But if you could use some motivation or guidance, or simply want a substantial overview of the whole thing, I’ve tried my best to summarize the whole thing, tracing the various places Lewis takes us in this profoundly and edifying meditation. Revelation 14:6-7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory…” (v. 7) Starting next week, we’ll look at fourteen specific examples of how we can glorify God in all of life. To glorify God is to make much of him–as a mother makes much of her daughter when she fusses and frets over her. This turns out to be a Scriptural idea: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. An excerpt from The Glory of God. Try. They only tend to work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Seventy-five years ago (June 8, 1941) C.S. Stamped: 12:49 pm. More often, glory communicates God’s special presence, as in the pillars of glory and of fire (Exod. Do we know that Lewis takes some surprising turns in this address, such as focusing more upon the glory we will receive from God than upon the glory that we will render to his name? Of course we can already view the morning star if we get up early enough in the morning to observe it. God Will Look Upon Us with Either Glory or Shame. The ethic of negating desire comes from Kant and the Stoics, whereas the ethic that appeals to the desire for our own good comes from the New Testament. But for most of us, this kind of thing has little immediate appeal. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. Leave a Reply « Home. “Glory” suggests two things: (1) fame (which seems wicked), and (2) luminosity (which seems ridiculous). We can think of words like renown, fame; it has connotations of brightness and weight. The Corinthian church had questioned the apostle Paul’s motives and methods, so he started by presenting a defense for himself and other ministers of the gospel. Kidd and Taylor . He blogs at Between Two Worlds and Evangelical History. The nine addresses in Weight of Glory offer guidance, inspiration, and a compassionate apologetic for the Christian faith during a … The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Evangelical History All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. Cosa aspetti? I repent of my sins and my sinfulness, and claim your forgiveness through Christ. Through our trials you are proving the genuineness of our faith, for your glory and honour. Listen to Songs of Comfort for Anxious Souls by The Gospel Coalition on Apple Music. In this third category, the emerging desire itself is a kind of preliminary reward. . I read the text. Youth Ministry: Youth Vanguard ... eternal weight of glory | feed. It may be possible for us to think too much of our own potential glory in the afterlife. But so it is. The mind, however, and still more the body, receives life from God at a thousand removes—through our ancestors, through our food, through the elements. Entra e non perderti neanche una parola! Stamped: 12:51 pm. There are no ordinary people. God has a glory that surpasses the glory of anything else in existence because He is of infinite value and worth. It’s easy to become consumed (no pun intended!) Leave a Reply « Home. 7:23). Shockingly, Christian writers and theologians speak approvingly of glory as fame—not in the sense of approval from fellow creatures, but in receiving a good report or appreciation or approval by God. When we think of Christmas spirit, we usually think of gifts, eggnog, songs, and food. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses—to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. A man may fall in love with a woman with no resulting marital union, but it would be odd if men fell in love with women in a sexless world. We glorify God when we throw a spotlight on how great God is. By definition heaven is outside our experience, but in order to be intelligible to us, all descriptions must come from within our experience. Architecture was seen as an artistic medium that had numerous diverse functions—it was the discipline that could bring together engineering and art, construction and philosophy, building and theology. The word, again, takes us back to the Old Testament accounts of the tabernacle and the temple. and more. God is intrinsically glorious, in the sense of fullness, sufficiency, majesty, honor, worth, beauty, weight, and splendor. 80 Years Ago C. S. Lewis Warned Against Making Faith a Means to a Political End, Why Those Who Mourn Are Blessed in God’s Kingdom, The Self-Pity and Irresponsibility of President Trump, A Simple Explanation of Divine Simplicity. Lost and Found 6: The Pharisee ... eternal weight of glory | … Close. The Gospel Coalition IV. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children: Ian, Jacob, Elizabeth, Paul, Mary, Benjamin, Tabitha, Andrew, and Susannah. If “he who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only,” why would Scripture induce us with promises beyond being with Christ? Those who have gone to glory are in the first category, seeing that everlasting life is the consummation (proper/natural reward) of earthly discipleship. The Gospel Coalition. A cathedral that was b… Lewis, the most important Christian writer of the 20th century, contains nine sermons delivered by Lewis during World War Two. If we had stuck with our original vague notion of desire as a pointer to heaven and ignored the Scriptural teaching, we could not have seen the connection between this desire and the Christian promise. a historical overview of that presentation, Quiet Subversion After a Chaotic Election. in Matthews, North Carolina, board chairman of The Gospel Coalition, and assistant professor of systematic theology at, (Charlotte). Starting next week, we’ll look at fourteen specific examples of how we can glorify God in all of life. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Depart from me” (Matt. To please God . Note how strange it is that the Apostle Paul promises those who love God not that they will “know God” (as we would expect) but rather that they would be “known by him” (1 Cor. Lewis ascended the pulpit at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford and delivered “The Weight of Glory,” one of the most insightful sermons of the twentieth century. In the Gospel, Jesus says his purpose in coming was to bring glory to God. The classic Weight of Glory by C.S. In other words, in some mysterious way they will be banished from the presence of God who is everywhere and erased from the knowledge of him who knows all things. This word stems from a root that means “weight” or “heaviness.” Justin Taylor is executive vice president for book publishing and publisher for books at Crossway. Seventy-five years ago (June 8, 1941) C.S. At the new Evangelical History blog I will give a historical overview of that presentation—with photographs—and some of the influence that it has had as a subsequent publication. But that is what lies before us. THE GOSPEL COALITION RECEIVES 50% OF ALL PROCEEDS. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. I look at who drove him to the sermon, the weather outside, who attended the sermon, how long it lasted, where it was published, and how it was popularized for Reformed evangelicals in particular. What we now call “physical pleasures” are the faint, far-off results of those energies which God’s creative rapture implanted in matter when he made the worlds. 13:43) and to receive the morning star (Rev. The Gospel Coalition Canada helps people know God's Word with their mind, love God … Leave a Reply « Home. We must not even try. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. But having worked through the Scriptural promise, which at first seemed perplexing and repellent, the connection now seems perfectly clear. But Nature is the image or symbol Scripture invites us to see. The Gospel Coalition site is now live. Love sees self-denial as containing within it an appeal to desire, since it is good to desire and hope for the enjoyment of our own good. And in there, in beyond Nature, we shall eat of the tree of life (Rev. In contrast to those who are left on the outside—repelled, exiled, estranged, finally and unspeakably ignored—others will be called in, welcomed, received, acknowledged. 2:7). It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. We are summoned to pass in through Nature, beyond her, into that splendor which she fitfully reflects. Question: "What is the weight of glory in 2 Corinthians 4:17?" At present, if we are reborn in Christ, the spirit in us lives directly on God. The Gospel Coalition Canada helps people know God's Word with their mind, love God fully with their heart, and engage the world with grace and truth. W h e at o n , I l l I n o I s. MorganGloryBook.indd 5. Stamped: 5:21 pm. So, glory and worth are correlative concepts. The body was made for the Lord, and these dismal fancies are wide of the mark. Christianity teaches us that glory will satisfy our original desire, revealing an element in our desire we hadn’t previously noticed. Does he want us to be a kind of living light bulb? Stamped: 12:25 pm. It’s like ripping open an inconsolable secret in each of us. The answer has to do with the nature of symbols, because any concept of being with Christ has to be communicated by earthly images of things from within our experience. This does not mean we must always be solemn. Jesus said that some who appear at last before the face of God will hear “I never knew you. Many of us know the famous opening, where Lewis observes that we have settled for mud pies in the slum, ignorant of a holiday at the sea, and that we are far too easily pleased. Note What Would Have Happened If We Had Ignored the Authoritative Scriptural Image. There are basically five types of promises in Scripture: (1) we shall be with Christ; (2) we shall be like Christ; (3) we shall have glory; (4) we shall in some sense be fed or feasted or entertained; (5) we should have some sort of official ruling position in the universe. But first we need to ask more generally, what do “glory” and “glorify” mean? The latter says our desires are too weak. The Bible says we are to shine as the sun (cf. As St. Augustine said, the rapture of the saved soul will “flow over” into the glorified body. Our experience constantly suggests it, but it is a desire for something we have never actually experienced. (1) Because God is more than a Person, and (2) lest we should imagine the joy of His presence too exclusively in terms of our present poor experience of personal love, with all its narrowness and strain and monotony, (3) therefore God supplies a dozen changing images, correcting and relieving each other. Issuu company logo. Lewis ascended the pulpit at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford and delivered “The Weight of Glory,” one of the most insightful sermons of the twentieth century. 8:3). Those who designed Gothic cathedrals wanted to create sacred spaces that transported worshipers to heaven by bringing heaven down to earth. God’s perfect love, power, wisdom, sovereignty, and grace make him glorious. So we do not lose heart. . We have tasted of it but not truly been accepted, welcomed, or taken into the dance. I look forward to reading through the material after the conference. Kabod is the Hebrew word for glory; it literally means “weight.” Leggi il testo completo The Power of the Cross / When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Medley) (Live At the Gospel Coalition/2013) di Keith & Kristyn Getty tratto dall'album Live At the Gospel Coalition. Leave a Reply « Home. Please make sure all fields are filled out. The variation of the promises does not mean that anything other than God will be our ultimate bliss. If he is your Christian neighbor he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ truly hides—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory himself, is truly hidden. TGC Resource Library - free online resources from The Gospel Coalition Explore the riches of our extensive library, including the best audio, video and text resources from The Gospel Coalition … An excerpt from The Glory of God. 2:28). And what must be true about the connection between the desire and the reality? Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. The Weight of Glory. Through these slight momentary afflictions you are working an eternal weight of glory. What is the object of our reward? Upon completion of each, God’s glory is said to have taken up residence. No one can enter heaven except as a child; and nothing is so obvious in a good and humble child as his great and undisguised pleasure in being praised. Why Did God Give Us Any of These Promises Beyond the First One? Unselfishness sees self-denial as an end in itself, such that it is bad to desire and hope for the enjoyment of our own good. The Gospel Coalition. The humblest, most childlike, most creaturely of pleasures is pleasure of the inferior: a child before its father, a pupil before his teacher, a creature before its Creator. DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed . Does God want us to be better known than other people? . He has authored numerous books, including, A Burden Removed: A Biblical Path for Removing the Racism of Our Forefathers, 80 Years Ago C. S. Lewis Warned Against Making Faith a Means to a Political End, Why Those Who Mourn Are Blessed in God’s Kingdom, 7 Ways to Kill the Thanksgiving Impulse in Your Life. But surely a man’s hunger does prove that he (1) comes of a race which repairs its body by eating and (2) inhabits a world where eatable substances exist. The problem is not that we have too much pleasure, but that we are far too easily pleased with that which is second best. Someday we will put on the glory of creation, or rather that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch. Objection: The Presence of a Person’s Desire Doesn’t Prove That It Will Be Satisfied. Kabod is the Hebrew word for glory; it literally means “weight.” The glory of God is the weight of all that God is, the fullness of his understanding, virtue, and happiness, as Jonathan Edwards put it. The Scriptural image comes to us with authority. Scripture often speaks of the weight of precious metals when it is talking about prices or trying to measure generosity and wealth (Gen. 23:16; 24:22). The Gospel Coalition III. Stream songs including "A Mighty Fortress", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Live at T.G.C.)" But first we need to ask more generally, what do “glory” and “glorify” mean? For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. It’s at this point we see the relevance of God’s promise to our deepest desires, as glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgment, and welcome into the heart of things. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory…” (v. 7). This is not the heathen idea of being absorbed into Nature (after all, nature is mortal while we are immortal). The Glory of God Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson editors. 5/17/10 11:34:54 AM Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Here's the rest of the action from The Gospel Coalition: EDIT: Gospel Coalition Documents (correct link) Epistemology 101: The Gospel Coalition's Theology of Ministry Piper: The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and the New Earth ... eternal weight of glory | feed. The Gospel Coalition » Matt Chandler » Weight of Glory (ISBN: 0060653205 / 0-06-065320-5) Matt Chandler Lead Pastor, The Village Church. We now come to the second meaning of glory. The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy. Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin? The former says our desires are too strong. And if that is the case, we can contemplate the redeemed soul learning that he has pleased God, free from vanity and the miserable illusion that this is his own doing. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Sometimes, when I read stories in the Bible, I just don’t understand. Keep dieting and weight in proper perspective. Whoever I am: I wonder at your grace, compassion, kindness, faithfulness and love. What would it be to taste at the fountain-head that stream of which even these lower reaches prove so intoxicating? In the earlier discussion about our inconsolable longing, a crucial element was left out: we end up feeling like spectators instead of truly belonging to the world. Life and Books and Everything: John Piper Talks Books, We Must Find a Better Way to Talk About Race. To talk of this desire for our own far-off country almost feels like committing an indecency. But that means that something negative has replaced something positive, as unselfishness is foregoing good for ourselves, while love is securing good for others. It’s true: a man’s physical hunger does not prove that that man will get any bread; he may die of starvation on a raft in the Atlantic. Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester) is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, board chairman of The Gospel Coalition, and assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte). Keller: Gospel-Centred Ministry. He has authored numerous books, including Just Do Something. But we want more than to merely observe beauty—in an almost indescribable way, we want to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. In the light of our present specialized and depraved appetites we cannot imagine this violent torrent. There’s no denying we have some extraordinary theologians in our generation. To be summoned inside would be both glory and honor beyond what we deserve and the healing of our old ache. But those of us who have not yet attained this reality cannot know it in the same way, and cannot even begin to know it at all except by (a) continuing to obey and (b) finding the first reward of our obedience in our increasing power to desire the ultimate reward. The Practical Application of These Speculations. I study the text. If it’s true that our real destiny is a good that transcends this temporal, finite world, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, bearing at best only a symbolical relation to that which will truly satisfy. Even so they are filtered, being too much for our present management. Features Fullscreen sharing Embed Statistics Article stories Visual Stories SEO. In the end, that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us—either with the expression of conferring glory inexpressible or the expression of inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised. Carson: What Is the Gospel? If you have to choose between reading this post and reading the original, by all means go back to Lewis! But what is the argument of the piece as a whole? In us lives directly on God Coalition Canada helps people know God 's word with mind. The rapture of the tree of life about Race God is to make much of our ache... 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