Glory In Christ Jesus

Please turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 3 that can be found on page 977 if you're using the pew

Bible Ephesians chapter 3 we're going to be looking specifically at the phrase in ding

Christ Jesus But I will read all of 14 to 21 for context

Please stand when you have that For this reason

I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power

Through his spirit and your inner being So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

That you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the Saints What is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ surpasses knowledge that you may be filled?

With all the fullness of God Now to him who was able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think

According to the power at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus Throughout all generations forever and ever.

Amen May be seated Dear Heavenly Father we ask for the glory of Jesus Christ to be shown to us

Pray that you would show it to us here in this passage. You would make your word clear By your spirit we would know and understand in his name.

We pray in Christ's name. We pray. Amen So in recent

Evening messages, I've been going through this doxology in verses 20 and 21

Speaks of glory being given to God in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever this is

This gives a lot of theology about prayer this gives us a lot of understanding about the nature of God's purposes and his glory and This part is no exception that he receives glory in Christ Jesus it's important to understand his purposes and receiving glory and how that comes through Jesus Christ and Understanding that glory that he receives through Christ We can understand better even about our own selves and why we are created the way we are

So he speaks of glory being given to God to give glory to God is

To ascribe glory to God God God is all glorious. He cannot be made inherently any more glorious So when we talk about glorifying him, we are talking about ascribing glory to him and We do so here in this passage as he is

Doxologized the word doxology refers to words about glory dox meaning glory as I've covered before Ology meaning words about just as you

Have biology words about life things like that, right a doxology is words about glory

These are words about the glory of God. So Paul scribes glory to God in this doxology this doxology that many have taken to be a song that is not something that I've mentioned before as we've gone through this but It is a common theory you look at Revelation 5 13 it says and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the

Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever Appears to be many creatures in heaven on earth singing to God not just saying this to God singing to God and so When Paul says similar words, is this not perhaps a song that he is appealing to maybe even common words that they are already aware of So he gives glory to God and he says that glory should be given to God in Christ Jesus We've talked about glory being given to him in the church, but also in Christ Jesus The term

Christ refers to Jesus. It refers to the Son of God in the incarnation

Maybe you think of the phrases Son of God and Christ Jesus as being synonymous

But they are not exactly synonymous terms, even though they refer to the same person the eternal

Son of God Became man and the term Christ Jesus refers to him particularly as man

Christ means anointed means the one who's particularly chosen by God to perform function of a mediator

He has been anointed by God that happened at his baptism. That is something that happened in time That is something that is part of the incarnation part of Christ becoming flesh

That's what the phrase incarnate or what the term incarnation means. He became flesh. He became man Became one with humanity so he is to speak of glory coming through Christ Jesus or in Christ Jesus is not merely talking about God receiving glory through the

Son in general, but specifically him receiving glory in the incarnation in the

Son as man in Hebrews 13 8

I may have mentioned this recently but in Hebrews 13 8 when it speaks of Jesus Christ being the same yesterday and today and forever.

This is supposed to be something surprising to be said because Christ one who is man

Cannot be the same yesterday today and forever unless he is also God so there's a statement about his deity

Denominated by his humanity It's that's supposed to be surprising in more ways than one not just that he is eternal but specifically that Not that the eternal person is eternal.

That's somewhat obvious But that he as man can be called eternal just as it says in Acts 20 28 that God shed his own blood

That's supposed to be very surprising because God does not have blood to be shed but yet him and his humanity is denominated by his deity in that phrase and so That's supposed to be a surprising thing all this just to illustrate that Christ is a term that refers particularly to him in his humanity two primary truths here that Glory in Christ Jesus is directed to God and secondly that glory in Christ Jesus is amplified through the church.

So first that glory in Christ Jesus is directed to God God receives glory through his son

Says even in Hebrews 1 2 that he is the radiance of the glory of God.

He is God is glorious we know that through the Sun and This is true even outside of the incarnation just taking the incarnation aside for a second

God glorifies himself through the Sun Everything that has been created has been created through the

Sun so God even in letting us know about his glory in creation the way that all creation speaks of his glory that is

Communication that has happened through the Sun. This is why he is called the Word of God in the beginning was the word

He didn't just become the word When he was born, he has always been the word He has always been what communicates the one who is communicating

God who is God and is of God Communicating the glory of God to us and this is particularly known as he interacts with creation

That is why you see his glory the glory of the Father in the Son in special ways in Theophanies that is appearances of God Ways that God has made himself known to us that is in Christophanies where Christ appears even before the incarnation some examples of this

Pretty much every time that you see the phrase angel of the Lord that is referring to the

Son of God Manifesting himself in some particular way not joining with humanity in the way that he does in the incarnation

But presenting himself either as a man or as the burning bush, etc in some way that shows the glory of God the burning bush is an especially a good example of that because Why is it burning it is showing the the brightness and the glory of God?

He is a consuming fire So God's glory is known and it is known in the

Sun in that particular instance you see the commander of the Lord's armies appear to Joshua and This displays the glory of God to Joshua you see

Isaiah in the throne room of God This is the glory of God being made known in the

Sun. How do we know it's the Sun? John 12 says that Isaiah wrote this because he saw his glory speaking of Jesus Christ there so John testifies that this is

That what Isaiah is seeing that glimpse of glory that he has seen he is seeing through the

Sun in that instance Now even this is true of all the ways that God Interacts with creation is always through the

Sun This might sound surprising to you But this is true even at the baptism of Christ that the words that come from heaven from the father

While those are the father's words and they are to be attributed to the father when it comes to the created manifestation of those words as the air vibrates and That voice is made known to people

This is still happening through the Sun and as the Spirit descends as a dove

That even though that is the Spirit and that action should be attributed to the Spirit the created

Appearance of the Spirit is happening through the Sun Okay, this is true with all created effects in the world that as creation happens

It's coming God is creating through the Sun by the power of the Spirit for example an illustration as he moves over the waters

Okay, that is happening in every instance even with that Appearance of the voice of the father even with that appearance of the dove representing the

Spirit those even in those cases that glory

That is being made known of God is happening through the Sun because this is how God operates. He is one he is

Not three separate beings Three persons in one

God and so every action of God Happens of the father through the Sun in the

Spirit This is why you see that all three are credited with the resurrection all three are credited with creation

And so as God receives glory, this is something that happens through the

Sun in every circumstance But this is most especially the case in the incarnation in the incarnation

There is a terminus an end point for God's glory to be made known in a way

That is not merely ephemeral right not just temporary and fleeting as Might be the burning bush as might be the warrior that appeared to Joshua the commander of the

Lord's armies but in a fixed way that God Demonstrates his glory in the person of Jesus Christ in the incarnation

God glorifies himself in a particular way through the incarnation providing a permanent

Continual everlasting Terminus from which his glory shines and this is made known.

His glory is made known especially in salvation Consider our redemption.

How could we be redeemed apart from the death of the Sun? How could he die apart from becoming man?

How could he die for humanity apart from becoming man? It is only in taking on our own nature that he

Dies for us redeems us in a way that we are able to glorify him receiving his mercy experiencing his mercy and so God receives a

Special kind of glory through the salvation that comes only through the incarnation only through Christ Jesus Not merely the

Sun as eternal Sun, but particularly in the incarnation through Jesus Christ This is also true in his glorification as He is glorified and as the church one day will be glorified with him.

How is it that we will be able to have? Union in the particular way that is planned for us

There's already a union that we have with God through Christ his spirit uniting us with him But there is a special kind of consummated union that is planned for us in Christ Him being a man who has the capacity to be united with his church in a particular way

We will be united together with him dwelling together with him in all eternity that marriage supper that is planned could not happen with some with some spirit

Okay, if Christ had become an angel instead We would not have the capacity for the same kind of union with him that is prepared for us at that marriage feast when we

Experience what is known as the beatific vision beatific means blessed that blessed vision of God being able to see

God on that final day It's a transformative vision. It says that when we see him we shall be like him because we'll see him as he is

We will not have would not have the capacity to see God apart from Him having raised our natures through him becoming man

But then likewise him himself being man that we might experience him and see him that will happen through us seeing him if He did not become one who is visible we would not have the capacity to See God in the way that we will be able to see

God and when we talk about seeing God God remains invisible

But in Jesus Christ the glory of God is made known perfectly and we have not fully experienced that the disciples even as they saw

Jesus Christ did not experience what we will experience on that last day when we see him face to face

This is something that would not be possible apart from The incarnation these things are only possible through the incarnation glory in Jesus Christ is

Directed to the father. The father is made especially glorious not that his inherent glory can increase but the manifestation of his glory to us as we

Experience it is made far greater through the incarnation now this

This glory that is in Christ Jesus is likewise Amplified through the church.

This is a small note, but I believe there is a reason why he says To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations because there's a particular way that the glory of Jesus Christ is known through its amplification in the church he his

Glory is made known in the son's love for the church He has sent the son particularly for the salvation of the church.

This glory is known as the son saves the church In verse 19 It's talked about his prayer that we would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness

Of God, how are we supposed to be filled with fullness of God? How are we supposed to experience the glory of God it is through knowing

Christ it is through him loving us Now he has made

Christ the incarnation All right. The the eternal son is not created but the but as man he is created and That is and then he has not only

Created this incarnation, but he is likewise made a perfect Church a perfect recipient for that love from Christ Just like in the garden

Eve was created be a perfect recipient from the love of Adam Likewise, the church has been created to be a perfect recipient for the love of Christ.

He has created us Perfectly to be the the perfect vessel to receive his love

Consider the church in her strengths, you know, one of the strengths of the church, you know in comparison to Christ For example that she is expansive right?

There's a way she has a capacity for beauty That is an expansive capacity for beauty.

That is not the kind of beauty that he has As being the Messiah who is saving many he is not many he is one

But we being many have a capacity while that in some ways is a weakness in other ways it is a capacity for great beauty the pictures that you have in Revelation of the bride are pictures of Beauty because the church is so expansive but more interesting perhaps is to consider the weaknesses of the church and how

God has created the church with particular weaknesses in Order that she might be a vessel for the love of Christ spiritually

We were dead in our sins We were subject to death. We needed

Christ this is not something that is true of the angels the angels were not made as a

The kind of recipients who would need that love they do not need salvation There are those who have been there are those who have fallen

They cannot have salvation because Christ Could not die for them in that way because they do not have physical bodies that could die

There's no sacrifice that could be made for them. So it is not just us being made

Of course, we are made perfect originally, but then fallible being able to fall and in a state of spiritual need

But then likewise having physical needs being subject to a physical death That is distinct from the spiritual death being subject to illness, etc it is through that that Christ in the incarnation is able to take on our weaknesses and then suffer in our place

Bearing the the penalty that is owed to us It is through that that God is glorified.

This is like I said, not something that could happen for angels What would happen if Christ were to become a spirit?

How does he die in the place of that that does not experience kind of distinct death? like we do so he has

Made himself especially glorious in Christ Amplified through the church because he has made the church to be a perfect vessel to receive the love of God and what is the

What is the result of all that that we are filled with all the fullness of God as it explained here in verse 19

It's through that that we are filled with with all the fullness of God There's more blessed to give than to receive

Christ is blessed But apart from one to give to how does he give how is he most blessed?

What is a shepherd without sheep? What is a trellis without a vine if you were to look at a trellis and there were no vine on it

It would not it might be strong it might Be good in a certain way, but it would not have the same kind of function

Supporting the beautiful vine What is? What is a key without a lock?

What is the Sun without life on the earth now? The Sun would be glorious in its own way if there were no life on the earth

But the glory of the Sun is not that it Can give light to the earth or can give life to living things?

it's that it does give life to living things that it does give light to the earth and so Christ would be glorious in his own sort of way if there had not been a church for him to save But his glory is amplified by the fact that God has created the church to be a vessel to receive his love in order that he might in a blessed way give give

And as I said, this is Emblemized in the marriage between Adam and Eve and human marriage in general

How did God make Eve she made her with a particular capacity for beauty that Adam did not have

That he might beautify her he made her with particular weaknesses So that he would be able to protect her

He would be able to provide for her and these weaknesses and strengths are not unrelated. In fact, it's because of woman's weakness that she has a delicate beauty to her and it makes it appropriate for her to dress in a way that would not be appropriate for a man whose

Whose job is to provide and protect her right if he were to dress in a dainty way that would not be according to that According to that purpose and so God in creating

Eve as the perfect vessel for For man's love, you know, even in a even in a biological way

Man giving to the woman that is how she fulfills the the command to be fruitful and multiply as you see in in Genesis 3 that man is supposed to tend to the garden woman bearing children now the man can tend to the garden

It'd be nice to have a helper, but he can tend to a garden by himself But the woman requires that he gives to her in order that she be able to bear children

She is made in a particular way to receive his love to need his love and so it is with Christ in the church

The church has been made in a particular way to need the love of Christ and to receive the love of Christ it is through this that there is a greater glory in Jesus Christ and that glory that is given to the

Father is amplified in the church as she relates to Christ, this is a perfect pairing it is not just that the

It's not just that the church is called to glorify the Son and ascribing glory She's also called to glorify the

Son and receiving glory from the Son as he loves her and cares for her this is also a perfect pairing in the

Notion of a temple if you consider the what the Bible says about the temple of God This is where God dwells

God dwells in the humanity of Jesus Christ God likewise dwells in his church as the as Christ dwells in the church by the

Spirit One is in heaven one largely still on earth

And so we have this presence of God in heaven this presence of God on earth

One day to be united completely but these two ways that God's Presence is made known to all of to all of creation

It is a yeah, it's a beautiful thing. So you have this perfect if this perfect pairing

We have a duty not just to ascribe glory to Christ not just to say he's glorified

Glorious and to speak of him as glorious but to actually receive his love that he might be more glorified in our reception of his love and This is how we make known to all creation that he is glorious Sometime ago.

I was watching a brief documentary It wasn't really documented just kind of an informational video on food in colonial

America and the one of the things that it was talking about was That the rich is talking about the disparity between the rich and the poor

You know the poor just eating onions a lot of times and the rich are eating just all kinds of crazy things a lot of them being things that are particularly from America and one of the things that was pointing out is that a lot of times the rich saw this as their duty to eat well that they saw it as their duty to eat well because the whole colonies were under criticism from From England that you know, this was not a good project for all these people to come over and them in eating.

Well They were even representing the poor By experiencing the good of the land in a way that only they could

Similarly we are called to experience the love of Christ in the way that only we can the rest of creation the angels the the plants the trees the animals they do not have the

Capacity to receive his love and the way that we do and so our duty is to receive the good of Jesus Christ just as those early colonial the rich Americans and the colonies believed it was their duty to Receive the good of the land that it might be known that the sons and daughters of of America were well taken care of So it is the case with us that we must receive from Christ that is known that the bride of Christ is well taken care

That he is good So we should Pursue the glory of Jesus Christ not by a scribe just by ascribing but by receiving his love

You can do that by knowing him by going to his word and knowing him but not just propositionally knowing him

Experientially as you trust in him that is that is knowing him more That is knowing him in the way that a bride is cried called to know her groom is to trust in him

Trust in him to provide etc When you obey Jesus Christ you are

Expressing to the world that he is a good master But you are likewise expressing to the world that Transformative love that has worked through you him giving you your spirit that you might be changed you are expressing how his love has transformed you and Then when you pray

Certainly you can pray according to this passage That God would bring glory in Christ Jesus but you can pray even particularly that he would bring glorified glory in Christ Jesus as it is amplified through the church and Likewise You can know that is in praying that that is especially takes place if God were to grant that request apart from prayer

Then it would be apart from the mediation of Jesus Christ whereby the church receives her needs through him

So it is even in prayer as opposed to some other means of God giving us our needs

That God is glorified in Christ Jesus all these ways Are ways that God brings glory to himself in Christ Jesus as amplified through the church

And likewise there are some applications for human marriage Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church now

Hopefully if you've been paying attention you understand that means more than just a lot a lot of people read

Ephesians 5 And they think that that just means love her a lot. Okay. It doesn't just mean love her a lot

She's also supposed to love you a lot. That's not it's not really the point the point is that there's a particular mode in which

Christ loves the church as one who is protecting as one who's providing as one who is sacrificing and giving of himself and She is supposed to respond in her reception of that love in the reception of direction that she is not anxious

Because she is being provided for she is trusting in him Center and likewise wives should trust their husbands in that way and they should see that their job is to Bring honor dignity to their husbands in the way that they would receive his love

Not just him Giving her whatever she wants Christ does not give us whatever we want, but rather in Trusting him as he takes care of her and the family

God has been made Most glorious you've made glorious in the church.

He has made glorious in Christ Jesus and these are not Distinct truths that have no overlap

They have a great overlap because not only is maybe glorious in Christ and in the church But he has made glorious in Christ, especially as the church receives her love for it is in that She knows the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that she is filled with all the fullness of God May you know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Amen Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you for the wonders of the incarnation

These are such deep truths that are hard to understand, but we ask that you would open our eyes to understand them We pray that Even as we celebrate the

Lord's Supper Where we memorialize the death of Christ that which could only happen by the incarnation

We ask that you would fill us with a greater love for him and what he has done for his bride in Jesus name.