, which are so powerful that they cannot be contained or fully understood by human beings. As Isaiah speaks here, "for the sake of My name, I delay My wrath." Why can the greatness of God not be understood? because when we think of coming to know God, we realize that we do not know him completely, for even if we could understand him, he is still so powerful and majestic that it would be impossible for us to comprehend the entirety of His glory This concept of God's glory is truly awe-inspiring, for it conveys the idea that even in His mercy, He is far greater than we can ever comprehend, and it is His immense power that allows Him to delay His wrath and extend mercy to us As a result, even in the face of evil and sin, God is still willing to extend mercy and grace, which shows us His true nature This also serves to demonstrate how difficult it is for us to truly comprehend the greatness of God and His ability to extend mercy and grace even in the face of our failures and shortcomings.
This idea of understanding God's greatness is something that we should all strive for, as it can bring us closer to Him and allow us to better appreciate His grace and mercy Despite our best efforts, however, it is impossible to truly understand the magnitude of God's glory. And "for my praise, I restrain it for you." Despite our attempts to understand, we are never going to fully grasp the enormity of God's glory Nevertheless, we should strive to better appreciate Him and understand what He has done for us Through reading the Bible, prayer, and reflection, we can learn more about God's love and mercy, begin to break down the social stigmas that have been attached to the profession for centuries, and serve him with our lives as best we can.
In conclusion, by engaging in biblical study, prayer, and reflection, we can seek to gain a deeper appreciation for God's glory and love for us.
A. COMPLETED BY GOD
Isaiah says, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." What are the implications of being completed by God The implications of being completed by God, as described in Isaiah 48:9–11, are that God can use hardship and suffering to refine us, to help us grow and become better people who are not to mingle with the world's sin but rather are to bring glory to God through how we live our lives and through the positive impact that we have on the world around us It also implies that despite the difficulty and pain of such trials, we can have confidence that God is always with us, sustaining and guiding us through every challenge and helping us to become the people He has called us to be.
Furthermore, the passage implies that when we face afflictions, it is ultimately up to us to choose how we will respond and that our response should be motivated by faith and hope, trusting that the end result will be a more complete version of ourselves that is more closely aligned with God's will and, as a result, pleasing to Him.
1 Peter 1:8 "And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."
We can also better understand this through the work that was accomplished at the cross by Jesus. We're not complete without the work of the cross. The atonement shows the undivided glory of God. He cannot share his glory with anyone else. Except for Jesus Christ, no one was able to save mankind from eternal damnation. 1 Peter 5:10 " After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
B. EXPRESS SUFFERING TIME
Romans 8:18 " For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Through the practice of studying the Bible, we will come to know Him who is to reveal his glory in us. We cannot really know that we are suffering at this time, and we know that the glory of God is far beyond our imagination to understand, but we know, as Romans 8:18 says, that "the sufferings of this present time are not too heavy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
And it is through the revelation of him who suffered for our sins on our behalf that we can come to live and enjoy that glory, and it is through that glory that we understand it cannot be shared with anyone because no one found a way to us or to the cross for us except through Jesus Christ, who died for us and who, through His resurrection, opened the way for us to be reconciled with God and enter into the glory that He has prepared for us Ultimately, the glory of God will be revealed to us and shared with those who have faith in Him when Jesus returns and sets up His eternal kingdom In this way, we can come to understand the purpose of suffering as it has been laid out for us in Romans 8:18 and how we must endure that suffering through faith in Him who endured His own suffering for us so that we could be reconciled.
This knowledge encourages us to press on through our own struggles, knowing that it will result in the glory of God being revealed to us and shared with those who have faith in Him, ultimately leading us to an eternity of joy in the presence of our Lord.
What is this furnace of affliction that Isaiah is talking about? The "furnace of affliction" that Isaiah is referring to is the period of testing and suffering that believers must go through in order to be purified and perfected in the eyes of God In this way, the furnace of affliction described in Isaiah becomes a metaphor for our own experiences of suffering and difficulty We must remember that, no matter how dark the time of trial may be, God is with us, and His purpose for us is greater than any hardship we face God's promise is that if we remain faithful and obedient, then He will bring us through our trial and make us stronger for the purpose of transforming us into better servants of Him as such, the furnace of affliction becomes a reminder to us that our suffering can be seen as a blessing rather than a curse if we are willing to accept it as such.
This can be a difficult mindset to maintain and often requires a great deal of courage and perseverance to overcome our trials, but that is what it takes in order for us to truly benefit from them In the end, our journey through hardship is not one of futility but of joy, as God works in us to make us more like Him and reward us with greater peace and understanding of His will If we remain steadfast and obedient to God, then He will bring us through our trials and make us stronger in order to transform us into better servants of Him. "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes," says Psalm 119:71.
The furnace of affliction is ultimately an opportunity to grow closer to God and develop a greater trust in Him If we put our faith in Him and accept the fact that He may have a greater purpose in our suffering, then we can confidently move through the hard times of life and come out on the other side knowing that His power will bring us safely through. If we accept the idea of a merciful and loving God, then we can look beyond the suffering of this life and trust in His promises of a better life beyond it.
Our faith can assure us that the furnace of affliction is not meant to punish but to refine and make us more like our Savior. Romans 12:12 "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer." The Bible, with its emphasis on faith and hope, encourages us to trust in God during hard times and, with His strength and grace, to find joy in the midst of our trials We may not always understand the purpose of our suffering, but by having faith in a merciful God, we can have hope that he has something better planned for us.
C. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS IN ACTING
God is faithful in all that He does for us, and He is always working for our good, even when we don't understand the purpose of our trials He promises to never leave us and to help us through any tough time, so we can have confidence that He will keep His promise and act in our favor. We may not understand why we are going through difficult times or why things seem so unfair, but we can be sure that God has a plan for us and that He is faithfully working behind the scenes to bring about good in our lives. Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
As Scripture declares, God's immutability can be seen; God's faithfulness in acting has been demonstrated in his immutability that it does not change; he remained the same yesterday, today, and forever as stated in Hebrews 13:8; and for some reason, we can understand that God's undivided glory cannot be shared with anyone for the simple reason that God is faithful always, and he's the only one about whom the scripture declares that gave His only begotten Son to die for us so that we can have the lost dominion and love in the Garden of Eden. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one."
CONCLUSION
The undivided glory of God is obvious; since the Old Testament, everyone has been told, "You shall not have other gods besides Me." Exodus 20:3 It means that we can only turn to God for anything we need, and failing to do so would be a violation of the same God-given law that forbids humans from seeking help from other sources. He is the author, the source, and the creator of everything, and he is the only one to whom you can turn for help, encouragement, or assistance with various afflictions or disasters. Exodus 23:24 (KJV): "You shall not worship their gods, serve them, or perform their deeds; rather, you shall completely overthrow them and smash their sacred pillars in pieces."
Only the Almighty should be worshiped, and no other gods should be worshiped under any circumstances. We are to be completely surrendered to God in everything we do or intend to do (John 14:31).
Our attention should be on God, and we should seek out quiet times to reconnect with him. Consistent prayer and meditation on God's Word, walking in holiness, observing our ways of living, and pleasing Him only would be preferable, as would serving Him, who cannot share His glory with anyone.
We should honor and worship God in all aspects of our lives to demonstrate our devotion and obedience to Him. Only by remaining faithful and trusting in Him will God be able to truly show us the way to eternal life. Even though it is necessary to live in the world and carry out our daily responsibilities, we must remember not to let worldly distractions take our focus away from God and His will for us.
We must remember that by living our lives in accordance with His principles, we can fulfill His plans for us and be rewarded with blessings both now and in the future. Our relationship with God should be at the center of our lives, and we should strive to deepen that connection by understanding His word, living in accordance with His teachings, and setting a good example for others to follow so that they, too, can benefit from the benefits of a closer relationship with God.
We should also strive to grow spiritually, understanding that living in accordance with God's will requires a spiritual life, which we can achieve through reflection, meditation, and prayer. Finally, the true measure of a well-lived life is found in our relationship with God and our willingness to fulfill His plans by adhering to His principles to reap the spiritual rewards and blessings that come from a life dedicated to His will and glory. We have to live our lives according to God's rules and follow His plans for us if we want to get the rewards and blessings, He has for us and if we want our lives to show how great He is.
