What is the intrinsic relationship between God's glory and God's economy?

 

What is the intrinsic relationship between God's glory and God's economy?

Heb 2:10 "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering"

1 Cor 2:7 "God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began"

Gen 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness'"

Rom 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

2 Cor 4:4 "The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ"

Col 1:27 "God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"

Eph 2:21-22 "In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit"

Matt 6:13 "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever"

Matt 16:27 "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels"

1 Pet 5:10 "The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ"

Rom 8:30 "Those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified"

Eph 3:21 "To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"

Eph 1:14 "Until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory"

Rev 21:10-11 "The Holy City, Jerusalem... It shone with the glory of God"

Rev 21:23-24 "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light"

 

Item	Reason	Explanation	Example	Application	Relevant Scriptures
Goal	God's eternal goal is to bring many sons into glory	God's glory is the ultimate goal of His economy	God calls us into His eternal glory	We should pursue and anticipate entering God's glory	Eph 1:5-6 "He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace" we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory"
Creation of Man	Man was created in God's image to express God's glory	The purpose of man's creation is to express God	Adam was created in God's image	We should live out God's image, expressing His glory	Col 1:15 "He is the image of the invisible God" 2 Cor 4:4 "Christ, who is the image of God" 2 Cor 4:6 "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ"
Sin	Sin causes man to fall short of God's glory	Sin leads man to express sin and self rather than God	Adam and Eve hiding from God after sinning	Recognize the nature of sin, reject it, and pursue God's glory	John 5:44 "How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the glory that comes from the only God?"
Redemption	Christ's redemption satisfies the requirements of God's glory	Redemption restores man's ability to express God's glory	Jesus' sacrifice on the cross	Accept and appreciate Christ's redemption, re-express God	Rom 3:24-25 "And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood"
Gospel	God calls us through the gospel of Christ's glory	The gospel is the expression and invitation of God's glory	Paul preaching the glorious gospel of Christ	Preach the gospel to make God's glory known	1 Tim 1:11 "That conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me" 1 Thess 2:12 "Encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory"
Indwelling	Christ dwells in us as the hope of glory	The indwelling Christ is the guarantee of our future glorification	Believers experiencing the reality of Christ's indwelling	Live out the glorious life of the indwelling Christ	Col 3:4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" Col 3:11 "Christ is all, and is in all"
Transformation	We are transformed by beholding and reflecting the Lord's glory	The process of transformation makes us increasingly express God's glory	The gradual maturing process of believers	Continuously gaze upon Christ, experiencing life transformation	2 Cor 3:18 "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" Rom 8:17 "We may also share in his glory" Rom 8:21 "The glorious freedom of the children of God"
Salvation	The goal of God's organic salvation is our glorification	The ultimate purpose of salvation is for us to fully express God's glory	The complete redemption of believers' spirit, soul, and body	Cherish salvation, anticipate complete glorification
Building	God's building makes us His corporate expression of glory	The church as Christ's Body expresses God's glory	The temple filled with God's glory	Participate in church building, corporately express God's glory	Eph 5:27 "And to present her to himself as a radiant church" Exo 40:34 "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle"
Kingdom	God's glory will be manifested in the coming kingdom	The kingdom is the age of the full expression of God's glory	The glorious appearance of the Lord at His return	Prepare for God's kingdom, anticipate the coming of God's glory	Matt 26:29 "Until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom" Rev 5:13 "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Holy City	The New Jerusalem manifests God's glory	The New Jerusalem is the ultimate expression of God's glory	The holy city radiating God's glorious light	Hope for and prepare ourselves to be part of the holy city	Rev 21:10-11 "The Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel"
Revelation	God became man so that man might become God in life	The highest revelation of God's glory is the mutual indwelling of God and man	The incarnate Christ expressing God's glory	Live out the mingled life of God and man, expressing God's glory	John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" Col 3:4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory"
Economy	The goal of God's economy is for us all to radiate His glory	The core of God's entire plan is to express His glory	Believers becoming luminaries	Express God's glory in daily life	Rev 21:2 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband"

 

This table provides a comprehensive overview of the intrinsic relationship between God's glory and His economy. It demonstrates how God's glory is the central theme and ultimate goal of His entire plan for creation, redemption, and consummation.

 

Key observations from this table:

 

l   God's glory is both the source and the goal of His economy, spanning from creation to the New Jerusalem.

l   Every aspect of God's work (creation, redemption, transformation, building, etc.) is aimed at expressing and manifesting His glory.

l   Believers play a crucial role in God's economy by being transformed to express His glory individually and corporately.

l   The process of glorification is progressive, starting from salvation and culminating in the New Jerusalem.

l   The ultimate expression of God's glory is the mutual indwelling of God and man, fully realized in the New Jerusalem.

 

*Please refer to the 2024 Summer Live Training - Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) Message 10: The Glory and Glorification Revealed in the Gospel of John