+DEV+ Short of the Glory

Date: June 6, 2011 1:10 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Short of the Glory

Short of the Glory

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (ROMANS 3:22-23)
Scripture Focus: Romans 3:21-31

Pastor and author John Piper defines the glory of God as "the beauty of His manifold perfections." "Manifold" means various, diverse, many, or assorted.

God's glory is difficult to define, but glimpses can be seen. Consider the beauty of a fall forest, the splendor of valleys and mountains, the allure of wide open beaches and deserts, the magnificence of the sky and the heavenly bodies. They all display the awe of His manifold perfections.

God's many perfections include His perfect holiness, perfect love, perfect justice, perfect compassion and perfect plan for our lives.

When we sin, we fall short of these many perfections. Our sin is like a misplaced drop of paint right in the middle of a grand painting. How can we ever correct it? We can't. That is the point. We have fallen short of the beauty of God's many perfections.

Perfection comes to us in Christ, our true hope in this wretched - yet beautiful - world of sin.

Insight: "Ascribe To The Lord The Glory Due His Name; Worship The Lord In The Splendor Of His Holiness." (Psalm 29:2)