I bring this up…
because I’ve noticed that when the bible talks about
“THE GLORY OF GOD”…
it’s way different then when the bible talks about
“THE GLORY OF THE FATHER.”
It’s an intimacy thing.
“The Glory of God” is one thing… but…
“The Glory of the Father”… is a deeper, bigger matter…
it seems to me.
I’m not sure… but I think you can say “The Glory Of God” is referenced when we’re talking about God’s own grand achievements throughout the universe.
But when you see “The Glory Of The Father”… I think we’re talking about what Christ accomplished on the cross. And God was so moved by what Christ did on the cross, that — God was just dang proud…
Thus: “The glory of the Father.” is used.
TWO EXAMPLES:
EXAMPLE #1:
Romans 6: 4
“We, then, were entombed together with Him through baptism into death, that, even as Christ was roused from among the dead through THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, thus we also should be walking in newness of life.”
Do you see…. Romans 6:4 says Christ was roused from the dead THROUGH THE GLORY OF THE FATHER. Not “the glory of God”… no… THE GLORY OF THE FATHER.
Do you see the empathy and intimacy there?
And since the word GLORY has to do with HIGH ESTEEM… we might say the Father was SO PROUD of what His boy accomplished that He raised Him from the dead. Follow me?
EXAMPLE #2:
PHILIPPINES 2: 5-11 (read all the way to verse 11)
5 For let this disposition be in you, which is in Christ Jesus also,
6 Who, being inherently in the form of God, deems it not pillaging to be equal with God,
7 nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity,
8 and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name,
10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean,
11 and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, THE FATHER.
Both of these verses are built on the big idea of what Christ accomplished by his sacrifice on the cross. And if I’m right in my thinking… this will carry out whenever you find the phrase “glory of the Father” as oppose to “glory of God”.
Now mind you, I have not done a concordant study to see every place where this phrase (glory of the Father) shows up… but I’m betting it will confirm my thinking. As, the death of Christ was a big deal, even to God.
It’s common for a Father to be proud of what his son accomplished. And to think that Christ died for the sin of the world…Christ died for the ungodly… Christ died for our sakes… Christ died to undo all that Adam did… The Father totally honors that.
And to see the Father’s pleasure in Christ’s efforts, should make us smile also with great pleasure at His Son’s achievements.
It’s not just that He died for us… it’s that the Father approved… and we look to the Father for our cues. When we see that, we can relax, and know that all is well. God will be all, in all.
Ace.
The Ace Theological Company 