It’s All About HIM!  

In my previous post I included a link to a sermon by Pastor Brian Borgman titled Conformed to His Image, Part 2, in which Pastor Borgman asserts that “all creation exists for the incarnation,” that the glory of God, the outshining, the light of the infinite perfections of His being, would be displayed and proclaimed most prominently, manifested most clearly and demonstrated most fully in and through the person and work of God the Son, the second person of the eternal triune God, who we know as the man, Jesus Christ (John 1:14) (2 Corinthians 4:6) (Matthew 28:19).

The Bible begins in the book of Genesis where the light of the glory of God is first revealed – displayed in the creation of the heavens (the universe) and the earth (Genesis 1:1), and all that is in them (Genesis 1:2-25) (Psalm 19:1-6).  Most prominent in God’s creation is mankind, beginning with Adam and Eve, whom God creates in His glorious image and likeness to enjoy and be enjoyed by Him in intimate, loving relationship with Him and one another.  To them He gives dominion over and the freedom to enjoy all of His good creation (except one little tree) such that His glory may be most clearly and marvelously revealed in and enjoyed by these image bearers (Adam and Eve) as well as all who will proceed from them (the human race), as they are commanded to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth with innumerable image bearers of His glory (Genesis 1:26-31).

However, the glory of the original creation of both man and nature did not remain beyond the first man and woman as God would test mankind’s willingness to live for the purpose for which we were created as image bearers of His glory, under His rule and dominion.  Genesis 3:1-24 reveals man’s tragic failure of that test and the resultant consequences as Adam, the federal representative of the human race, in believing the lie of the devil (the serpent) over the word of God, would reject God’s purpose for and rule over his life, thus sinking himself, Eve and all of their progeny (us), as well as all of nature into a state of corruption, futility and death.  They (and their future offspring) are cut off from the glorious life with God for which we were created as God had warned in Genesis 2:15-17, bringing corruption and disorder to their very being and a curse upon the whole of creation.

Upon this one act of disobedience of God’s one command, the glory of God displayed in their bodies begins to fade; fear, shame and guilt become their controlling emotions; the righteous character and nature of God in which they were created is replaced with the nature and character of the one whose word they (and we) believed over God’s, the devil, a nature and character marked by pride and rebellion which they will pass onto their progeny, the whole human race (Ecclesiastes 7:29) (John 8:44) (Romans 3:10-18).

All who proceed from them will live in a sin cursed world, slaves to our sin under the overwhelming influence of the lies and deceptions of the devil and thus, with him, exist under the wrath and judgement of God, destined for what the Bible refers to as the “second death”, an eternity in Hell or what Revelation 20:11-15 refers to as the “lake of fire”. (Romans 1:18-31) (John 8:34) (Revelation 12:9)

All of this is because of one man’s rebellion against the holy and righteous God who created him (and us) to brilliantly and joyfully live for His glory (Romans 5:12) (Isaiah 43:7).

However, in the wisdom, plan and providence of God, it would also be through one man, Jesus Christ, that everything necessary for fallen, condemned, sin corrupted men and women to be justly forgiven of our sins, restored to the glorious image of God He intended (and better), and reconciled to the glorious relationship with God for which we were created would be accomplished (Romans 5:18-21) (John 3:16).

All of human/Biblical history would center around the revelation of the glory of God in the exaltation of Jesus as creator, redeemer and exalter of mankind (Colossians 1:15-18).  Birth and death, pleasure and pain, marital bliss and divorce, sickness and health, poverty and wealth, war and peace, charity and crime, famine and abundance, business success and failure, natural and technological disasters, saints and sinners, losers and winners, scientific discoveries, election outcomes, the devil and his demons and the false religions and despotic governments they perpetuate, the whole array of human experience would enter into the eternal plan of God  (Isaiah 45:5-7) (Isaiah 46:8-11) (Daniel 4:34-35) (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

God the Father has ordained and is working all of the above according to the wise counsel of His will for the glory, the exaltation of His beloved Son, whose image and likeness He is creating in those who truly love God and are living according to His will and purposes (Romans 8:28-30) (Ephesians 1:3-14).

God’s plan will have its consummation with every knee bowing and every tongue confessing Jesus Christ as LORD to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).  Many will bow their knee (reluctantly) to Him as judge, namely those who have rejected His purpose for and rule/Lordship over their lives in this world, who will be banished from His glorious presence, forever objects of His just judgement and wrath.  Others, who have gladly submitted their hearts and lives to Him as the object of their deepest love and source of their greatest joy, will rejoice with Him and one another in a new heavens and new earth that Jesus will establish in the consummation where forever life will be all about Him.   (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) (Revelation 21:1-4)

More in my next post wherein we will begin to explore the infinite worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternally beloved of the Father, to be known intimately, loved supremely, worshiped exclusively and enjoyed eternally as the desire of our hearts and the delight of our souls (Matthew 17:1-5).

Grace and Peace ×