The Delicate Theft Of Glory

“Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.”

Isaiah 40:13-15 (NKJV)

I never really thought I was still being one after all this time, after all, I’m now a regimented man. Up before 4:30 a.m., devotional time done by 5:30, headed to work by 5:55, clocked in by 6:30, at the morning meeting before the work buzzer sounds and even though I think myself doing all this outta some sense of humility, I’ve been foolin’ myself. Ya see, I became a Roman’s Road Christian over 18 years ago and yet for the past 9 of those 18 I’ve apparently been nothing but a common glory hound. How can that be? Well, let me try to answer that.

From the Secularland side of the street, it’s all about the “Atta Boy’s” one tries to receive in a day. Tie that in with how many machines get fixed in a day, top it off with being requested to come into any one of the many departments we have at work in a day and voilà…common glory hound. But what does that have to do with being a Roman Roads Christian? Aren’t the two incompatible? Well in reality they should be but in application the two seem to marry up as easy a young couple eloping just to be married.

“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” — 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

In the words of Paul David Tripp, “Sin turns us all into glory thieves.” We all have been hardwired by God to be glory-oriented so that it’ll drive us to Him. We hunger for glorious things and everything we think, desire or do is all done in the quest for glory. Apparently, as Tripp puts it, “Because we’re glory-oriented, our lives will always be shaped by the pursuit of some kind of glory.” The funny in this is that if one is gonna pursue glory one had better be a regimented man or the battle is lost before it even begins. Just my opinion. Anyway…

I’ll agree that sin turns us into glory thieves. We may not see it that way because we’ve edged God out of the center of our world. We feel entitled as some of us toot our horns about being a Romans Road Christian. Some of us got rules and regulations that, if violated by others, are punishable by a good tongue lashing at the very least. Some of us got territories that we feel so sovereign over that someone oughta sound the trumpets, roll out the red carpet and let the pigeons loose when we arrive. Yeah, anytime, anywhere, and for any reason that you feel worthy enough to sit on the Throne of Grace is the moment you just stole God’s glory for yourself. So, whatd’ya gonna do about this?

I’d say maybe taking a look at Romans 12:1-2 and getting yourself reminded of what your role is as Christian should be before you get wacked with the Book of James but there’s this little diddy in Romans 11:36 that goes as follows… “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” NOW in view of God’s mercy offer yourself as a living sacrifice, then prove, after your mind has been renewed, what God’s prefect will is because, like Paul, I say through the grace that has been given me that none of us should think more highly of ourselves than we ought to and deal with your measure of faith.

We oughta be grateful that its God’s grace that’ll defeat the glory war that goes on in our hearts. Whether you’re a Romans Road Christian or not, we should allow this praise to permeate our souls, “Your, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. (1 Chron 29:11) If we’re soaking in His Word then His glory will make itself known to you and it that we should find ourselves oriented in His Glory. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can e-mail him at cphughes515@verizon.net.