What is glory? I’m talking about biblical glory, glory of God, bright shining glory. I’m talking about what Isaiah saw in his vision when he said, “Woe is me for I am undone.” I’m talking about the kind of glory that undoes you. Not just the glory that speaks of reputation and fame, but the glory that caused Moses’ face to radiate having been in the presence of God. What is that glory? The kind of glory that shoots the fear of awe into our hearts while at the same time awakening a longing for something more; that’s what I’m talking about.

What is glory?

In Exodus 33:18-19 we see that glory is God’s overflowing goodness. When Moses asked God to show him His glory. God responded, (vs19) “Ok Moses I will make all my goodness pass before you.” The glory of God is the goodness of God. When we pray, “Lord show me your glory.” We are asking Him to show us the sum total; the weight and magnitude of His goodness.

What is glory?

In Romans 6:3-4 we see that glory restores life. According to Paul, it was the glory of God which raised Jesus from the dead. “Therefore,” Paul says, “we were buried with Jesus through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” It is the glory of God that leads to resurrection, new life, new hope from the darkest despair.

What is glory?

The prophet Isaiah believed that glory can be our protection, our defense. In Isaiah 58:8, he writes, ” Then your salvation will come like the dawn,and your wounds will quickly heal.Your godliness will lead you forward,and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.” Glory is the power and mercy of God that becomes our refuge, our defense, our greatest security.

What is glory?

It is all those things and more…it is the very revealed presence of God. It is the invasion of heaven on earth. It is the in-breaking of the very reality of God into our lives. In fact in many biblical narratives, the glory of God was such tangible spiritual reality that it was seen and touched, experienced by the senses. It is God’s and God’s alone.

And…

In John 17:22, as Jesus is talking to his Father about the future, our present; as he is reminiscing about the church as it will be; as Jesus is praying for us, just before he goes to the cross, he prays, “Father, I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one.”

In the last two decades I have heard more reasons than I can count for why the church in America is divided. Drums in worship. Different Bible translations. Different forms of baptism. Different views on spiritual gifts. Different views on the roles of men and women. Different views on the end-times. Different labels: Charismatic or Dispensational or Calvinistic or Reformed or Wesleyan or Mainline or Evangelical.

But in the midst of all the differences — most of which I celebrate, uniformity is boring — I still have to ask the question, “Isn’t His glory enough?” Do I have such a low view of the glory of Christ that I am afraid that drums in worship will lessen his glory? Do I have such a low view of his glory that I have no faith that his glory can bring unity to our labels and our views and our practices and our opinions?

I am beginning to believe that those who have a high view of the glory of Christ are those who will risk much — note that I did not say all, but still much — in the quest to be one as God is one.

I believe that his glory is enough.