The Glory is of Christ
Joe Terrell is pastor of Grace Community Church in Rock Valley, IA
2 Corinthians 3: 16: But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

From our perspective, it generally looks as though the moon has a light of its own. But during an eclipse - when the moon comes between Earth and the sun - the moon is shown for what it is: a dark and dead body. Rather than adding light to the sun, it actually diminishes the sunlight that reaches us.

So it is with doctrine. While in its proper position, it shines with a brilliant light or glory. But, just as with the moon, the glory of doctrine is not its own, it is Christ. The proof of this is simple. Let any doctrine occupy a place between Christ and us, and it will "eclipse" the glory of Christ and become a dead and darkening thing to our souls.

Election is a glorious and wonderful doctrine. But its glory is wholly borrowed from Christ. There is no glory in election apart from the fact that "we are chosen in Him..." Predestination has no glory apart from the fact that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Redemption viewed by itself becomes nothing more that a point of contention and pride. Arguments arise over its extent and scope. But, when we understand that we have redemption in Christ, even more, that Christ IS our redemption, then all arguments over its extent and scope are silenced and a glorious, God-honoring, soul-comforting truth appears: that every blood-bought sinner IS redeemed with a redemption that cannot be undone. And so the principle applies to every truth: until truth is seen in its proper relation to Christ, it is a dead and dark thing. But when it is viewed in proper relation to Christ, it shines with His glory and reveals His glory to us.


A sinner is a sacred thing; the Holy Ghost hath made him so. (from an old hymn)
Todd Nibert is pastor of Todd's Road Grace Church in Lexington, Kentucky.
To the unregenerate man, the words of this hymn, on the surface, appear close to blasphemy. A sinner a sacred thing? The Holy Ghost made him so? Yet these words are the truth! There are a lot of hypothetical sinners, a lot of theoretical sinners, but very few real sinners. Real sinners believe themselves destitute of personal righteousness. They cannot not sin. It was the Holy Spirit who taught them what they are. And what a blessed thing it is to be a real sinner. For every real sinner there is a real savior. It is only as sinners that we can come to Christ. It is only as sinner that we can hear the gospel as good news. It is only as sinners that we can truly rejoice in the grace of God. It is only as sinners that we can have true fellowship with our brethren - sinners saved by the same grace. It is only as sinners that we trust the savior of sinners. Yes, "a sinner is a sacred thing, the Holy Ghost hath made him so!"

Charles Spurgeon
Very frequently, when I have to comfort mourners, cases will occur in which a young husband has been taken away, leaving a large family of little children unprovided for; or else, two persons have been together for many years, till their lives have grown into one, and, on a sudden, the wife or the husband has been taken away. I have said, and I cannot help saying it often, "My dear friend, I cannot comfort you as I should like to; I have never been exactly in your circumstances, and therefore I cannot enter into your peculiar griefs; but I would remind you that one Person of the Divine Trinity has undertaken the office of Comforter, and he can do what nobody else can."

"He has clothed me with the garments of salvation"
Daniel Parks is pastor of Redeemer Baptist Church in Louisville, KY

Isaiah 61:10:"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God;
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness ..."During the time of my residence on a certain island in the Caribbean, a church on that island invited one of my dear friends on another island to minister in a conference. I arranged for him to be lodged at my residence. A member of the church met him at the airport and transported him to my residence. My friend exited the vehicle with only a small case in his hand, and said good-bye to the driver, who then departed. When I asked my friend where his luggage was, he replied that he had not brought any. Certain circumstances had prevented him from bringing dress clothes. But he assumed I would lend these to him during his visit. I was not about to disappoint my dear friend's trust. I therefore clothed him in a pair of my trousers, and one of my shirts, and one of my ties, and one of my sport coats. Upon arriving at the church building in which he was to preach, he struck a pose before his greeters and said, "Don't I look great!" He then explained that he was wearing borrowed garments. On every subsequent occasion he attended the conference that week, he clothed himself in another set of garments borrowed from me. At the end of the conference, he returned to me my clothes and then returned to his home.

Yes, this account is a bit out of the ordinary.

But what I have done, and what has happened to me, goes even further:

I. I came to my heavenly Father's house naked. My friend was received in my house wearing the clothes he had worn from his own house. But God does not permit in His house the clothes I wore - the "filthy rags" of self-righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) and the "the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude v.23). Therefore He commanded, "Take away the filthy garments from him"; then He promised, "I will clothe you with rich robes" (Zechariah 3:4).

II. And I came to my heavenly Father's house empty-handed. My friend came to my house carrying a small case containing his toiletries. But I came to God empty-handed, for I possessed nothing that would cleanse me enough to stand in His presence (Job 9:30f). And I was "abominable and filthy" (Job 15:16). But I came believing His promise that "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols" (Ezekiel 36:25).

III. I was completely clothed by my heavenly Father. As I did not disappoint my friend's trust in me, neither has God disappointed my trust in Him: "for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" (present text). But first His Son "washed me from my sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5 adapted) and "through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5; see also Psalm 51:7b; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 9:14). Then He clothed me in the righteousness of His Son, "Jehovah Our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6). And whereas my friend wore his own undergarments under the outer garments I supplied to him, God has supplied to me every stitch of clothing I wear. Therefore, from head to toe and from the innermost to the outermost garment, I will "be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:9).

IV. The garments provided to me by my heavenly Father need never to be changed. This is true because Christ, the righteousness in whom I am clothed, is immutable - "For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). My garments will never need to be cleaned or mended or replaced.

V. I will never be disrobed from the garments provided to me by my heavenly Father. These garments are mine for as long as I lodge in His house. And I will never depart His house, for God's sons abide in His house forever (John 8:35).

VI. "Don't I look great!" My friend clothed in my earthly garments did not look nearly as glorious as I am clothed in Christ. Being clothed in Christ, who covers all I am, I am viewed to be as righteous as God, for God is my righteousness! Surely "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God."

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