How Long Will YouTurn
My Glory Into Shame?
Part 1

Glory and honour are in His presence;
strength and gladness are in His place.
I Chronicles 16:27-29

I like to be in His presence. I like to be in His place. Now, I don't mean that I'd like to take His place - but I would like to visit His place. One day that is our hope - that we'll visit God's place: the third heaven, the paradise of God. If we were before His throne and we were watching the affairs of the day, one thing would be so notable to us: that glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.

Give unto the Lord,
ye kindreds of the people,
give unto the Lord glory and strength.
I Chronicles 16:28

How can we give strength unto the Lord? We should commit our strength unto the Lord, loving Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We should put all we have in giving of ourselves unto the Lord, being in that place where we're going to reverence the Lord and give glory unto Him.

Do you think the church gives enough glory to God?

Give unto the Lord
the glory due unto His name:
bring an offering, and come before Him:
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
I Chronicles 16:29

This verse talks about something you should want to do. When you come to church you should give unto the Lord the glory due His name.

There are some things that are due, and we must give that. For example you go to the gas company to give them the money that is due for the month's gas bill. And here it speaks to us that we ought to give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name. Do that with all of your heart. Do it every day.

Then we are to bring an offering into the sanctuary, coming before Him worshipping Him in the beauty of holiness. We think of the beauty of some person or some thing - but what about the beauty of holiness? What about the beauty of worshipping the Lord in holiness? Holiness, as far as God is concerned, is always illustrated to us in this realm: the beauty of holiness.

In II Chronicles 20 we find where King Jehoshaphat had three armies joined together to come against him. Jehoshaphat prayed, and the Lord told him what to do.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:
set yourselves, stand ye still,
and see the salvation of the Lord with you,
O Judah and Jerusalem:
fear not, nor be dismayed;
to morrow go out against them:
for the Lord will be with you.
II Chronicles 20:17

They went out to the battle as God said, and Jehoshaphat gave instructions as to what they were to do:

And when he had consulted with the people,
he appointed singers unto the Lord,
and that should praise the beauty of holiness,
as they went out before the army,
and to say,
Praise the Lord;
for His mercy endureth for ever.
II Chronicles 20:21

Praise the beauty of holiness! Our God is holy - altogether holy and righteous. We've got to understand that God is holy - and that God commands us to be holy, as He is holy. In the Scriptures we are taught that it is given to us to be a holy people. It is also given us to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

First of all, in our worship we are coming before the Lord - and He is holy. We are coming into the presence of God Almighty, Who is holy. Therefore, coming into His holy presence, we come to worship in the beauty of holiness. It's beautiful, though we don't see Him. We don't see Him, yet we know Him - and we know He is holy: very holy! truly, altogether holy!

How we should desire in the depths of our hearts to be holy and to be like Him. You say you want to be like Him. Well, to be like Him is to be holy. Don't forget that! You can't be like Him, and not be holy. You won't be like Him, without being holy.

To be holy is to be pure. Some look holy on the outside - but what about the inside? The Lord told the Pharisees that they were like a cemetery, like graves that look impressive on the outside, but underneath is the rottenness of dead men's bones!

Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward,
but are within full of dead men's bones,
and of all uncleanness.
Matthew 23:27

We have to make sure that in our holiness, and in our desire to be holy, that we are not like this. The scribes and Pharisees really got it when Jesus dressed them down: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! This shows the sore displeasure of t he Lord. He talked about all the thing they did that weren't good nor right. They weren't holy. They weren't right inside. They tried hard to make a n outward appearance. They wore their uniform - like sailors and marines wear uniforms that identify who they are. The scribes and Pharisees didn't look bad to the eye - but inwardly they stunk like dead men's bones. They were rotten inwardly.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:6

What a privilege! One day to see God - not just feel Him; not just experience Him in the way we do while here upon this earth. In that day we will come into His presence and see Him.

Give unto the Lord
the glory due unto His name:
bring an offering, and come before Him:
worship the Lord
in the beauty of holiness.
I Chronicles 16:29

The name of the Lord! Think of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ - the name that God so highly honored and exalted.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him,
and given Him a name
which is above every name.
Philippians 2:9

God exalted His Son to the top of the list. There's no name above His name. His na me expresses to us great power and great authority. How we ought to honor and glorify His name. How we ought to speak that name with respect. We should never take His name lightly, irreverently. We should take His name very seriously, knowing that there is a power in His name. It is given unto us that we could exercise faith in His name. Through faith in His name we can see wonderful things accomplished. Let's reverence that name. Let's come before the Lord with the thought in our hearts that we have come to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Why don't you look into the Scriptures and follow that topic on your own.

David's Prayer

Hear me when I call,
O God of my righteousness:
Thou hast enlarged me
when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me,
and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

We would expect David to say this. The thing he wanted and desired was that God would hear him when he prayed. This is what I would desire. I would feel awful in my heart to think that the hea vens overhead were brass, and my words would never reach unto God, that He would never hear; or that He would turn His ear from me because He didn't want to hear from me.

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness. We who believe on the Lord with all of our hearts, who have believed in the Lord Jesus and the Gospel of salvation surely have His righteousness given to us as a gift, something we receive by faith. It's cre dited to our account in heaven. It's imputed unto us.

His righteousness, then, is my righteousness. I have His perfect account. That's transferred to me by faith.

Abraham believed God
and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Romans 4:3

You and I who believe that Jesus died and rose again from the dead, confessing with our mouth and believing with our heart - we find, then, that God not only saves us, but also gives us righteousness.

For with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness:
and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10

Let's think, now, about the God of our righteousness:

Hear me when I call,
O God of my righteousness:
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me,
and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

David is saying, Lord, I was there before. I came to you when I was in great distress, and You had mercy upon me. Lord, I'm back! Hear my prayer . He knew where to go. He knew when he prayed he got answers, he got response from God. And isn't that what you want?

We want to pray and get answers from God. What's more important to us than that? If we get no answers from God we'll have a lot of lack in our life. There'll be a lot of distresses along the way, and we'll just have to grin and bear them - when we could bring them to God, and God wou ld help us and sustain us.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19

The righteous will pray. The righteous will look to the Lord - and He will surely hear.

O ye sons of men,
how long will ye turn My glory into shame?
how long will ye love vanity,
and seek after leasing?
Psalm 4:2

O ye sons of men, how long will you turn My glory into shame? Some things ought to come to an end. Some things we ought to see as a great need to remove from our hearts and lives. One of those things is that we would cease turning the glory of God into shame.

. . . how long will you love vanity?} What is vanity?
Emptiness; vain things; things that don't profit. How many things do you love that are empty? It's like someone wrapping up a big empty box and mailing it to you. When you get the box, you think you're really going to get something! but when you open it, all that's there is vanity. There's nothing there. It was a nice box - but there was nothing in it.

How vain many things are. It's vain to believe in Jesus and not separate ourselves from the world. It's vain to believe in Jesus and not separate ourselves from sin, and turn to Him with all of our heart. That would be vain. It wouldn't profit us.

What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?
Romans 6:1

Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? That would be vanity. We're going to continue in sin, and hope that somehow grace will abound in our life? This would be something we would do that would be very grievous to the Lord, very grievous to the Holy Spirit. God forbid.

How shall we,
that are dead to sin,
live any longer therein?
Romans 6:2

... and seek after leasing? This is not talking about leasing cars. It is speaking of a sin. Leasing here is the act of lying and falsehood.

How long will we seek after lies? or falsehoods? How long will we be like our generation, that is seeking somebody to come along and tell them the things that tickle the ear? Oh, I like to hear that! That sounds smooth to me. That sounds good. It doesn't ruffle my sinful feathers one bit. It just smoothes them down like stroking a pussycat. We have to be careful that we're not seeking after lies or vanity.

Some people say they feel empty. No wonder they feel empty! What are they seeking after? They seek that box that has nothing in it. Many are seeking, without finding the real deep joy of the experience, because they've been seeking after lies and following after vanity.

We have to learn we may be guilty of turning the glory of God into shame. And when we love vanity and seek after leasing that's exactly what we'll do! turn the glory of God into something else. We don't want to turn the glory of God into shame - do we?

This gets down to a deep subject when you start dealing with it. It might step on your toes! And it might open your eyes somewhere to say, That's me! The question I want you to ask yourself is - How long? How long will I turn the glory of God into shame ?

But know
that the Lord hath set apart
him that is godly for Himself:
the Lord will hear when I call unto Him.
Psalm 4:3

God has set apart the godly for Himself: a godly man! a godly woman! God has set them apart unto Himself. In our relationship let's remember that this is God's plan, God's purpose - to take and set you apart as His own. He's setting you apart as a godly person.

Now, if we're set apart as a godly person, then we're sanctified (set apart unto God). We are someone that God wants. God doesn't want everybody in the state they're in. There are some folks who just can't get close to God, who might want to know why.

Well, God wants those who are set apart unto Him, those who are godly. These He will set apart unto Himself. This is expressed in the context of Psalm 4: the Lord will hear when I call unto Him. If I'm set apart unto the Lord as a godly person, then I'm brought into the relationship where I can look up and say that the Lord will hear me when I call unto Him.

You want the Lord to hear - but do you want to live an unholy, unrighteous life? do you want to be empty and vain? do you want to be vain in your imaginations and thoughts? do you want to live in a dream world ? do you want to live in a mental cesspool? Do you want any of that?

Stand in awe, and sin not:
commune with your own heart upon your bed,
and be still.
Psalm 4:4

In gleaning from things David wrote, things that he did, we note that the bed he slept on was often wet with tears. David would lie on his bed and worship God, and pray, and commune heart to heart with God. And David was drawn into a very deep and close relationship with the Lord. This is something that we should want.

Stand in awe, and sin not. How can you have a close relationship with God, and not stand back in awe at times? There's so much to look at, so much to behold, so much to fathom. The more our eyes are enlightened and our hearts are opened, and our knowledge of Him is increased, and our relationship with Him is broadened - the more we'll stand back in awe of Him. And the more we see Him, the more we experience Him, the more we know Him - the more we'll want to refrain from sinning, the more we'll want to be clean, pure, and wholesome.

Commune with your own heart. There's a means within your own heart to talk with God, to reach out and commune with God. There's a realm of praying - and there's a realm of really communing with God. Sweet is the fellowship and glorious is the way when we commune with the Lord out of our own heart. Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. A time to reach out with your heart, and a time to just be still and receive back with your heart. So, from the heart we both send the message up and bring the message back.

The Example of Paul

Brethren,
be followers together of me,
and mark them which walk
so as ye have us for an ensample.
Philippians 3:17

I think something is strongly said by Paul here: be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. Why does he say me there? Be followers of me. Shouldn't he be saying, Be followers of the Lord? I think what he said is right and proper because it is the inspired Word of God. Paul was ministering to these people. He had brought the gospel to them. He showed them the way.

And all the time he was doing it, it was in his heart to do what was right so that he would be an example. He was always setting an example for others to follow. He wasn't out there begging for money (a lot of preachers haven't found that out yet). He wasn't out trying to raise money from the heathen, lest they should get thoughts that his gospel was just a means to raise money.

Rather, he worked with his own hands many times to earn money for his own support and even for some who helped him. He was a good example. He made his life an example to them: and, therefore, he wasn't ashamed to tell them to be followers together of him.

Notice what else he said, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample . He set the pace with his own life, and then encouraged others to look at those who followed on to walk after his example. In their walking after his example they could see what God expected of them.

We all should be careful to be a good example. Know that you are an epistle well read of all men. You're like a book of Galatians. You're like a letter someone sat down and wrote about you - by seeing you and watching you and listening to you. When they're reading you, what are they saying about what they see? Are they saying it looks like you're turning the glory of God into shame?

We're epistles known and well read of all men. Let's live this life carefully, then.

And let's remember we deal with people. We work with people. We are seen every day. We are heard every day. And it requires of us that we be an example.

For many walk, of whom I told you often,
and now tell you even weeping,
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Philippians 3:18

Paul saw a lot of men who were the enemies of Christ. He saw them as enemies of the cross. Their work was like the work of Cain, who wanted nothing to do with the blood of the sacrifice and brought fruit and vegetables to offer unto God. Abel offered of his flock a blood sacrifice. But Cain, even though he knew God accepted his brother's offering, refused. To be accepted, all Cain had to do was go back and do likewise - but he refused.

Many in our day would be considered enemies of the cross because they deny the blood of Jesus, denying the sacrifice of Calvary's Cross. We look at the shedding of His blood. On the day His blood was shed there were mockers and scoffers. They stood around Him as vultures, mocking Him: but His blood was shed even for their sin.

Let's not be enemies of the cross. Let's not be against the sacrifice of Christ. After all, there would be no salvation without it.

I think what we need to consider, then, that we have examples we should follow. Though we don't have Paul, we do have his writings and teachings in Word.

Whose end is destruction;
whose god is their belly;
and whose glory is their shame:
who mind earthly things.
Philippians 3:19

The summation of these three verses - the three whoses:

• whose end is destruction
• whose god is their belly
• whose glory is their shame

The people, in what they were doing, weren't making it. They didn't know the consequences of being enemies of the cross, what this was doing to them. They were trampling under foot the blood of Christ. They were doing despite to the spirit of grace. They were doing things that God warns His people not to do.

There's a way that seems right unto men,
but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Prov 16:25

A lot of people walk, but they are walking in such a way - not knowing that the end of their way is destruction.

Is your belly a god to you? He's not talking about your stomach. He's talking about what you do with it. Some are taken up with drunkenness. Their god is their belly. They have to have another drink. They live to drink. Then there's the glutton, those who live in reveling and surfeiting. Luke 21 tells us not to do this.

The glory of their life is their shameful existence. So their glory is turned to shame. They glory in how bad they are, not in how righteous or godly they are.

They're not spiritual. They're carnal, trying to live a carnal experience. They're lacking for knowledge and understanding. Their heart and mind are on earthly things. They're not spiritual. They don't want to be spiritual. And their end is destruction.

Why go through all of this if all it's going to do is lead you down the drain? Why not go back to the drafting board and return to square one: I missed getting saved. I didn't go to the altar. I didn't repent. I didn't come under the blood of Jesus. I didn't turn to believe the Gospel. What they did wasn't ample. It wasn't sufficient. And so it brought them to destruction and great shame.

And they even gloried in their shame. Many are very proud, and they glory in their pride. They glory in the pride of life. Hey, we can't glory in any of these things and think that we're going to make it.

Destroyed For Lack of Knowledge

Sometimes we see things that make us wonder. We can't seem to figure out the reason why. I don't know why this thing won't work! I did everything I could do. I shook it up; I tore it apart and put it back together - but it won't work. I don't know why.

Maybe you're the problem! Maybe you and your screwdriver are the problem. But you can't see it.

My people are destroyed
for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected knowledge,
I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to Me:
seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children.
Hosea 4:6

God's people are destroyed - He said, My people. They should have been hearing from the priest. They should have been taught of the priest. They should have heard the Word from the mouth of the priest. And they should have understood.

Then there's the second realm, I don't want to hear it! They stick their fingers in their ears because they don't want to hear. That would be rejecting knowledge, wouldn't it? We have pictures like that given us in the Scripture where they stop their ears, they wouldn't let the words of the prophets penetrate into their ears.

Who were they hurting? They hurt themselves. God said that because they rejected knowledge, He would also reject them. They reject God's Word, and God rejects them, and they don't make it. God would reject their priesthood - seeing they had forgotten the law of their God.

The priest is empty. There's that empty box being sent out. The reason he sends out all these empty boxes to the people is because all he has is a bigger box - and that's empty. He takes some empty from his big box to put in the smaller boxes, and sends them out to his congregation. What are they hearing? They're not hearing anything. He's empty. So all of his people are also empty, because there is no knowledge.

So the failure of the priest could be the failure of God's people. That word could be preacher, pastor, teacher, evangelist - any New Testament title. So bear in mind that we don't want to be in the realm where we would be destroyed for lack of knowledge.

How important our church is to us! We come to church to worship, to praise and magnify the Lord, and to pull up at His table - letting Him feed our heart and soul from His Word. The pastor does this because this is what he is called to do; and God uses that vessel to speak unto the people that they would have this knowledge of Him. God wants you to have knowledge of Him. God wants you to have knowledge of His Word, and the teaching of His ways. Everyone, without exception, should realize how important it is for them to sit up and listen.

Would you want your children to be forgotten of God? Your actions could cause something like that to happen. So the action of the priest would cause his own children, also, to be forgotten of God. That's a strong statement, isn't it?

What he's sowing he's reaping. He's sowing a whirlwind in the house of God, failing to do his duty in giving knowledge to the people. He's not giving any knowledge to them.

Do you suppose he's home having devotion with his children every night? Do you suppose he's teaching his children the ways of the Lord? or are they left in the same state as the others are, without the knowledge of God?

So, it would cause a rejection, and God's people being destroyed for lack of knowledge. God forbid that I should do something like that to you! God forbid that you should do something like that to your children! God forbid that any of us fail the call of God!

Let's be faithful. God expects of us that we do this. Remember when Jesus spoke to His disciples in the last chapter of the Gospel of John. He turned to Peter and began to deal with him personally about feeding his lambs and about feeding his sheep. He asked Peter three times, Lovest thou Me more than these? He spoke carefully to Peter to put deeply into his heart that he had a duty and an obligation to feed God's flock.

Steam started to rise under Peter's collar. It irked him that Jesus would ask that. He felt pressured, feeling that others were looking at him. Why is He picking on me? Why is He signaling me out? Remember, what Jesus said to Peter He said to all. He said it to you and He said it to me.

Now, what is the end of this matter of people being destroyed for lack of knowledge?

As they were increased,
so they sinned against Me:
therefore will I change their glory into shame.
Hosea 4:7

The end of the matter. They seemed to be increased - but their increase was only causing them more and more to sin against God.

A little different statement is made here of them: therefore will I change their glory into shame. God spoke in the other accounts to tell us how they turned His glory into shame. Here we see the end product where God will change their glory into shame.

Do you glory in anything? The Bible says, If any man glory, let him glory in the Lord. Don't glory in yourself. There's nothing gained by glorying in yourself. The glory of the young man is his strength. He's got big muscles: who can lift the most? who can do this? and who can do that?

The glory of the old man is his hoary head. He loses all the color in his hair, but the gray - and that turns white.

We don't want to be in the place where we're destroyed for lack of knowledge. And we don't want to be in the place where God would turn our glory into shame.

A lot of things are said about this in the Scriptures. We have to go yet farther to understand it.

The Glory Of Man

And God said,
Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness:
and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air,
and over he cattle,
and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:26

As you read the creation account you see where God had a particular plan in mind for man. His plan was in how He would make us, and how we would be associated with Him in creation.

We have a special place with Him. He made the earth with all the creatures and all that is upon it. But when it came to man, God gave man a special place. Man was God's choice part of His creation. This is the reason God created this planet - for us. Then He created us and placed us upon it. And He has a purpose in all this. The purpose of God is clear right from the start, then: Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.

So God created man in His own image,
in the image of God created He him;
male and female created He them.
Genesis 1:27

It talks specifically about the man; and then about them. Man was created in the image of God. The woman was not created in the image of God, the man was. Here in Genesis 1:26,27 is where it started, back there in the early creation.

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head,
forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God:
but the woman is the glory of the man.
I Corinthians 11:7

This verse explains what it said in Genesis. There's a glory attached to the man. He is created with this attachment. If the man is the image and glory of God, then he ought to watch what he's doing - lest that glory be turned to shame! We should be careful what we do with this body that was created in the image of God. After all, it belongs to Him. The Scriptures clearly tells us that we're not our own for we are bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:19,20). I think about my life and my relationship, then, with Him.

I know I should not cover my head when I pray because Christ is my head. My head - meaning the head of my life. I can't put something between me and Him. Whatever it is, if it's no more than putting a hat on when I pray or prophesy, then I dishonor the Lord - because I'm trying to hide under an umbrella some way from being His image and glory.

Whereas it's the opposite with the woman. She wears a covering on her head. The reason she does is given in this Scripture, because the man is her head. She is the glory of the man.

But if a woman have long hair,
it is a glory to her:
for her hair is given her for a covering.
I Corinthians 11:15

What you've got to understand in your heart about what God is saying concerning turning His glory into shame - the man is created in the image and glory of God. That glory is God's glory! It's God's glory, but it's given to man. One day we're going to be glorified together with Christ. His glory will be with us, and it will remain.

Now, what about your glory? What about the glory of God in your life? Brothers, consider for yourself, what about that? What are you doing with this glory?

Jesus,
The Brightness of God's Glory

We have to read some other Scriptures to develop this point a little further. We are going to look at some Scriptures where you can see this glory in true form.

Who being the brightness of His glory,
and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things
by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:3

Who is this verse speaking of? Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It's very clear in what it has to say about Him: being the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His person.

When we see Jesus we see the brightness of God's glory; and we also see the express image of God's person. In John 14 the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father. And Jesus said he that has seen Him has seen the Father. He was the exact image of His Father. So if you saw Jesus then you saw God the Father. I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. The disciples had a hard time handling that. They couldn't grasp it all: yet it is true. And today, when you see Jesus in the Scriptures, remember that He is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His person.

Think about the day when Jesus was up on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John:

And was transfigured before them:
and His face did shine as the sun,
and His raiment was white as the light.
Matthew 17:1-9.

I want you to think about Jesus in this light, because, after all, we were created in His image - and He was in His Father's image.

Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature.
Colossians 1:15

So, Jesus would have pre-eminence in all things. He would be the first to take on immortality and eternal life. Because He went this way and took this form, so will we.

But we see Jesus,
Who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour;
that He by the grace of God
should taste death for every man.
Hebrews 2:9

This shows us what Jesus would do, and how it fits the plan and purpose of God. He was made a little lower than the angels to take on the form of man. He took on this form of man for the suffering of death.

He had to take on a form where He could die. By the eternal Spirit He could not die. You just don't die if you're eternal. God cannot die because He is eternal. He has always lived - and He always will live. Here, now, Jesus took on the form of man that He might suffer and die for us.

Now, if He was made a little lower than the angels when He took on the form of man - then, consider, that man was made a little lower than the angels, but will be exalted in glory above all of the angels in his heavenly state. We won't be called angels. We will be called sons. That's what we are, and we don't know altogether what we will be.

So we see here Jesus being made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death - but, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

We see a picture here: He, Himself, was crowned with glory and honour - and He, Himself, would taste death for every man. He took on the form of man: and He suffered and died for man. He identified Himself with us:

Wherefore in all things it behooved Him
to be made like unto His brethren,
that He might be
a merciful and faithful high priest
in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation
for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 2:17

It was important that Jesus followed this course, because, after all, God created man in His own image and glory - so why should Jesus be ashamed to be like us! He is the very express image of God, far above us.

We have to see ourselves in the realm where we belong. And we have to see ourselves in the realm of being created in the image and glory of God. That hasn't gone away. We're in the image and glory of God today.

The question is, What are we doing with that?

Are we living unto that honour? unto that glory? Are we, then, taking the estate that God made us in and doing what brings it up, not pushing it down?

We bring it up by committing ourselves and submitting ourselves to God, walking with Him in the holiness and righteousness of God as we're called - so that the glory God made us in is not in vain.

Forasmuch then
as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
He also Himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death He might destroy
him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil;
and deliver them who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Hebrews 2:14,15

So Jesus came and took on the form of man for the suffering of death - that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. The reason is very important to you and me.

Under the law of sin and death, remember it was Satan who came into the garden. It was Satan who beguiled Eve and caused the fall of man, bringing man down to this low estate. Jesus came to suffer death and destroy him that had the power of death. That is, He would render the devil ineffective. The devil cannot hold that power over those who are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. We're not under the law of sin and death.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2

Jesus rendered the devil ineffective to hurt us through that fall any more. We have been redeemed from the fall. We're brought back unto God and are given life, that we can go on with Him. We should be thankful in our hearts how important that is. He delivered us from the bondage of the fear of death.

Do you fear dying? Those fears shouldn't have any power over you. To die is a victory, not a loss. To die is not to go to the grave, but to go to heaven. Your physical body will go to the grave, but you (who are saved) will go to heaven.

They won't bury you, they will bury the house you live in. If you took your home and buried it in a hole, the house would be covered with dirt. It would be gone, buried: but you don't live in it any more. You got out before they buried it.

At death we go to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So we shouldn't be subject all our life any longer to the bondage of the fear of death. A Christian has no reason to fear.

Unbelief will make you fear, worrying about what will happen when you die. But we have already been told what will happen: to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When the body is dead you're not there any more. The real you is gone unto the Lord. So we don't have to be in the bondage of fear.

In making a little summary here, I'm going to put this whole thought together for you.

You men have to stop and consider that you were created back in Adam's creation. We all came from his loins. We all came down from the same family. We need to recognize that man was created in the image and glory of God. We need to also recognize that we were all born in the state of coming short of the glory of God:

All have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

What a job sin has done on us! The way man has taken the body God created in His image and glory, and abused our body over and over. In the sinful indulgence we lived in what we did to ourselves! Had we known what we were doing to ourselves would we have done it? You did it ignorantly (sometimes).

But look at yourself as being in the image and glory of God today, and ask, What am I doing with my life now? Are you still abusing your body with sinful indulgence? Can Christians still turn the glory into shame? Take a look at yourself.

Note what the devil 's temptations are to you. Recognize that his temptations are to get you to go further down the road of turning the glory of God into shame. We see Christians doing things many times which bring shame unto God! There's a lot of areas where we have to stop and consider that it's possible for us to turn the glory of God into shame! the glory of God in us!

Respect the Glory of God

This is pretty important for us to consider. We need to respect the glory of God, the glory of God that's upon us every day

How pleased God was with His own dear Son. When He saw His Son He saw the glory wherein He made man in His image and likeness. He saw a true picture of what that would be. He saw His Son Jesus, whose life was sinless, whose life did not trample that glory under foot. That glory was made manifest.

We see the glory of Jesus in so many ways. He glorified His Father. He brought glory to His Father's name. He honoured His Father. And we look to see how God honoured His Son. We see that relationship of the Father and Son is the same kind of relationship that He wants with every one of us.

Every one of us men should have that same kind of glory about us - because we were made in His image and glory. Therefore each of us has to stop and consider where we are now. This is what God wants from us. He wants us to come up a ways. He wants us to come up in our relationship where our life truly manifests that glory. That glory should be seen. Somebody who is truly saved and sanctified, filled with God's Spirit, walking in the light of God's Word as a man should live and walk - surely, will reflect that glory back unto God. God will see that glory. He will be pleased with that glory.

But we can turn to bring it all to shame. We can't afford to let shame come into this picture. It just doesn't belong there. We must consider that our own place in the Lord is one where we're to bring glory. Our life should glorify God every day.

How God would manifest His own glory to us! How He wants us to see His glory! He said the whole world was full of His glory. You can see His glory everywhere. The brightest place to see it should be in the lives of men who have consecrated their hearts and lives, surrendering totally to Jesus Christ. Our life should radiate that glory unto God - we who are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost.

And our spouses ought to be right at our side. We may be their head, but they want to be able to see, first of all, that our own life is a true life, a godly life, a sincere life. Their life is represented before God through the headship that He established.

So each of us has to put ourselves into the position where we see that it's important to us that we don't turn God's glory to shame. We've got to stop that, stop those activities that bring shame and not glory. That's not good for you. It's like someone doused you with a bucket of skunk juice and presented you before the throne. You'd be obnoxious! Let's not turn our glory to shame.

The Glory of  Woman

The woman is spoken of as being the glory of her husband. Maybe women don't like that. God saw it was a good thing. It brought a relationship with God in the house, a good, godly relationship.

Doesn't a woman have any glory? She's the glory of her husband. The Bible also says that her long hair was for her glory (I Corinthians 11). I don't hear very many call it that: but God says long hair is for her glory.

Now, nobody makes her hair any longer than it grows. Long hair to some is not very long, but that's as long as it can grow. If that's the situation, then her hair is her glory nonetheless - though it be shorter than some. If that's as long as it can grow, then it's long for her. Others have hair that grow and grow past their waist.

Do you want long hair? It is for your glory. It's like a crown of glory on your head - a covering for your head.

God will recognize a woman who will let her hair grow long. She is wanting heaven to know that she isn't lording it over her husband. He's her head and she must submit to that head. If she just wears her long hair, that's ample covering in God's sight.

But mere symbols mean nothing without facts. I mean, you could put a mattress over your head and say it's covered! when you're heart doesn't line up to the manner in which God's Word would teach

There's a glory - and that's what you're looking at. The woman is the glory of her husband - and her hair is given as a covering for her and for her glory. The glory of being in subjection to your husband brings a glory into your life before God. God sees you in the state you're in. Don't put the man's glory to shame. If you're the head of the house, and you're a woman, it brings shame. If you take your husband to task, it brings a shame. It takes away the glory of the man, putting his glory to shame. There he is, led around by his nose. It shouldn't be that way.

Man as head - not boss. A man should be the head of his home. Not the boss, the head! Not the big mouth, the head! The head is a spiritual relationship, where man in the eyes of God is responsible for his whole house. God gave him his wife for his glory - not someone else's glory. It is your responsibility as the head of the home to respect the glory of the wife. It's given of God.

God looks down on a family: and there's a man whom He is head of; then there's a wife who that man is the head of. It's all there before His eyes. He sees it. It must be there in fact, too. There's got to be some submission. It's like having two heads when you're married and two minds. That's not a bad situation. But you don't have two heads when it comes to headship. God doesn't want us to throw one away and have a mindless woman! No, that's not what God has given to us. Let's be in the place where we respect the headship of God. That's very important for all of us.

Sometimes things are not in order - and we don't want them in order, we don't keep them in order - being out of order. Sometimes you see a sign in the restroom: Out of Order. You know what that means. Something doesn't work. Get your house set in order. You know what I mean? We should have our house set in order. That's not hard to do. It just means that we take what God gives us:

Likewise, ye husbands,
dwell with them according to knowledge,
giving honour unto the wife,
as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together
of the grace of life;
that your prayers be not hindered.
I Peter 3:7

Heirs together of the grace of life. We don't want to fight against each other. We are heirs together of the same things - the grace of life. So we both have life. And if woman need a hope, there's hope in this - when you go to heaven, are you going to be a woman or a man? We'll be as the angels of God - quite different. Marriage ends with death.

I'm going to leave this here for now, and we'll look at more on this subject in another message. This message just gets deeper. It's about the man's glory, and about a woman coming to her full glory as a woman. The glory ought to be in us. It ought to be there. I think that lacking understanding can cause us to be in the place where this doesn't seem to matter.

I want to bring you back to that first opening thought:

HOW LONG
WILL YOU TURN MY GLORY INTO SHAME?
HOW LONG?

As we go along in our next message you'll find that makes more sense to you. And you'll also find a lot of areas where this is something we need to consider.

Follow this link to read Part 2 of this sermon.  We also encourage you to listen to a series of companion audio sermons preached in a series of anointed revival meetings.