Glory of God

Vessels of mercy (Romans 9:23)

POST OVERVIEW. Examining the phrase “vessels of mercy” in Romans 9:23 and understanding how this relates to God’s glory and our resurrection glory.

GLORY

This study is a mini-study of our glory as mentioned in Romans 9:23. This is related to our resurrection (the subject of my upcoming book) because, in the resurrection, we who are fallen but have been redeemed enter into glory.

23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. – Romans 9:23-24

CONTEXT. Paul’s main subject in this section of Romans is the sovereignty of God in salvation. God, and God alone, is the one who decides who will be saved and who will perish. “He has mercy (unto salvation) on whom He desires, and He hardens (unto condemnation) whom He desires” (Romans 9:18). The apostle’s argument in Romans 9 is complex and our purpose here is not to unpack this difficult passage. Rather, our purpose is to notice that our future glory is related to God’s glory and is a demonstration of His mercy as manifested in His calling unto salvation “not Jews only, but also Gentiles” (9:24).

GOD’S GLORY. We must first distinguish between God’s glory and our glory as used in Romans 9:23. God’s glory emanates from Himself and is of His very essence. God is, by nature, wholly glorious. Also, God’s glory is both infinitely vast and complex. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). God created the entire universe to display His glory, and yet we know that “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You” (1 Kings 8:27). But the universe is only one aspect of His glory, for His glory extends into things both visible and invisible, in heaven and on earth. God, in His condescension, has made Himself known to His creatures, and His supreme demonstration of His glory is His “granting to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that we may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The point is that the riches of God’s glory have been made known by means of His preparing beforehand (in eternity past; Eph. 1:4) for glory (i.e., glorification) chosen vessels of mercy. In other words, God’s infinitely vast and complex glory is supremely displayed in the glorification of His redeemed people, these vessels of mercy.

AND OUR GLORY. By contrast, the natural man, because he is, by nature, fallen and corrupt, seeks to destroy glory. Man is a complete stranger to glory and cannot obtain even the smallest part of it unless God, in His mercy, chooses to bestow it on us. But, praise God, in the resurrection this is exactly what happens to these redeemed vessels of mercy, that “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52) all the elect will be glorified. This is our glory.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 9/4/2024                     #710

The Lord speaks to His child through the eclipse

POST OVERVIEW. The feelings that I experienced as I reflected on experiencing a solar eclipse. The words that I imagined the Lord was saying to me through this amazing experience of God’s creation.

On April 8, 2024, much of the eastern US had an opportunity to view a total eclipse of the sun. Since our grandchildren lived a mere 30 minutes from the “zone of totality,” it seemed like a good idea for us to travel to see them and then go another half hour west to see a total eclipse. So we did. And I am glad that we did. I have seen a number of partial eclipses in my sixty-four years, but seeing a total eclipse of the sun is in an entirely different category. To conceive of our solitary moon being maneuvered in between us and the sun such that our tiny satellite completely blocks out our heavenly furnace is almost too much to grasp, but then to watch the last glimmer of the edge of the sun finally disappear and to be able to view the sun with the naked eye while there is dim twilight in the middle of the day is a sublime and surreal event. I felt my extreme smallness in the presence of something truly awesome. This was a divine event and the only appropriate response was worship. This was an act of the living God in which the Lord of the universe was reminding His creatures that nothing is too difficult for Him and that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The heavens are telling of the glory of God and the expanse declares the work of His hands.

As I reflected on the experience of the eclipse later, my desire to worship was replaced with what I felt the Lord was telling me. For the Lord did not create eclipses for Himself, to impress Himself. The Lord created eclipses, yes, so that His creatures would be in awe of Him, but more than that, he created eclipses for the delight and the pleasure of His people. In fact, the Lord has made this created world, including eclipses, so that His people can get a small foretaste of the beauty and the joys of heaven. And so I imagined the Lord speaking to me as I basked in the impossible beauty of the eclipsing of the sun.

“My adopted child, the one I have chosen before the foundation of the world, the very one I have now redeemed and drawn near, My beloved one, I have created all the beauty of this earth and all the pleasure of this life for you.

“I have bought you with the blood of My own Son Jesus. Your sins are gone because I have taken them from you and have cast them into the depths of the sea. As far as the east is from the west, so far have I separated your sins from you, so that you can know My love for you and so you can run your brief race here on earth in unhindered joy. This amazing earth has been created for you so that you may enjoy it and so that you will get a brief, pale preview of what you will experience for all of eternity in heaven (Rom. 8:18ff).

“Your sins and guilt and shame are gone because they have been nailed to the cross of Christ. ‘I have called you by name, you are Mine’ (Isa. 43:1).Therefore your eyes have been opened to see all the beauty I have placed in this planet and you can enjoy it with unhindered, unstained joy as a gift from God to His beloved creatures.”

“O Lord, open up my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise” (Psalm 51:15).

“All things belong to you!” (1 Cor. 3:22-23).

Therefore, the Scriptures emphasize and establish the certainty of our salvation, so that we will no longer live as condemned slaves but will fully rejoice as redeemed sons of the living God. “Forgetting what lies behind” (Phil. 3:14). Forget the miseries of your past life of guilt and shame. They are gone!

There is the blood-stained cross. Behold, there is the empty tomb. Sin has been vanquished by Christ’s death. Death has been vanquished by Christ’s resurrection. Sin is removed! Death is gone! By faith you have been redeemed.

So then run your race with joyful abandon. The Lord is for you; He is with you; He leads you; He has prepared the way before you (Eph. 2:10).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 7/15/2024                   #709