The House Of His Glory

Q: What does the Bible say about the glory of God?

The Bible emphasizes that God's glory is central to His nature and purpose, as seen in Isaiah 60:7, where it proclaims, 'I will glorify the house of my glory.' The Bible consistently points to the glory of God as an essential theme throughout the Scriptures. In Isaiah 60, particularly in verse 7, we see a declaration of God's intent to glorify His house, which reflects the grandeur and holiness of His character. The repeated emphasis on glory throughout this chapter serves to remind us that God's glory is not only a part of who He is but also the ultimate purpose of creation and redemption. In every display of His power and every act of mercy, God seeks to glorify Himself, thus calling His people to recognize and reflect that glory in their lives.

Q: How do we know that God has chosen us for salvation?

The assurance of God's election to salvation is grounded in Scripture, particularly in passages like Ephesians 1:4-5, which affirm that we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of election is a profound aspect of Reformed theology that gives believers assurance of their salvation. Ephesians 1:4-5 states that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, illustrating that our salvation is not a result of our own merit but rooted in God's sovereign grace. This election is unconditional, meaning it is not based on foreseen faith or actions but purely on God's mercy and purpose. The repeated references in Scripture to God's selecting a people for Himself, such as the mention of the elect in Isaiah 60, reinforce this truth and encourage believers to trust in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand their union with Christ?

Understanding our union with Christ helps Christians grasp their identity and security in Him, as He is the head and we are His body. The concept of union with Christ is central to the Christian faith, providing believers with a deep sense of identity and security. As articulated in the sermon, this union signifies that what is true of Christ is also true of His body, the church. Believers are not only forgiven but are also made partakers of Christ's righteousness and life. This union is highlighted in John 17, where Jesus prays for the oneness of the church with Himself and the Father. Through this vital connection, Christians are empowered to live out their faith, demonstrating the glory of God in their lives. Understanding our union with Christ reminds us that we are accepted not based on our performance but because we are in Him, reinforcing our hope and confidence in our standing before God.

Q: What does it mean that we are accepted in the Beloved?

Being accepted in the Beloved refers to our position in Christ, through which we receive God's favor due to Christ's atoning sacrifice. The phrase 'accepted in the Beloved' from Ephesians 1:6 encapsulates a profound truth about a believer's relationship with God. This acceptance is not based on our own righteousness but solely on our union with Christ, the favored Son of God. Through the blood of Christ, we find justification and belong to God’s family. In this way, our flaws and failures do not define us; rather, our identity is rooted in the love and acceptance that God extends to us through His Son. This truth is essential for believers, as it assures us that no matter our circumstances, we are forever secure in God's grace and always welcomed into His presence.

Okay, now, Isaiah 60, and I'm entitling the message from the words found in verse 7. Verse 7, I will glorify the house of my glory. You see that verse 7? Isaiah 60, verse 7, all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee. Talking about the flocks, I think of the sheep. The sheep are gathered unto the Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be gathered unto the great shepherd. The rams and the bells shall minister unto thee. They shall come with acceptance.

Acceptance on my altar." And we know anytime we read that word altar, we think of sacrifice and we think of Christ, our sacrifice. Christ is called our altar. We don't have an altar down front here. Christ is our altar. We don't invite folks to come down front to an altar. We don't have an altar. We tell folks to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is salvation. Look to him.

So I will glorify the house of my glory. And that's what salvation is. Christ in you, the hope of glory, the hope of glory. So in this chapter, there are many good, glorious themes of the gospel. It is the gospel according to Isaiah that are presented to us, and I pray the Lord will open it up to us this evening and speak unto us in the power of God the Holy Spirit and give us ears to hear Him. Just think about it. To hear a word from the Lord, indeed, with the power of God's Spirit speaking to your heart, give us ears to hear Him and eyes to see His glory.

And that's what's mentioned here many times. You see, His glory. Six or seven, eight, nine times about His glory. The last part of verse 19, But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God... Think about this. See the last part of verse 19? Thy God, thy glory.

He's our glory. Now the words the Lord gives us in this chapter speak of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. But they also speak of the glory of the Lord's church, his body, his bride, for they're one. If he's glorious, the bridegroom, well, the bride is too. He's called our husband.

He loved the church and gave himself for it. God gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Christ is glorious and the church in the Lord Jesus Christ is also glorious. There's a vital and glorious union between Christ and his church, between the head and the body that cannot be dissolved, that cannot be destroyed, united together forever. I in them, thou in me, that we may be made perfect in one. You think that prayer is answered? Absolutely so. Absolutely so. Christ and His church are one. They've always been one. There's eternal union with Christ in that eternal covenant.

How long have the sheep of Christ in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, how long have they been one with Christ in that eternal covenant of grace? He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. God has always loved us, his church, with an everlasting love. God has always considered us and loved us in Christ, accepted us in Christ. He's always been our dwelling place from all eternity, all eternity.

For he, both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all one. That union, that oneness with Christ, what's true of Him is true of us. Where He is, we are. He is the head, we are the body. He's not ashamed to call us brethren. He's not ashamed to own us as His bride. As He is, so are we in this world.

Remember our study from 1 John chapter 4. With that eternal, vital union, the old timers called it a vital union in Christ, With that in mind, let's look at some of the things in this chapter. The Lord makes absolute and unconditional promises to God's elect in Christ Jesus that cannot fail.

Did you notice how many times the Lord uses this word, shall come to pass? Shall come to pass. I counted 17 times. Don't you love the shalls and wills of God? What He wills shall come to pass. He said, I've spoken it, I'll bring it to pass. I will do it. I will do it. Now, a couple of things here, and I'll try not to wear you out.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our everlasting light and life. Look at verse 1 and 2. He is our light and He is our life. Arise! Shine! For the light is come, Christ is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

The glory of his salvation, the glory of his mercy shall be seen upon thee. Isn't that good news? Good news, isn't it? Oh, that's good news. Verse 20, Isaiah 60 verse 20. The sun shall no more go down, neither shall the moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be thy everlasting light. In the days of thy mourning, trouble and heartache shall be over. No more night there. Everlasting, everlasting day. The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings.

Instead of gross darkness, Complete darkness? That's our state by nature, isn't it? We're in the dark, and by nature we love the dark. God says, when He speaks, He said, let there be light. Let there be light, and there was light. This is what the Lord does for us in saving mercy. He dispels the darkness by the light. Now, how do you dispel darkness from a room? You turn on the light. Where does that darkness go? Where does it go? It's just in an instant, it's gone. That's what happens when God saves us by He turned on the light switch. And the darkness of ignorance and blindness and death, it's gone. We still have that old sin nature, but now we see things we've never seen before. We understand things we've never seen before. Our Lord said in John, Verse 12, I am the light of the world, he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. He is our life. He is our light.

You remember this verse. He translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. And then 1 Peter chapter 2, you remember this because we studied it. I'm not telling anything you don't already know. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, a holy nation that you should show forth the presence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. We were once in gross darkness, that's ignorance, but he's given us an understanding that we may know him.

Darkness is not dispelled by darkness, is it? Darkness is dispelled by light. He must command the light of the gospel to shine in us, and when he does, we see Christ as the light. Remember this verse, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness?

Way back in Genesis 1, he commanded the light to shine in our heart that we might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When this work of grace is done, he causes his light to shine in us. And His gospel goes forth from us. When He talks about, in Matthew chapter 5, you are the light of the world, let your light shine. That's Christ. That's the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is our light. He is our life. Christ is all and in all, isn't He? Is He enough? If He's all you've got, you've got everything that God intended for you to have. Here's the second thing, verse 3, 4, and 5. The Lord our God has an elect among the Gentiles. There's a remnant according to the election of grace, and they shall come to Christ. It says at least seven times, they shall come. They shall come. Turn back to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42, verse 6. Isaiah 42, verse 6. Isaiah 42, 6.

I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for the light of a Gentile, to open blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

They shall come, because he brings us to himself. They shall come to Christ, In saving faith, a lot of people use the phrase, well, I came to saving faith. It's really better to say, I came to Christ as He gave me saving faith. We don't actually come to faith, we come to Christ. How do we come? In faith. We come in faith, believing, don't we?

They shall come to Christ in saving faith because God had from the beginning chosen them unto salvation. They shall come to Christ because He bought them with His blood. They shall come because they've been called by that irresistible call of the gospel. All that the Father hath given to me shall come to me. And those that come to me, He said, I'll never cast them out.

They shall come to the light. Christ is the light. To the brightness of the rising, they come to the exalted Christ. Notice verse 3. And the Gentiles shall come to the light. That's Christ. And the kings, to the brightness of thy rising. He made us kings and priests and to our God. They shall come to the light. They come to the exalted Christ.

He's risen. When he by himself purged our sin, he sat down at the right hand of God. Verse 4 said, they shall come as sons and daughters, they shall come from far, from a state of being dead in sin to being reconciled with the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4. Lift up thine eyes round about and see, all they gather themselves together.

They shall come to thee, thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Turn back to Isaiah 43, I believe it is, Isaiah 43, seven. You remember this verse, Isaiah 43, seven. Let's go back to verse 5, Isaiah 43 verse 5, talking about the Lord gathering out his people and they shall come, fear not, verse 5, Isaiah 43, for I am with thee, I'll bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west, I'll say to the north, give up. To the south, keep not back, bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have made him. It all gets back to his glory, doesn't it? What is the grand design of redemption? His glory.

That's why Paul said, God forbid I should glory save in the cross of Christ. They shall come unto Christ. Salvation is in a person. Verse five, then thou shalt see and flow together and thy heart shall fear. There's reverence and their heart shall be enlarged. He gives us a new heart and the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee. He is the water of life and the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee, come unto thee. They come with a heart of reverence and fear. They come with a largeness of heart, being in love with Christ, to you who believe he is precious.

They come being converted and turned unto the Lord. We've been turned to God from our idols to serve the living and true God. Now the way that's written, it doesn't say you turn from your idols to the living God. It says you turn to God from your idols to serve the true and living God who delivered us from the wrath to come.

They shall come showing praises to the Lord. Verse six, the multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephra, and all they from Sheba shall come They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. They shall come showing praises to the Lord. They come with gold and incense, acknowledging that everything they have belongs to the Lord. They don't give Christ your best. We give him our all and in all. They shall bring gold and incense. Everything we have belongs to him. Christ is all and in all. I am what I am by the grace of God. We are complete in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse seven, they shall come with acceptance on my altar. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee. The sheep of Christ shall be gathered to the Lord. The rams of the flocks shall minister unto thee. They shall come up with acceptance Acceptance on mine altar. Whenever I see that word acceptance, I think of Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6, don't you? We're accepted in the Beloved.

And whenever I see that word my altar or mine altar, Christ is our altar. He sacrificed His humanity on the altar of His deity. I will glorify the house of my glory. It's all about His glory. all about His glory. They shall come with acceptance because of that blood sacrifice upon the altar. The Lord Jesus Christ, He said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No man come to the Father but by me. He's able to save them to the uttermost seeing He ever lived to make intercession for them.

Notice the last part of verse seven, I will glorify the house of my glory. This is the bottom line or grand theme of all that God does in saving mercy is his glory. Remember the Revelation chapter five, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessing, and power both now and forever. Thine be the kingdom, the power, the honor, the glory forever and ever and ever and ever. Verse 13, look at verse 13 for a minute.

The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, the box, the box tree together to beautify the place of my sanctuary, I will make the place of my feet glorious." Even the place, what a glorious place to be at his feet in worship, at his feet, at his feet. Lebanon was known as a land of many trees.

As it says in verse 21, thy people also shall be all righteous. Also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land forever. the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, guess what? That he may be glorified. Everything's about his glory, isn't it?

Lebanon was known as a land of many cedar trees, an abundance of trees, and the Lord used those trees to build this temple. But the fir tree, the pine tree, the box tree, the cedar trees, all these different trees, they all beautify and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice what it says, you remember this verse right across the page, Isaiah 61 verse 3. Isaiah 61, 3.

To appoint unto them that morning's iron, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for morning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that, guess what? He may be glorified. You kind of get the idea. Everything's about His glory, isn't it? Everything's about His glory. I often think about this verse here. Turn back to Psalm 92. You'll remember this verse because I refer to it, Psalm 92, every once in a while. Psalm 92, verse 12. Psalm 92, verse 12.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord. You with me? Psalm 92 verse 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing to show that the Lord is upright.

He is my rock. There's no one righteousness than Him. Fat and flourishing. Full of grace and truth in the Lord Jesus Christ. His elect are made up of different sorts of trees, but they're all one in Christ. They all take their place at His feet like Mary, sitting at the feet of the Lord. What a blessed place to be.

They shall come to thee, bending the knee, verse 14. The sons also of them that afflict thee shall come, bending unto thee. Every knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess, Jesus Christ is Lord. And all they that despise thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet. Sit here at thy right hand till I make all thine enemies to bow at thy feet. You remember Psalm 110. They shall bow, those that despise thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet.

They shall call thee, and they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Verse 14, they shall come to thee, bending the knee, instead of afflicting and persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ and his people, they shall come bowing in submission.

Saul of Tarsus is a good example of that, isn't it? Saul of Tarsus breathing out slaughter and threatening against the Lord and against his church until he met the Lord Jesus Christ. He was put in the dust, he made his headquarters in the dust and said, Lord, what would you have me to do? That's submission, isn't it?

They shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion, the gospel Zion, the dwelling place of the Lord. Believers delight to be citizens of that heavenly city. We are citizens in that heavenly city. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. We live in that heavenly city, but you're coming to Mount Zion, the city of a living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. The heavenly Jerusalem. Now it says there, this city is the walled city in verse 18. Violence shall no more be heard in the land. Well, won't that be a blessing? No more violence. No more crime. No more sin, violence shall no more be heard in the land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders.

He's talking about that heavenly city, that heavenly kingdom. But thou shalt call thy walls, the walls of that city are salvation, and the gates of that city are praise to the Lord. This is a walled city, protected. Walls of salvation keep us walled up in Christ and keeps out sin. We have gates of praise. We've been set free in Christ who is the door. He said, I'm the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved. The last thing I want us to consider is the blessedness of believers in Christ. He's blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 15 says, whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, the joy of many generations. He's going to make us an eternal excellency. Though forsaken and hated, God said, I'll make thee the joy of many generations.

Although this world despises the way of salvation in Christ, those that embrace it in the eyes of the Lord, we stand in him with an eternal excellency being accepted in the beloved. Who shall anything to the charge of God's elect, He who spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? We stand in the excellency of his righteousness. We stand in the excellency of his redeeming blood. I'll make thee a joy and delight for all eternity.

Verse 16 says, they shall know the Lord. They have an excellent knowledge of him. Thou shalt also suck the milk of a Gentile, and shalt suck the breast of kings, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord thy Savior, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of God. They shall know, they shall have the excellent knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's our Savior, He's God our Savior, He's our Redeemer. You see those words? I shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior. Notice that word, I, the Lord, is all capital letters, L-O-R-D. Jehovah, the everlasting God, eternal God. Jehovah is our Savior. Call his name Jesus, he shall save his people from their sin. He's our Lord, he's our Savior, he's the one who really saves his people from their sin. He's our Redeemer, redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, and he's the mighty one of Jacob. He's the God of Jacob. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. He's the mighty one of Jacob, that covenant mercy we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 17, instead of brass, he said, I'll bring gold. For brass, I'll bring gold. For iron, I'll bring silver. For wood, brass. For stones, iron. I will also make thy officers peace and thy executors righteousness. Instead of brass, he said, I'll bring gold, the gold of his grace. Instead of iron, I'll bring silver, the silver of his redeeming blood. Instead of wood, he said, I'll bring brass. For stone, I'll bring iron. You see, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. And him was all the fullness of a Godhead bodily, and in Christ we are complete.

I'll make thy leaders, as it says there, I'll make thy leaders thy officers, I'll make your officers. Peace, we have peace officers. The Lord Jesus Christ made peace for us with his own blood, who preached a way of peace, his ministers and pastors and leaders, who preached a way of peace through God, the way of peace through Christ, he justified us, By faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. These officers, they preach peace with God through Christ, and they preach righteousness in the Lord Jesus Christ.

One more verse, verse 22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation, Now here, go home with this thought. I, the Lord, will hasten it in His time. To everything under heaven, there is a season and a time. The Lord will make it happen. This is the Lord's doing, and it's marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord hath made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the Lord doing. I, the Lord, will hasten it in time. And then chapter 61, you know what that's all about, don't you? That's the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to set the prisoners free. Well, Isaiah 60 is an interesting chapter, isn't it?

The House Of His Glory

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the glory of God?

How do we know that God has chosen us for salvation?

Why is it important for Christians to understand their union with Christ?

What does it mean that we are accepted in the Beloved?

Sermon Transcript

About Tom Harding

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The House Of His Glory

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the glory of God?

How do we know that God has chosen us for salvation?

Why is it important for Christians to understand their union with Christ?

What does it mean that we are accepted in the Beloved?

Sermon Transcript

About Tom Harding

Comments

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