Beholding God's Glory: Beyond Wrath to Grace and Mercy
Ex. 33:18-19 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
The very first thing God did in response to Moses’ request to see His glory, was to speak of His goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy. Why is it that many today, when they think of God, do not think of these aspects of His person? It seems that many have a false view of who God is. Many view God as some distant, cold, harsh, irrational, and inconsiderate judge of the universe, who takes pleasure in stripping them of all their fun, and who is ready and willing to punish them as soon as they step out of line. But our text shows us that God is saying in essence, “If you want to see my glory, then look at my goodness, my name, my grace, and my mercy.” So, when we see God in all of His glory, we see Him for who He really is, and not for what society has imagined Him to be, what religion has taught Him to be, or what Satan has painted Him to be. We see Him BEST represented in His goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy! When we preach Christ, do we preach Him in this light, or in an entirely different, bleak light, which is really no light at all? Is it really any wonder that the world does not respond to this twisted Gospel which gives people only one aspect of God, which is His wrath and judgment? Does God have wrath? Indeed! And, will God judge sinners of their ungodly deeds? Indeed! But, is this the only light in which He should be presented to a crooked and perverse generation? Absolutely not! We ought to warn others of the wrath that is to come, but we ought also to take them straight to the foot of the cross, where God’s goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy flow freely to all who will accept His gift of eternally life through His darling Son, Jesus Christ, and the blood that was shed for them! To be more specific, the Cross is the centerpiece of God’s full glory at display, shining brighter than even the stars of Heaven, exalting, no, screaming His glory for all to behold. Have you seen God’s glory? If not, look no further than the cross, where His glory can cleanse the vilest of sinners! Oh, what glory!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
The very first thing God did in response to Moses’ request to see His glory, was to speak of His goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy. Why is it that many today, when they think of God, do not think of these aspects of His person? It seems that many have a false view of who God is. Many view God as some distant, cold, harsh, irrational, and inconsiderate judge of the universe, who takes pleasure in stripping them of all their fun, and who is ready and willing to punish them as soon as they step out of line. But our text shows us that God is saying in essence, “If you want to see my glory, then look at my goodness, my name, my grace, and my mercy.” So, when we see God in all of His glory, we see Him for who He really is, and not for what society has imagined Him to be, what religion has taught Him to be, or what Satan has painted Him to be. We see Him BEST represented in His goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy! When we preach Christ, do we preach Him in this light, or in an entirely different, bleak light, which is really no light at all? Is it really any wonder that the world does not respond to this twisted Gospel which gives people only one aspect of God, which is His wrath and judgment? Does God have wrath? Indeed! And, will God judge sinners of their ungodly deeds? Indeed! But, is this the only light in which He should be presented to a crooked and perverse generation? Absolutely not! We ought to warn others of the wrath that is to come, but we ought also to take them straight to the foot of the cross, where God’s goodness, His name, His grace, and His mercy flow freely to all who will accept His gift of eternally life through His darling Son, Jesus Christ, and the blood that was shed for them! To be more specific, the Cross is the centerpiece of God’s full glory at display, shining brighter than even the stars of Heaven, exalting, no, screaming His glory for all to behold. Have you seen God’s glory? If not, look no further than the cross, where His glory can cleanse the vilest of sinners! Oh, what glory!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill