The Glory Of God Throughout All The Earth 10/06

The Glory Of God Throughout All The Earth

By Eric S. Fife

The hallmark of genuine revival always seems to be a deep conviction of sin; in fact, it seems to be the prerequisite of any true, deep spiritual blessing. It is when the Church gets concerned about its sin, its lack of holiness, its lack of spiritual power, and confesses it to the Lord that there seems to be a movement of God in revival.

It is not by chance that Isaiah, after a vision of the glory of God, said, "…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and His train filled the temple… And one [seraphim] called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts…’" (Isa. 6:1,3). Then Isaiah confessed his sin: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips" (Isa. 6:5). Isaiah longed for a ministry: "Here I am! Send me" (Isa. 6:8).

If the glory of God fills our minds, a sense of our own sinfulness will fill our hearts. This is basic to personal revival and to revival within the Church of Christ. "Ye are a chosen generation…that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). The test of our Christianity and missionary service must be not, "What am I doing?", "How much am I doing?", or "How successful am I?", but "Am I showing forth the praises of Him who has called me from darkness into His marvelous light?"

Is the Glory of God Foremost in My Heart and Service for Him?

These are questions we must ask ourselves. First of all, am I concerned that the glory of God might be revealed throughout all the world? This was the burden of the Apostle Paul. This was the burden of the Psalmist in the ninety-sixth Psalm:

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!...Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’….For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the Lord made the heavens" (Psa. 96:3,10,5).

Do you have any real concern that the glory of God should be revealed throughout the world?

The second question we need to ask ourselves is this: "What am I doing to see that the glory of God is spread throughout the world?" I may be immersed in my studies or absorbed in my Christian service, and lack the vision of a world half of which has never even heard "that God hath made this same Jesus…both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). What is my contribution to world evangelism? What is yours? What is our contribution to seeing that the glory of God is spread throughout all the world?

The third question we must ask is this: "Is there in my life a quality of motive, a quality of service, above all else a quality of living that will bring praise to the glory of God?" If, as we consider these things, we are aware of falling short of what God wants us to be, we must not attempt to manufacture these graces ourselves. We might just as well try to manufacture an apple or an orange as to manufacture a spiritual grace. Only God can do that. Spiritual grace is a fruit of spiritual life, just as an apple is the fruit of natural life.

What should be our first step? It should be to come to the Lord in repentance and confession, admitting our coldness of heart, acknowledging our lack of concern for His glory and of longing after righteousness, and expressing faith in Him.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6). May the Lord give us a sensitivity to sin, to all that displeases Him. In this crucial day and generation, may the driving power of all of our lives, all that we do and all that we are, be a supreme and overwhelming love for God and a longing to see Him glorified throughout all the earth, for His name’s sake.

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