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Theology of Glory

Understanding True Theology of Glory

The concept of "theology of glory" has significant implications for Christian faith and practice. This teaching series examines both false theology of glory and what constitutes a biblical, true theology of glory rooted in Christ's cross.

False Theology of Glory

Luther coined the terms "theology of the cross" and "theology of glory" to distinguish between biblical and unbiblical approaches to understanding God's work. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 2:21) The false theology of glory that Luther criticized continues today and is "rampant in the day that we live." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 2:54)

Characteristics of False Theology of Glory

False theology of glory emphasizes several problematic elements:

Focus on Signs and Power: It places heavy emphasis on miraculous signs and God's power as validation of His presence and activity. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 3:38) Rather than looking to Scripture for understanding God's character, it seeks spectacular displays.

Success Over Suffering: This theology teaches that God comes to us not in suffering, but in success, health, and wealth. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 4:39) According to this view, if someone suffers, they have "an inadequate amount of faith" because God supposedly wants everyone to experience health, wealth, and prosperity. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 5:41)

Works Righteousness: At its core, false theology of glory operates as "a system of works righteousness" where people believe that if they "do all of these things right" and "have enough faith," God will make them wealthy, healthy, and successful. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 10:34)

This false theology "operates on the assumption that what we need is optimistic encouragement, some flattery, some positive thinking, some support to build our self-esteem." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 11:15) It considers grace merely "as something of a supplement to whatever is left of human will and power." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 11:58)

Modern Examples

Contemporary Christian culture often reflects this false theology. Christian bookstores stock their shelves with books promising that "by following certain steps, family problems will disappear, our bodies will do what we want, our financial problems will evaporate." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 12:30) This approach treats God as a means to achieve personal health, happiness, and prosperity.

True Theology of Glory

In contrast to false theology of glory, true theology of glory is "rooted in the theology of the cross." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 17:30) Luther taught that "the cross alone is our theology" and "the only place to know God is in the scripture." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 16:06)

Glory in Christ's Cross

Only believers can see the true glory of the cross. As 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 21:14)

The cross represents victory, not defeat. Galatians 3:13 explains that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 21:58) Jesus endured the cross "for the sake of the joy that was set before him" (Hebrews 12:2) - the joy of redeeming humanity. (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 23:36)

Living in the Glory of the Cross

Believers are called to live lives that reflect the glory of the cross. Paul declares in Galatians 6:14, "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 25:25)

This means believers should:

  • Point away from themselves, like John the Baptist
  • Be "crucified to the world" so that worldly ways don't influence their actions
  • Live according to Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 27:07)

Rather than following the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21, believers should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 28:58)

Daily Witness

As 1 Peter 2:9 explains, believers are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 29:43)

This calling affects every aspect of life. Christians are "continually being read as books by the world," (Glory: Glory in Christ's Cross, 32:45) whether through conversations with neighbors, interactions at the grocery store, or social media posts. Every action and word should reflect respect for Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Glory in Witness

The Foundation of Christian Witness

Christian witness rests on understanding the distinction between justification and faith. (Glory: Glory in Witness, 2:41) Objective justification means the entire world has been justified through Christ's work on the cross - "there's not a potential justification for the world" but rather "the world in totality has been justified." (Glory: Glory in Witness, 3:14)

Subjective justification, however, is "the personal appropriation" of this forgiveness through faith. (Glory: Glory in Witness, 3:31) This understanding forms the foundation for all Christian witness - we proclaim what God has already accomplished, not what He might potentially do.

Glory in Our Union with God

The Church as God's Family

The church is defined as "the congregation of saints in which the gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly administered." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 4:07) The church is catholic (universal), gathering people "from all nations" and including "all Christians" with "the redemption of the lord Jesus Christ" as her foundation. (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 5:54)

The Mystic Union

All believers are joined by faith to Christ in what has been called "the mystic union" - "this invisible union that we have with God almighty." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 10:33) As Ephesians 5:30 states, "we are members of his body." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 11:17)

Scripture affirms believers are God's temple: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 14:31)

Unity in the Church

Our unity with God is expressed in unity with one another. Jesus prays in John 17:20-21: "that they may all be one as you father are in me and I am in you may they also be in us." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 16:18)

Jesus compares "the oneness between believers with the oneness that is experienced in the godhead." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 18:45) This unity is maintained through characteristics like "humility and gentleness with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 26:13)

Living as Family

We misunderstand the church when we don't understand ourselves "as family." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 28:48) We're "not here by coincidence" but "by divine appointment," and "that unity that God has brought about" is "cared for as we care for one another in humility and patience and love." (Glory: Glory in Our Union with God, 30:04)

Glory in Tribulation

The Reality of Human Sinfulness

Despite popular beliefs about human goodness, Scripture reveals a different reality. God "deals in two categories" - "perfect and bad." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 3:33) As Jesus commands in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect therefore as your heavenly father is perfect." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 4:26)

Yet Romans 3:10 declares: "There is no one who is righteous not even one." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 5:02) This reality means all people face tribulation and struggle in a fallen world.

The Purpose of Tribulation

When trials come, we may be tempted to believe God is punishing us for our sins. However, Colossians 2:13-14 assures us that God has already "forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands he set this aside nailing it to the cross." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 10:01)

Therefore, tribulation is not punishment but discipline - the loving correction of a heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:6 explains: "For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves and chastises every child whom he accepts." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 13:41)

Finding Glory in Suffering

Romans 5:3-5 reveals the divine purpose in suffering: "we also boast in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our hearts." (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 18:52)

God uses tribulation to develop endurance - "the gift of staying on the path of faith," character - "the combination of Christian qualities that identify us as belonging to God," and hope that does not disappoint. (Glory: Glory in Tribulation, 19:23)

Freedom from Self-Glory

The Heart's Desire for Glory

Jesus identifies a fundamental obstacle to faith in John 5:44: "How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?" (Freed from Bringing Glory to Ourselves, 9:20)

The seeking of praise and glory for ourselves crowds out the glory of God and becomes "a cause of unbelief." (Freed from Bringing Glory to Ourselves, 13:00) This struggle affects even believers, as we can become "so concerned with