Q3. His Own Glory and Goodness

[petero]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

a) Its a very awesome thought. Few things are relly awesome in life - like standing before a mighty waterfall, or volcano or the Grand Canyon, but there is lots in the bible thats awesome when you take the time to meditate on it. To have been called and chosen by God is truly amazing. To think that He, who knows everything, still choose me when He must have seen before I was born all that I would do and say and mess up - and yet still go ahead with the offer.

His glory and presence I think I'm yet to experience as I cannot recall being 'in the presence of God". Thats something I still hang out for.

c) His goodness and moral excellence makes me wish I was more like Him.

[Water]

Thank you petero and Sgt_Z_Squad ! I think you summed it up perfectly.

God through Jesus Christ calls me. What an honor and privilege!

Recently at work I applied for a position on a North American implementation team. There were only a few positions left to be filled. I thought about how I would feel if I was chosen, how proud and happy I would be that the team leaders and managers had confidence in me, how getting on the team would justify all the hard work and make up for all the stuff that I put up with.

I should be more excited about being chosen - being called - by Jesus to be one of His disciples.

Just think of it! The Creator of the world, the King of Everything, wants me on His team. He loves me. He knows I have potential. He will make sure I have someone to help polish off the rough edges. He wants me with Him...... I feel humble and honored and amazed and I do not want to let Him down. I want to follow His lead, do what He wants me to do, follow His example, not let Him down.

By the way, I did not get the job. I struggled with a bad attitude for awhile. Then I figured out that I don't really want to work 60 hour weeks - I want to have time for bible studies and for ministering to others. So it worked out for the best just like the King of the World promised it would!

[djmclaren]

1. That God would humble Himself to become a man and by Himself purge our sins and purchase eternal redemption, earns Him the highest praise. It earns Him all glory and honour. All might and majesty belongs to Him. There is no other, there is none other that could "open the seals" nor accomplish what He has done. It is to the glory of God that such a high and exalted One would deign to look upon such a worthless sinner. And not only so but while I was yet wallowing in my sin Christ died for me. He, the high and lofty One, embraced this filthy sin soaked wretch and drew me to Himself seating me with the princes of His people. Is there no glory in this? How could I refrain from praising Him and worshiping this King? He has called me by His own glory and by His goodness or virtue. He is unfailingly good, His love knows no limitations, beyond our comprehension. His goodness brings me to His heart where He embraces me and leads me to repentence. The picture is equally full when we consider that the King James version translates this Greek word as virtue. Virtue is seen as moral excellence, potency, power adequate to the production of a given effect. Who else but the spotless Lamb of God could secure salvation? What other power save that "which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places]," could do this?

2. To me the presence of God and His glory to the degree that I have experienced Him causes me to stand in awe. There is the realization that He loves me even in the face of my obvious unworthiness and receives me. I am struck with a deep reverence and search for some way that I might express my love for Him. I never want to leave His presence.

3. In the moment I may not sense the goodness of God but always I recognize His love. Over the years I have seen nothing but God's continual goodness and patience. I see how He has never left me alone even when in my stubbornness and self-will I have wandered from Him. His love has been constant and when I turn again He is there as He always has been. His love has not diminished.

[tamar]

To me his glory God is calling converted men and women to bring them to glory and uprightness. The effect his presence and glory has on is for me is to live according to his word,an dstrive to live a Christ like life.

[Helen]

Thank you Pastor Ralph. I love thinking about these wonderful questions of yours, and this one's a beauty. They really help to crystallise my faith.

Moses was attracted by God's presence in a burning bush. Saul/Paul was stunned by a light which threw him to the ground. The disciples were attracted by Jesus and wanted to know "Where He lived". God's glory is extremely attractive! When I first became a Christian it was the glory of his love, and the possibility of living life in the realm of His Love that excited me and drew me to Him - it still does - it was the light I needed in my darkness at the time.

Nowadays His glory and awesome presence are the most exciting event there is for me. I rejoice at the healing of the sick, at the redeeming of a life from addiction, prostitution, or just plain depression and lack of hope. I delight in the developing of a new Christian into a stable, joyful, fruitful example of wisdom and peace. I love to feel the presence of God as I enter my church, and think "I wonder what He will do today", or to wake up in the morning and ask, "What's it going to be today Lord?" knowing the unexpected will happen and be wonderful, knowing that I personally am involved in all that God does on the earth. It feels like I am in the glorymyself, inheriting a taste of Heaven in the here and now, even though there are other, lesser tastes about the place too!

His goodness is the backbone of the possibilities that He constantly offers us. It is shown in His faithfulness to heal, to love, to renew, and a hundred other ways in which He blesses us. It's constancy is our peace and joy.

His moral excellence is the outworking of His constant love, for He has designed everything as a constant, so that we are always certain of Him, need not fear His changing toward us, know that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, can build our lives on a firm foundation that does not shift with the tide or the rain.

How mighty and wonderful is our God and Father, how worthy of all praise and glory!

[Linda Stanley]

I have had to do this all over again.Took me an hour to print up my answer and my computer froze up.Lost it all.

God calls us by His own glory and goodness.As believers we accept the calling.God will provide for us what we need to accomplish what He has called us to do.His glory and awesome presence is with us.Being able to see His glory means so much to me.Just like in Moses time,he had to veil his face because the glory of God was upon him.God also did not leave Moses alone.God gave Moses the divine power to do what he needed to do.

Today we have that same divine power given to us,to carry out what God has called us to do.I myself can feel that electricfying presence when Holy Spirit is moving all around us.This is when things happen.People receive healing miracles.People are delivered from strongholds.In His presence people repent and receive Jesus as their Saviour.This is Gods glory and goodness we see with our own eyes.How can this not affect us.?We feel His awesome presence and know His goodness and moral excellence is upon us and all around us.Like Moses Gods glory was all around him.God in us and all around us,and goes with us with the power God gives us to enable us to do what God has asked us to do.We go beyond ourselves.This is what Gods glory and goodness means to me.

[PatrickWong_sg]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

Jesus is our model and I strive to imitate him but I know that no matter how hard I may try I will never be able to come close to the perfection of the Father. But I am very glad to know that despite my fallen nature, He still consider me worthy to be His son.

[heatherdills]

For me personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness" means that I am called to be in the presence of my God. God's glory and awesome Presence affects me in that I long for it more and more. His goodness and moral excellence affects me by making me want to be a better person, pleasing to Him!!!

[cingraham]

In HIM is everything we are and everything we can attain to. His glory and goodness have "called us" because in our response to these we reflect glory and goodness to him. Paul writes, "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" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

His glory and goodness draws me to him.

A natural response when we truly reflect on God's goodness and glory is expressed beautifully by David:

Psalm 63 1-5 "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

(I have prayed this verse to God many times, sometimes in the midst of joy, sometimes in the misdt of sorrow. God has heard my prayers and drawn me closer in relationship to Him by it! I urge you to do the same!)

[Dick Ross]

Having been called by God, we have the awesome job of being living mirrors to reflct His glory on this world. Trying to become more like the God I worship every day is the way I have chosen to live. Knowing all along, of course, that this is an impossible task, I am reconciled through the saving grace of my lord and savior Jesus Christ. This is God's world. I have only to worship Him and to give Him the glory He demands from me.He runs the show, which makes my life easier!! By picking up my cross each day and going in quest of a sinless day, I strive to be more like Him and less like me. He is all around me, but my radar is weak...

[peggysue]

because of God's goodness to us,itmakes us want to live a life for Him that is pure and Holy out of our love for Him

[Julie]

To all three I answer not worthy, not worthy to be called, not worthy to be in His presence, not worthy of His goodness. We do not choose Him, He chooses us, and I think why me, but God's ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and I know that I am so thankful that he has chosen me, for I would not want to be in this world without the Lord. For God's glory I rejoice and give praise. For God is all excellent, perfect, divine, I am being transformed into his Likeness through the Holy Spirit that lives inside me, for I have been given the Holy Spirit whom teaches us, brings us to remembrance, convicts us, guides us, speaks to us, intercedes for us, among others things. We have been given the Holy spirit to live a pure life, to be good, decent, modest, restrained and to live a simple life to love one another and to depend on no one but the lord.

[lucky]

This Verse speaks to me and tells me that God, in his Holiness has given me the power to forgive those who have done me wrong and at the same time ask them to for give me for causing it. I feel that God has always and will always be my strength and guiding power. I alone can not do anything, except draw strength through his word daily. It is my daily power (his holy word) of strength and guidence

[Mturner]

Gee, by Gods glory and goodness, means God is perfect in everyway. If I look at how my life has changed since I accepted God into my life, it is awesome. I know I will never get to perfect, but I can keep trying and striving.

[kas]

That the creator of all things should be mindful of man is mind blowing and that He should be mindful of me is even more so. I seek to grow in knowledge of Him through His word, prayer and application of His word in my life. To serve Him and glorify His name daily is my desire. I know that in time, my knowledge and my love will grow so that I think of Him always and therefore always try to live as He wills. When I try to grasp His Presence it puts me in awe. His goodness makes me realize how filthy I am and how unworthy I am and that it is only through His mercy, compassion, grace and love that I am saved.

[cct1106]

His presence in my life is total contentment, feel safe and secure. Feel that he loves me regardless of my shortcomings. He knows we are imperfect but because our faith is strong he knows we will fight temptations and continue to do his will.

[PressThrough]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

For me, being called by God happened a lot of times, and I was lifted up and excited, and tried to find a church to go to so as to receive instruction. The church's were either closed at the particular times, and one church didn't want to let me in because of my work's uniform, but finally did, but made me stand right at the rear door of the sanctuary area (it was also a packed house), but beside's that, they didn't want me there just because of my uniform. I didn't understand yet what was going on, so quit trying to find a church to hear & worship God in. Quickly my excitedness in God was smothered out by the woe's in my life. It wasn't until The Holy Spirit lifted me off of the couch I was sitting on, where I was talking to another person about how agnostic we were, and I was running circles around their living room, uncontrollable, excited, and professing that God is alive, he's alive, and I had my proof: I'm alive, Praise God! My cup runneth over with the goodness of God. I began to speak in other tongues, and this language developed more as I yeilded to our Lord. My eye's were opened to His Word and I began to understand. I can't get enough of Him. I am confident now in God's Being. It's very rare now that people deceive me to where I fall for it. God Wonderful Awesomeness brings me to a higher standard of living and holding myself, even though I don't have much money and live in a place where I am surrounded by darkness and nasty, vicious wiles of Satan. I am persecuted, although no where near that of our Beloved Saints & Other's martyred for testifying of our Lord. I get depressed and lonely over it at times, but the Love of God in me out weigh's it all in His Mercy, Glory, Peace, Joy, & Everything wonderful you could possible think of and feel. I have received Joy Unspeakable (confidence in God in me, and nobody can take that or my Hope in God away - or even my Hope that there are good people out there)!!! God's goodness and moral excellence affect's me to be the same - Humble through it all, wowa humility is awesome, it makes what ever you were being humble about, so personal between just you & God, and the internal glory that is received after such, is over the top. The Best, most wonderful. Ahhh, I love being close to Abba, and having tasted Him, I desire nothing else. Amen

[starrmax]

Q-3

a) it means that it was His choice to call me--I didn't merit His favor; and for His own purposes

makes me feel extremely privilegted and special...and humble

c) thankful, knowing my own sinfulness

[anmask]

I am in awe and humbled that I am so deserving of such a gift. And that in spite of my past He still loves me enough to offer this great gift of salvation so that I may live out eternity with Him. It makes me strive more to lead a life that will be pleasing to our Lord. Seeking His word and will for my life daily. Going out and serving Him. Striving to be more Christlike in all I do so that others will see that in me.

[cct1106]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

Because having to be full of the faith and doing what God requires of us gives me such great joy because I know even though I am imperfect he knows that I am striving daily to do good works, to get the accurate knowledge, and working to please him and most of all, I believe in the promises he has put before us.

[linda bass]

For me to be called by God's glory and goodness is just to awesome for me to comprehend. The longer I walk in the Christian life the greater I realize my sins and failures are compared to God's glory and holiness.

[aguilar-j]

TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED

THEN WE BECAME AWARE THAT WE HAVE

BEEN CALLED

THEN WE FIND OURSELVES DOING THINGS

THAT WE COULD NOT DO BEFORE

BY THE POWER OF THIS CALL

WE HAVE THE POWER OF REBUKING SATAN

OUR NATURE GROWS IN CHARACTER LIKE

NEVER BEFORE

WE LEARN TO ENDURE, PERSEVERE AND KNOW

IS GOD'S WILL IN OUR LIVES

THANKS BE TO GOD AND OUR LORD CHRIST JESUS

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU

[AngelOnLine]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"?

How amazing that thought is to me. To be personally called

[tizalouisa]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

The meaning of this passage is that He calls all of us personally. He bridged the gap that sin caused through the sacrifce of Jesus Christ and calls each one of us to cross that bridge.

How can mere words describe how being in the the presence of God

affects me? It is an experience that is the greatest most joyful times in my life. Sometimes I so long to go home to be with my Lord like Paul yet I know that I must stay and complete the tasks He has given me.

His goodness shows me how ugly the sin in me is.

[Karen Briggs]

Q3. (2 Peter 1:3) What does it mean for you personally to be called "by his own glory and goodness"? How does God's glory and awesome Presence affect you? How does his goodness and moral excellence affect you?

This means to me that my salvation is of God and not of works or anything I have done. At times I'm overwhelmed by His glory and prescence, but it is also a comfort and reassurance to me that he has everything in control according to His perfect plan for me. His goodness and moral excellence convicts me of sins and inspires me to try and be more lke Him.