Glory Belongs To God

“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us; but unto Thy name give glory.”  Psalm 115:1 

A.W. Tozer once said, “The glory of God is the health of the universe.  Wherever God is not glorified, that part of the universe is sick.  Hell is sick because God is not glorified there.  Heaven is abounding in glorious health because God is glorified there.    And earth is somewhere in between because only some glorify God here.”  When I speak of glory I wish to speak biblically.  The Bible has much to say about glory.  The ancient Hebrew idea is wrapped up in the Old Testament with the word, kabod, which means something is heavy in weight.  It is heavy, awesome, powerful, grand.  To glorify something in the Old Testament means to give weight to it, to honor it.  The ancient Greek idea is communicated in the New Testament with the word, doxa, which means to praise, and recognize the importance of something.  The question for us is, who is heaviest in our lives?  To whom do you give your praise?  Who is recognized as most important in our daily lives?  Or we might just simply ask, who gets the glory? 

Glory is ours to ascribe, but never ours to own.  “Not unto us” is the believer’s cry. Glory does not belong to us because there is never any good thing that originates in us.  Any good action that comes through us originates with God.  This is why Psalm 115:1 says twice, for emphasis, “not unto us, not unto us!”  This is why Paul said, “by the grace of God, I am what I am.”  It is only by God’s grace that anything good comes out of us.  Therefore, the glory that surrounds us never belongs to us.  All glory belongs to God.  The psalmist prays that glory will be given to God’s name alone and we should do the same.  “Not unto us, O LORD, but unto Thy name give glory.”  This should be our constant prayer.

The Message and Methodology

One of the more common phrases in our current church culture goes something like this, "Our methods change but the message never does."  This sounds acceptable at first but I think a little further thought is in order.  Vance Havner once said, "People are saying we should hob-nob with Sodom and get chummy with Gomorrah in order to convert them.  The argument is that the end justifies the means, but they fail to realize that the means determines the end.  If you use an unworthy means you have already spoiled the objective."  Our methods are very much apart of our message.  The way one performs an act says so much about what is being done.  For example, if one wishes to be a great baseball pitcher then one must practice. Someone who is lazy and shows up late and dresses shabbily and does not prepare himself will not be a good pitcher because his methods express the message to the coach and others that he just doesn't care.  He may be very talented and have a very strong arm but if he does not bring his methods in line with what the coach demands it will not matter how talented he may be.  Our objective is to glorify God in all things.  And we have no talent apart from Him.  By changing our methods to whatever is the latest fad in our modern Sodom is simply expressing a message that displeases our holy God.  He commands (without apology) that His people act reverently in their worship of Him and express that to others.  It matters not if the Sodomites are comfortable, nor are we called to provide a relaxed atmosphere  for those in Gomorrah.  What matters is that God is honored and revered above all else and that His truth is proclaimed in love.  Any method that does not first of all focus on this truth will unfortunately declare a different message than that which has been delivered to us from the prophets and apostles of old.

Reverence and Relevance

       2 Samuel 6:1-7 contains a story about a man whom God killed for what seems like a minor infraction.  His name was Uzzah.  Uzzah was moving the ark of God and when it slipped he reached out to steady the ark.  God's anger was aroused and he killed Uzzah, right there in front of everyone.  It seems harsh, even rash.  But what was the sin of Uzzah?  And shouldn't we avoid it today?

       Uzzah’s mistake was that he chose convenience over reverence.  Now  God had very clearly dictated in Numbers 4:15 how the Ark of the Covenant was to be carried.  It was to be approached with awe because this is where the presence of God dwelt among the people.  The Scripture said that the ark must be carried by Levite priests and that there was only one acceptable method to do so.  It was to be carried by the poles that were attached to the ark through the golden rings on each side of it.  But you will notice in verse 3 they decided they would try a new method.  An easier and more convenient method.  They brought the ark out of Abinadab’s house and placed it on a “new cart”, and Uzzah and his brother Ahio drove the new cart.  It may not have been what God said to do but it was surely more convenient to transport that way, especially considering the house was “up on a hill” and it would be much easier to move down hill on a cart.

Alexander McLaren once said, “Nothing is more delicate than the sense of awe, trifled with ever so little, it speedily disappears.”  This is exactly what happened to Uzzah and it is exactly what is happening to many today.  The sense of awe of God’s holiness disappeared and they chose new methods of convenience over reverence.  There are more new carts today than ever before in the history of the church, and never have we stumbled more.  We have more shifts in methodology today than ever before and never has the ark of God wobbled more.  Everyone is talking about relevance.  Let’s be relevant.  Let’s have a relaxed atmosphere.  Let’s provide a dynamic experience.  Let’s get comfortable and be convenient.  It’s all about you.  I don’t hear much talk about reverence.  I think its time that we send those new carts hurling down the hill and watch them crash into pieces.  I would like to hear people stop talking about emerging with the culture and see some start contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.  Its time that we let the people that God has appointed to carry the ark carry it, and we all fall to our faces in prayer before the holiness of God.  And if we do, I promise you this, our reverence will bring about a relevance that people have never dreamed about.  If we had more trembling there would be so much less stumbling.

What Jesus Believes About the Bible

Matthew 5:17-18

Most of you are like me.  You believe the Bible is God’s Word.  You would affirm 2 Tim. 3:16 which says, “All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed).  You would gladly affirm 2 Pt. 1:20-21 regarding the Scripture, that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”  And most of you are glad to read Titus 1:2 that reports, “God cannot lie.”  And you would say that since God is perfect and He cannot lie then everything He says must be true.  And since everything God says is true and every word of Scripture is God-breathed then all Scripture must be true.  This is what we call the doctrine of Inerrancy.  That the Bible contains absolutely no error.  It seems so simple to you that you assume this is what others who call themselves Christians believe.  But listen to the results of a survey of over 10,000 clergy by sociologist Jeffrey Hadden.  The respondents were asked if they believed that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God. 95% of Episcopalians said "No." 87% of Methodists said "No." 82% of Presbyterians said "No." 77% of American Lutherans said "No." 67% of American Baptists said "No."  And I could offer quotation after quotation of Baptist leaders in Texas who deny the very doctrine of Inerrancy.  And as a matter of fact here in Erath county I have found some pastors even in churches who share the name Baptist to be opposed to the belief of Inerrancy.  My question is this:  Does not the name Christian necessarily mean that we are to follow Jesus?  And if Jesus believes the Bible is without error shouldn’t we do the same as His followers?  I have entitled this message, “What Does Jesus Believe About the Bible?”  Or in other words, “The Perfection of Scripture.”

Jesus says He did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets.  The phrase “Law and Prophets” was the Hebrew way of referring to the Old Testament.  So essentially Jesus is saying He did not come to destroy or tear down the Old Testament.  He did not come to destroy the Scripture.  Rather, He came to fulfill the Scripture.  Jesus came to bring Scripture to its fullest meaning and to its completion.  To fill it up to the full.  So when we read the Bible we are to read it through Christ in order to understand it, for every page and every paragraph are pointing us to Jesus.  And every page and every thought are only properly understood through Jesus.

And it is important to notice that He spoke with authority as the deliverer and fulfiller of Scripture.  He speaks with great command when He says, “I have come to you...and I say to you.”  And do you notice that He begins His statements with Amen.  All other teachers said Amen at the conclusion of their talks which means “let it be.”  But Jesus unequivocally sets the record straight by stating Amen at the beginning of His message.  The prophets of the Old Testament said, “Thus saith the LORD”.  The New Testament apostles said, “It is written.”  But Jesus says, “I say unto you.” 

It does not matter what the scholar says He believes about the Bible.  It does not matter what the philosopher says He believes about the Bible.  I am not interested in the latest documentary of liberal historians regarding their view of the historicity of the Bible.  I am not even interested in what the moderate fence-straddling preacher thinks about the Bible.  I want to know what Jesus believes about the Bible.  And I want to follow Him.

First, Jesus believes the Bible is completely true.  The technical term today would be that Jesus believes in the plenary inspiration of Scripture.  That is that He believes that all of it is true.  He says in verse 18, “not one jot or tittle will pass away.”  The English word jot represents the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.  And the word tittle represents the smallest stroke in the writing of Hebrew.  So Jesus is saying that not one syllable of the Scripture will pass away.  Not the smallest letter and not even the smallest stroke in the language.  Not one breath of God’s Word will be tainted or destroyed or adversely affected in any way.  Certainly other Scriptures come to mind such as 2 Timothy 3:16 which states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”  Or in some translations, “all Scripture is God-breathed.”  The word is theopneustos which is literally God breath.  And in John 17:17 Jesus prayed that God would sanctify us by His word, “for Thy word is truth.”  And Psalm 19:7-9 the word of God is found to be, “perfect...sure...right...pure...true and righteous altogether.”   I would agree with the great preacher of old, Charles Spurgeon who said, “This is the Word of God.  Come, search, ye critics, and find a flaw; examine it from its Genesis to its Revelation and find error.  This is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed by quartz or any earthly substance.  This is a star without a speck;  a sun without a blot; a light without darkness;  a moon without paleness;  a glory without dimness.  O BIBLE!  It cannot be said of any other book, that it is perfect and pure;  but of Thee we can declare all wisdom is gathered up in Thee, without a particle of folly.  This is the Judge that ends the strife, where wit and reason fail.  This is the Book untainted by error, but is pure, unalloyed, perfect truth.  Why?  Because God wrote it.  Ah!  Charge God with error if you please, tell Him that His Book is not what it ought to be ... Blessed BIBLE, Thou art all truth.”  The Bible is completely true.  Every book is what it ought to be.  Every phrase is how God intended it to be.  Every word is God’s communication to us.  Every syllable and every stroke of the ancient pen is exactly the Word of God.  The Scripture is the very breath of God.  

Next, Jesus believes the Bible to be eternally enduring.  He says in verse 18, “till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law (or as we have seen the Scripture) till all is fulfilled.”  What Jesus is saying is that not one letter of the Scripture will ever pass away.  The smallest letter and the smallest stroke must be fulfilled and that the Scripture will endure even beyond the universe.  There is no way that the Scripture will pass away.  Not even if heaven and earth pass away would the Scripture fail.  It is eternally enduring.  He says in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  And again in John 10:35, “the Scripture cannot be broken.”  And that great statement of Isaiah 40:8 quoted again by Peter, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.”  The Bible has known many enemies.  The early Roman emperors issued edicts to have Christians killed and the Bible destroyed.  Martin Luther was hunted by officials while he hid in exile translating the Bible into the German language.  18th century Rationalists like Thomas Paine and Voltaire claimed that the Bible would be destroyed within 100 years.  Higher Critics and their liberal philosophies have sought to tear down portions of the Scripture by way of rationalistic literary criticism.  Communists have sought to destroy the Bible.  Mohammedans around the world right now are killing the followers of Christ.  But after thousands of years the Scripture has not been torn down.  And in thousands more the Bible will not be destroyed because the Bible will never pass away.  Heaven and earth will pass away.  Nero and Diocletian have passed away.  Paine and Voltaire have passed away.  Critics and liberal scholars are passing away.  Communists are passing away.  Mohammedans are passing away.  The grass is withering.  The flower is fading.  But the word of our God will never pass away.  It is eternally enduring.  

Thirdly, you see that Jesus believes the Bible brings things to be.  He said in Matthew 5:18, “not one jot or tittle will pass away until all is fulfilled.”  Now this is a different Greek word than what He used in verse 17 but due to the limitations of the English language it is also translated “fulfilled”.  Verse 17 is plerow which means to fill up to the full.  But here in verse 18 He used the word ginomai which means to bring something into being.  Matthew uses this word 74 times in his gospel account and it means to bring something forth, for something to come to be or exist.  And that is exactly what the word of God does.  It brings things forth into being.  Hebrews 4:12 says that the Scripture, “is living and powerful.”  1 Peter 1:23 says it is the “incorruptible seed by which we have been born again.”  In John 17:17 God’s word is the truth by which we are sanctified.  And Romans 10:17 states that “faith comes by hearing the word of God.”  So it is the word of God which brings our faith into being.  It is the unbroken, indestructible, eternal Scripture which calls us out of death and into life.  It is the light of God’s Word which drives out the darkness.  

In the creation of the universe God said, “Let there be” and there was.  The power of His word brought it all forth.  When Adam and Eve rebelled and tried to hide from God it was His word that brought them back.  When Moses stretched out his staff into the waters of the Red Sea it was God’s word that told the waters to stop and be divided.  It was the word of God that told Joshua to go into the Promised Land and it was God’s word that brought forth the destruction of Jericho.  It was the voice of God that silenced the lions in the den and protected the prophet Daniel.  It was the word of the LORD that was prophesied in the valley of dry bones and made dry bones live.  It was the mighty word of God that calmed the wind and the waves when Jesus said, “Peace, be still.”  The divine word drove out the legion of demons when Jesus healed that man from among the Gadarenes.  It was God’s word that called Lazarus from the grave when Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth!”  It was God’s word that broke through the darkness of my sin and brought me forth.  And it is God’s word that will today bring you forth out of the darkness, out of bondage, out of depression, out of sin, out of discouragement.  It cannot be destroyed.  All of it is true.  The Bible brings life into all who will believe.

A Prayer From the Valley of Vision

O Sovereign Lord,
How little thy undeserved goodness has affected me!  How imperfectly have I improved my religious privileges!  How negligent have I been in doing good to others!  I am before thee in my trespasses and sins, have mercy on me, and may thy goodness bring me to repentance.  Help me to hate and forsake every false way, to be attentive to my condition and character, to bridle my tongue, to keep my heart with all diligence, to watch and pray against temptation, to mortify sin, to be concerned for the salvation of others.  O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred.  Let those that are united to me in tender ties be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.
Amen

Voice of a Southern Baptist Prophet - George W. Truett

“Any custom or law disapproved by the law and word of God, it behooves us to set ourselves against it.  Think of a great citizenship licensing an immorality for revenue.  Think of licensing immorality to get tax money out of it.  It’s blood money!  And the word of God says, “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establisheth a city by iniquity!” (Habakkuk 2:13)  Think of licensing immorality to get tax money to run our schools and to run our public enterprises.  Out of blood money!  Vampire bats!  Here is a blundering ethic that is to the last degree awful.  And the gibraltar of bad politics is that sort of thing.  Political harlotry marks that sort of behavior.  Men can do better than that.  And oh this nation, how she needs to consider the plight of other nations and what could be the plight of our own nation.  In a day not far off.”  

-  George W. Truett preaching a sermon entitled, “Paying the Price To Do Right” some time around 1940 at First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX.

God Above all.

Jonathan Edwards said, "the degree of regard (for any thing) should be proportionate to the proportion of its existence and excellence".  Since God is the highest and greatest being in existence, He should be also the most cherished.  When God, who is supreme above all else, is compared with all that exists in creation, His existence is infinitely greater and His excellence is infinitely higher.  The vastness of the ocean is great, but its Creator is greater still.  The expanse of the heavens is grand, but its Creator is grander still.  The complexity of the earth is majestic, but its Creator is more majestic still.  When the weight of all that exists in creation is placed upon the scales of existence and excellence it does not even tip the scales over against the Creator.  As Edwards said, "because God outweighs the creation, He is to have the greater share of regard."  This is the condemning sin of the heathen, yesterday and today.  Romans 1:25 says, "they exchanged the truth for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator."  The great sin of humanity is that we have ascribed more honor and value to the creation than we have the Creator.  Since God is the Supreme Being, He is to be supremely valued above all else.  He should be highest in our hearts.