Grace Gate

Premise:

There is an important understanding that has not been fully taught in the majority of churches today.  It is that God is not only glorified in the saving of souls, but God is also glorified in the demonstration of his justice.  Those that are sentenced by the perfect justice of God to an eternity apart from Him in Hell, are not examples of God failing or being unable to glorify Himself in that instance.  God is glorified when he upholds His holiness and righteously judges those whose have rebelled against Him.  This idea is clearly seen in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  God did not “go easy” on Jesus, when on the cross He turned His back on His Son.  God the Father poured out the fullness of His wrath on Jesus.  Isaiah 53:10 is literally rendered, “It pleased YAHWEH to crush Him.”  This was to the glory of God because it demonstrated the holiness of God and his inability and unwillingness to allow sin to ultimately go unpunished.  God’s defending of His holiness through justice glorifies Him.  God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness also glorifies Him.  Paul says in Romans 9:22-24a, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called…”  It is to God’s glory when He gives mercy, but it is equally glorifying when He executes justice; defending His own holiness.  It is good for us to come to understand and praise Him in both.

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ITEM 1 OF 1

From The Purposes of God’s Decrees, by Thomas Boston

“And this is no other than his own glory. Every rational agent acts for an end; and God being the most perfect agent, and his glory the highest end, there can be no doubt but all his decrees are directed to that end. Rom 11:36, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.” “that we….should be to the praise of His glory,” Eph 1:12 In all, he aims at his glory; and seeing he aims at it, he gets it even from the most sinful actions he has decreed to permit. Either the glory of his mercy or of his justice is drawn from them. Infinite wisdom directs all to the end intended.”

“God Glorified in Election and Predestination

This is likewise the end of election and predestination. For “having predestined us….to the praise of the glory of His grace,” Eph 1:5,6. That some are ordained to eternal life, and others passed by, and suffered to perish eternally in their sin, is for the manifestation of the infinite perfections and excellencies of God. The glory and beauty of the divine attributes is displayed here with a shining lustre; as his sovereign authority and dominion over all his creatures to dispose of them to what ends and purposes he pleases; his knowledge and omniscience, in beholding all things past, present, and to come; his vindictive justice, in ordaining punishments to men, as a just retribution for sin; and his omnipotence, in making good his word, and putting all his threatenings in execution. The glory of his goodness shines likewise here, in making choice of any, when all most justly deserved to be rejected. And his mercy shines here with an beautiful lustre, in receiving and admitting all who believe in Jesus into his favour.

God Glorified in the Work of Redemption

This was the purpose that God proposed in that great and astonishing work of redemption. In our redemption by Christ, we have the fullest, clearest, and most delightful manifestation of the glory of God that ever was or shall be in this life. All the declarations and manifestations that we have of his glory in the works of creation and common providence, are but dim and obscure in comparison with what is here. Indeed the glory of his wisdom, power, and goodness, is clearly manifested in the works of creation. But the glory of his mercy and love had lain under an eternal eclipse without a Redeemer. God had in several ages of the world pitched upon particular seasons to manifest and reveal one or other particular property of his nature. Thus his justice was declared in his drowning the old world with a deluge of water, and burning Sodom with fire from heaven. His truth and power were clearly manifested in freeing the Israelites from the Egyptian chains, and bringing them out from that miserable bondage. His truth was there illustriously displayed in performing a promise which had lain dormant for the space of 430 years, and his power in quelling his implacable enemies by the meanest of his creatures. Again, the glory of one attribute is more seen in one work than in another: in some things there is more of his goodness, in other things more of his wisdom is seen, and in others more of his power. But in the work of redemption all his perfections and excellencies shine forth in their greatest glory.

This is the goal that God proposed in their conversion and regeneration. Hence it is said, Isa 43:21, “This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.” Sinners are adopted into God’s family, and made a royal priesthood according to this very design, 1 Pet 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”‘ 

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