The Eternal Standing O

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2Tim 4:18).

And the Crowd Goes Wild!

A spectacular performance results in an enormous ovation. Like the packed house at a concert jumping to its feet when the band rocks their encore. Like the standing-room-only crowd at a stadium celebrating a score. The better the show, the longer the cheers.

You might think this would be the last thing a prisoner on Death Row would be writing about. There’s not much to celebrate when you’re in your final days of walking the Green Mile. Prison? Cheers? Ovations? Celebrations? Unless you’re the Apostle Paul.

A Letter from Death Row

It’s late in the year 67 AD. The place is Rome, specifically a nasty dungeon known as the Mamertine Prison. Paul is a condemned man (2Tim 4:6-7). He’s writing one last letter to his spiritual son, a young preacher named Timothy (2Tim 1:2).

While he’s desperate for one last chance to see him (2Tim 4:9, 21), the apostle knows his situation is about to change. Drastically change. Radically change. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (v18).

Busting out of the Joint

Paul knows he’s getting out of the joint soon. Very soon. But not because the emperor will grant him a pardon. Not because a judge will overturn his conviction. Not because of some plot to bust him out of the joint. No, he’s not walking through the prison doors to freedom. He’s walking through the door of death and into the gates of Heaven.

Jesus is coming to his rescue as He’s done so many times before. But this time it’s different. This time it’s permanent. This time it’s paradise. And when Christ carries him home, the apostle is going to cheer like never before. He’s going to celebrate God with the rest of creation.

The applause will be loud and long because the performance has been unmatched. Great big cheers for our great big God. It’s going to be the Eternal Standing O. And nobody deserves it like Jesus.

Double Deliverance

Maybe you’re wondering the reason behind all the raving applause. Specifically, Paul says it’s because “the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (v18). This is double deliverance. Out of evil. Into joy. Talk about going from worst to first!

First of all, the apostle tells Tim how Jesus is the ultimate Lifeguard who “will rescue me” (v18). He uses a Greek verb here (Gr. ρυομαι/ruomai) which means to bring someone out of severe danger, deliver, draw out of desperation. 

It actually comes from a root word which describes a fast-moving current, rip tide, or raging river. Picture a lifeguard jumping down out of the tower and sprinting into the surf.

The Gospel according to Baywatch?

Okay, I realize this conjures up images of David Hasselhoff and the Baywatch gang running in slo-mo down the wearing red swimming suits. But seriously, have you ever seen a highly trained lifeguard risk their own life to save someone who’s struggling to survive in the surf? Maybe you’ve been the one they’ve brought back and rescued.

When your lungs are filling with water, a lifeguard doesn’t stand up in his chair and shout swimming instructions to you over a bullhorn. This is no time to learn the backstroke or butterfly. You don’t need an education. You need a rescuer who will get personally involved and come to you!

Jesus to the Rescue

That’s exactly what Jesus has done for Paul, for you, and for me. When we were drowning in the sea of our own sin, He didn’t yell for us to swim harder. Christ jumped up from lap of Heaven’s luxury and dove headlong into the mess we made in order to save us.

We can’t save ourselves. None of us can. Not you. Not me. Not them. We can give it everything to get out of this rip tide of rebellion but it won’t happen.  We don’t earn our rescue. We can’t obey our way to safety. The only way we’re going to make it is when our Lord does what He does best. Save. That is, after all, why we call Him our Savior!

The Great Exchange

Our salvation is all part of a crazy swap that some folks refer to as the Great Exchange. In one of his letters to Corinthian Christ followers, Paul talks about how Father God had His sinless Son grab our utter rebellion and give us His absolute obedience (2Cor 5:21). 

He does for us what we could never do for ourselves. Christ doesn’t teach us how to swim. He dives in to take our sin. But He doesn’t stop there. Jesus graciously exchanges our badness for His goodness. I told you it was a crazy swap.

But there’s a bit of problem. Too many of us don’t think we need to be saved. We don’t realize we’re being carried away by the current. When Jesus comes to our rescue, we tell Him to leave us alone. We’re fine. We fight against Him like so many drowning victims struggle against the lifeguard. Relax. He’s got you.

Dirty Deeds

Paul points out that he’s counting our Savior to pull his sorry carcass out of danger from “every evil deed” (v18). Not just some evil deeds. We’re talking all of them. Every. Single. One. If you’ve been following the apostle’s current situation, that would include anything thrown at him by guys like Alexander who’s been a real pain (2Tim 4:14).

When we serve the Lord and start spreading His message, we’re going to face opposition. Moments before He’s betrayed and murdered, Jesus warns His team how they can expect to be hated since the world hates Him (Jn 15:18-20). 

Christ also tips us off to our supernatural enemy known as Satan. The devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy anything and everything that has to do with God’s kingdom and Jesus’ followers (Jn 10:10).

Self-Inflicted Wounds

But there’s a massive pile of “evil deeds” (v18) from which the Lord saves us as well. Those self-inflicted wounds. Those dirty deeds I’ve done to myself. Paul tells believers in Rome of his own struggle with sin after Jesus saved him (Rom 7:14-20). He desperately wants to do the right thing but all too often he is his own worst enemy.

Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Taken the t-shirt to Goodwill. Too often my biggest enemy is the goofball looking back at me in the morning mirror. As if I don’t have enough problems dealing with a culture which opposes Christ and the devil, I’m also in a cage fight with my own flesh.

The apostle reassures Tim that Jesus will eventually rescue us from all of them. Sound familiar? Paul seems to echo the words of Christ when He coaches up His crew on prayer. The Lord closes His model prayer by saying, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver (Gr. ρυομαι/ruomai) us from evil” (Mt 6:13).

From the Outhouse to the Penthouse

The man from Tarsus goes on to say that the Lord won’t just pull him out of trouble and leave him there. Picture an accident scene on the shoulder of a busy interstate. A good samaritan pulls an unconscious person out of a burning car. But instead of calling 9-1-1 and waiting for an ambulance, the dude drives away, leaving the victim in his rearview mirror.

Paul knows our Savior won’t just save his eternal bacon but promises to “bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (v18). This is double deliverance we talked about earlier. From the outhouse of evil. To the penthouse of paradise. Just like we can’t imagine what the Son of God left to come to our rescue, there’s no way we can wrap our minds around what it will be like to spend eternity with Him.

Draw Us out to Draw Us in

The phrase in the ESV “bring me safely” is actually one single word in the original language. And it’s a very familiar word: σωζω/sozo. The writers of the NT drop this little jewel a grand total of 118 times. So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

This is the word we normally translate as “save,” as in Jesus “will save (Gr. σωζω/sozo) His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). It’s Peter’s cry for help when his own attempt at water walking doesn’t go so well. “Lord, save (Gr. σωζω/sozo) me!” (Mt 14:30). There goes Jesus being a lifeguard again!

Christ pulls us out of our own sin in order to pull us close to Himself. As Matt Chandler says, He draws us out in order to draw us in. That’s because Jesus wants to give us Himself. Forget all the other bennies you’ve heard about Heaven. Gates made of massive pearls. Golden pavement. Crystal rivers. The most awesome thing about eternity is God. Being with Him is THE Blessing! Nothing else comes close.

Death as the Doorway

So instead of freaking out about his certain execution date, Paul explodes in praise to his Savior! “To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (v18). The closer he gets to it, the more he realizes his death is simply a doorway to eternity with the Son of God. It’s that same thought that’s behind the tough he mentions to his Philippian friends. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Because of who Jesus is, all He’s done and all He’s going to do, Paul says the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter deserves an unlimited ovation. When we give God glory He so rightly deserves, we do everything we can to make Him famous. We raise up His name higher than any other. We shine the light on His righteous rep. We use our lives as a magnifying glass so that others can get a good look at the Lord.

Glory Words

We celebrate our Savior “forever and ever” (v18). The apostle actually repeats the same word (Gr. αιων/aion). You can easily translate this as “eternity and eternity.” In other words, we’re to join the unending, everlasting cheers for Jesus. It’s been going on longer than anyone can remember. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. This is the Eternal Standing O that only Jesus deserves.

Paul busts loose with this little ditty which theologians like to call a doxology. That’s a two-dollar word that simply means “glory words.” You bump into doxologies all throughout the Bible. Sudden explosions of praise which detonate whenever one of the writers of Scripture can no longer contain themselves when considering who God is and what He has done.

They’re littered all over the Old Testament (Ex 15:18; 1Chr 29:10-13; Ps 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48; 146:10; 150:1-6; Is 6:3). The words of glory keep on keeping on when you flip over to the New Testament. In the Gospels (Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9-10; Lk 2:14; 19:38). In the letters (Heb 13:20-21; 1Pet 4:11; 2Pet 3:18; Rev 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:12; 19:1). The apostle is personally responsible for this and four more (Rom 11:36; 16:25-27; Eph 3:20-21; Phil 4:20; 1Tim 1:17).

Never Stop Never Stopping

Long before Andy Samberg’s mockumentary, the inspired biblical writers were all about never stop never stopping when it comes to giving God the glory. It’s the never-ending applause for the only One who really rates. It’s the everlasting cheers for the only One who is truly entitled. It’s the Eternal Standing O that only Jesus deserves.

It’s amazing what happens when I get my eyes off my pathetic little pity party and look up to my awesome Savior. Can we be honest? Whatever you and I are facing probably finishes a distant second to Paul’s situation as he writes this letter. 

If he can spontaneously combust in worship of Jesus while walking the Green Mile, what’s stopping you and me?

©2017 Jay Jennings

A Human Torch of Worship

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1Tim 1:17).

Sometimes it just hits you and you never saw it coming. You can’t contain yourself and you can’t stop. Something you didn’t expect happens on the field or the court and sends the crowd into craziness. An unexpected rally in the bottom of the ninth. A frenetic fourth quarter comeback. A half court heave at the buzzer. You and the rest of the fans jump from your seats in unrestrained enthusiasm! Sometimes all want to do is celebrate!

That’s exactly what’s happening here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy in chapter one. The apostle has very specific and important instructions for the pastor of the Ephesian megachurch. First and foremost, stuff a sock in the team of false teachers who are selling a snake oil gospel that’s really no Gospel at all (1Tim 1:3-7). Paul takes a moment to recall just how crazy good God has been to him despite his rap sheet as a killer and torturer of Jesus’ followers (1Tim 1:12-14). Despite being the first of the worst of sinners, our Savior came to his rescue (1Tim 1:15). God uses His incredibly Good News through Paul’s bad example to spread His message of eternal life (1Tim 1:16). 

Suddenly the apostle can’t hold back. He explodes in worship to the One who has done so much for him and through him. “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (v17). I have to say that I’m a little disappointed in our good friends translating the ESV in their lack of exclamation points here. In case you didn’t know, the original Greek text of the New Testament didn’t contain any chapter breaks, verse numbers, or punctuation. Given all of his excitement over what he’s just written, I just don’t see Paul quietly dropping a period here. Exclamation points!! Lots of them!!!!! ALL CAPS!!!!!! Is it too crazy to see him putting down his quill and running around the room in celebration at this point?!?!? I think not! Sometimes all you want to do is celebrate!

Theologians have a fancy schmancy word for these passages in the Bible. They call them doxologies. Ooo, looks like somebody has been using their Word-a-Day calendar! This is a $10 term that simply means “glory words.” You’ll find them all throughout the pages of Scripture like volcanos unexpectedly erupting in praise to God (1Chr 29:10-13; Is 6:3; Mt 6:13; Heb 13:21; 1Pet 5:11; 2Pet 3:18; Jude 25). It probably comes a no shock that a lot of them are song lyrics (Ex 15:18; Ps 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; 106:40; 146:10; 150:1; Lk 2:14; Rev 4:8; 5:13; 7:12). Paul is particularly prone to these sudden explosions of God’s glory (Rom 16:25-27; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:20-21; Phil 4:20). In fact, he cuts loose again a little later in this letter (1Tim 6:16)! He’s a Human Torch of spontaneous worship combustion!

Near the end of this very same letter, Paul busts loose in unbridled worship of God one more time. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion” (1Tim 6:15-16). Sometimes all the apostle can do is celebrate…not once, but twice!

After talking about God’s gift of eternal life to those who trust in Jesus in the previous verse (1Tim 1:16), it’s probably no surprise Paul immediately applauds “to the King of the ages” (v17). Make no mistake about who’s in charge. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s not even Donald Trump. God is King. He’s in total control of the universe. Every bit of it. This has a couple of implications. One, relax. God’s got this. Two, He’s the Boss. The apostle wants us to now that God’s reign will never end. Don’t worry your pretty little head about divine term limits. 

The idea of God as King Eternal is all over the place, biblically speaking. The prophet Isaiah talked about a Baby who would come one day to rule forever. “For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Is 9:6-7). To put it in the words of Ricky Bobby, eight pound six ounce Baby Jesus is also King Jesus, King of the ages. 

But wait, there’s more! We see God as a nonstop ruling Machine all throughout the Bible (Ex 15:18; Ps 10:16; 29:10; Jer 10:18; Lam 5:19; Rev 11:15). And check this out. Two different pagan kings were in such awe of Yahweh that they even gave Him His props. Babylonian dictator Nebuchadnezzar may have been the baddest man on the planet at the time, but he was blown away by God’s eternal kingdom (Dan 4:3, 34). One of his successors was a dude named Darius. He might have ruled the world’s top superpower at the time, but he knew he was a short-timer compared to heaven’s eternal King (Dan 6:26). 

One reason that God is the perfect King eternal is because He’s also “immortal” (v17). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. aphthartos) that means imperishable, not subject to death or decay. The apostle writes how rebels against God’s kingdom “exchanged the glory of the immortal (Gr. aphthartos) God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom 1:23). Earthly athletic champs win “a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (Gr. aphthartos)” (1Cor 9:25). Our God is immortal, imperishable, and indestructible. 

Another interesting aspect of the term is how it describes something or someone unpolluted or incorruptible in an ethical sense. In other words, we can always trust in the goodness and purity of God’s rule. He’s not subject to bribes. He’s not on the take. He won’t be influenced by lobbyists or special interests. Kind of different from that bunch we’ve sent to Washington, don’t you think? He will He never die. He’ll never become corrupt. He’s immortal.

The cool thing is that God can’t wait to share His immortality with us. That happens when we trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us! For instance when the heavenly horn section blows its final solo then “the dead will be raised imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), and we shall be changed” (1Cor 15:52). God also promises us “an inheritance that is imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), undefiled, and unfading” (1Pet 1:4). God brings us to eternal life when we are born again, “not of perishable seed but of imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), through the living and abiding Word of God” (1Pet 1:23). Can you start to see why Paul is peeked? I thought so!

Speaking of seeing, Paul makes the point that we can’t see God. He’s “invisible” (v17). You may have an image of God the Father as this wise old grandpa with a long white beard. Well, you would be wrong. Moses put in a request to see God but was denied (Ex 33:20). But when the Big Mo hit the road out of Egypt, he wasn’t afraid of pharaoh who he could see. He had a glorious vision of God, “seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Job knew that catching a glimpse Yahweh wasn’t happening for him (Job 9:11; 23:8). 

The writers of the New Testament continue this theme. “No one has ever seen God; the only God” (Jn 1:16). Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that His Heavenly Dad is Spirit (Jn 4:24). The Apostle John makes the blanket statement that “no one has ever seen God as any time” (1Jn 4:12). Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean He’s not in control. You can’t SEE gravity but you’re not flying off the planet into space. You can’t SEE oxygen but you’re still breathing. You ARE breathing, aren’t you? (If not, stop reading right now tell somebody RIGHT NOW!) 

You can see how this whole invisibility deal could be a bit of a problem. But it should come as no shock that God has this all taken care of. That’s where the our Savior comes in as the Second Member of the Trinity. The Son of God make it clear that His Dad sent Him as His visible rep to a lost and dying world (Jn 5:37). Paul confirms that Jesus “is the image of the invisible (Gr. aoratos) God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible (Gr. aoratos)” (Col 1:15-16). As a matter of fact, the author of Hebrews tells us to never take our eyes off “Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). So if you want to see God, take a look at His Son.

Don’t get the idea that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different deities. God is “the only God” (v17). I admit it. The Trinity makes my head hurt. The best way I can figure out how to describe this mystery is One What and Three Whos. How does it work? I have no idea. What Paul wants us to know is that our God is the one and only God. The rest of the contenders are just pretenders. Moses didn’t want the Israelites to be confused. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Dt 6:4). Paul had the same message for Corinthian believers. “There is one God” (1Cor 8:6). And that’s a big reason why the apostle so giddy.

Just in case you had any doubt what to do with these glory words, the man from Tarsus tells Tim that there should “be honor and glory forever and ever” (v17). God is so good, so awesome, so wonderful, so gracious that the applause never stops. The worship never ends. The spotlight never fades. God is the ONLY who deserves this kind of adulation and attention. Not Kim and Kanye. Not The Donald. Not the biggest stars. Not the greatest athletes. God and God alone. A big part of being a follower of Jesus is to make God famous. Tell folks how amazing He is. Tell them how much He’s done for you. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Start making Him famous and don’t stop. He’s really that awesome. Because of that sometimes all you can do is celebrate.

That’s when we come to Paul’s big finish with a simple and emphatic word “Amen” (v17). If you’re like me, you probably were under the mistaken impression that this was just a way of saying “over and out” at the end of prayer. Not so much. It’s powerful word that’s the equivalent of a first century mic drop. It’s like shouting, “Truth!” In other words, truer words have never been spoken. The apostle can’t say it any better than that!

Doxologies like this one don’t just give God the glory, they are also very good for us. They get my eyes off myself as well as my issues and worries. When I set my mind on my VERY big God, suddenly my big hairy problems don’t seem so…well, big and hairy. So when you’re up against it, when you’re between a rock and a hard place, when life smacks you up the side of the head, make God famous. Try some of these glory words. You never know what will happen. You may even spontaneously combust like the Human Torch of worship. Because sometimes all you can do is celebrate. Flame on!

Making Father God Famous Forever

“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:20).

The latest Hollywood blockbuster is about to premiere. The next hot project from your favorite artist is about to drop. These are times when the PR blitz really gets rolling. Folks involved do everything they can to get the word out. TV interviews. Media tours. Talk show appearances. Email blasts. Social media campaigns. For a few days or weeks, it’s everywhere. You can’t avoid it. But suddenly, it’s over and becomes yesterday’s news. The fame fizzles. 

God has a completely different kind of media campaign. According to Paul, God’s glory never stops. Near the end of his letter to the church back in Philippi, the apostle lets us know God’s push for prominence has legs. It’s long lasting. His fame goes on and on and on and on. “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (v20). You can’t stop it. You can’t even hope to contain it. Why doesn’t His fame ever fade? Because He’s the only One truly worthy of the spotlight. He’s the only One who truly deserves the applause. He’s the only One truly worthy of the standing O. Giving Him glory means making God the Father famous forever. Period.

After thanking God for His overwhelming fire hose of grace (Phil 4:19), Paul can’t write another word without celebrating. He doesn’t want anyone to misunderstand the source of this lavish love. The result is this direct response to His jaw-dropping goodness. The apostle’s words here are what smart dudes in seminaries call a doxology. When I was a kid growing up in a Southern Baptist church, the doxology was the song everybody sang from memory when the ushers carried those plates full of cash back to the pastor. But it’s a whole lot more than a 20-second tune after the offering. 

Doxology literally means “glory words.” We see them all throughout Scripture (Lk 2:14; Rom 11:36; 16:27; Gal 1:4-5; 1Tim 1:17; 1Pet 4:11; Jude 25; Rev 1:6; Rev 7:12). When Paul cuts loose with these words of glory about the goodness of God, it’s nothing like the drone I heard in church as a child. He’s so excited about what Christ is doing, he can’t contain himself. This little letter his friends in Philippi is all about his joy in Jesus. According to Bengel, “The doxology flows out of the joy of the whole epistle.” The man from Tarsus may have spent the past five years behind bars, but that can’t rip the joy of Jesus from his heart. As a matter of fact, it’s this joy of the Lord that gives him the strength to endure no matter his situation (Neh 8:9; Phil 4:11-13).

So just what is this glory Paul’s so excited about? Let’s dig into the original language. “Glory” is the Greek word doxa. which means splendor, brightness, brilliance, magnificence, excellence, splendor, or grandeur. It’s what puts the doxa in our doxology! You can be sure the apostle doesn’t throw this term around willy nilly. And why would he? He’s a eyewitness of Jesus’ glory. He’ll never forget the day he was blindsided by the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter just outside of Damascus. Christ’s appearance was so dazzling that “I could not see because of the brightness (Gr. doxa) of the light” (Acts 22:11). That’s what happens when you catch a glimpse of God’s glory. It’s like looking into a spotlight. 

We read about this supernatural shimmering just about every time God pulls back the curtain of heaven. Just ask the shepherds outside Bethlehem the night Jesus was born (Lk 2:9). How about the time Christ took His inner circle up to the mountain? Not only does Jesus suddenly start to glow, but Moses and Elijah “appeared in glory (Gr. doxa)” (Lk 9:29-32). Jesus tells His posse that the world won’t miss His spectacular return because of His glittering glory.(Mt 24:30; 25:31; Mk 8:38; 13:26; Lk 9:26; 21:27). 

But the glory of God isn’t just about what we see, it’s about what we feel. The Hebrew word in the OT for “glory” is kavod. It carries the idea of weight or heaviness. To experience the glory of God is feel the weight and importance of God. To know His glory is to be under His heaviness. Jonathan Edwards writes that God’s glory is the weight of all He is. C.S. Lewis’ book “The Weight of Glory” goes into great detail about our response to the load of God’s incredible love for us. His grace has gravitas.

Paul doesn’t want us to miss the fact that God the Father’s glory goes on “forever and ever” (v20). He uses the little Greek word aion not once but twice. It’s a time term that means era, age, or eternity. We get our English word eon (or aeon) from it. For geologists, this is the longest continual measure of time. Astronomers define one billion years as an eon. But these scientists still don’t have a clock that will last long enough to count God’s glory. The era of God’s glory is forever. And ever. And ever. And ever. His publicity blitz never ends.

The apostle ends this never-ending doxology with “amen” (v20). For the longest time, I this was simply the way to sign off our prayers. Basically the divine equivalent to “over and out” on a walkie talkie. But this incredibly underrated word has rich implications. “Amen” means truly, so be it, certainly, let it be, this is indeed true, or that’s the way it should be. Today we might say things like “You got that right!” or “Dang straight!” or “Word!” Paul wants his friends back in Philippi to know that giving Father God all the applause for all time is the way things should be. The resurrected Jesus describes Himself as the ultimate “Amen” (Rev 3:14). When you say “Jesus,” you’ve said it all. “Amen” is a first century mic drop.

So what’s the point? What does this have to do with me? Am I supposed to do something with all this? Paul wants us to know that God the Father is forever famous. The question isn’t whether we’ll make Him famous. He’s going to get His glory. The only question is how we do it. Here’s the deal. Everything single stinking in the universe shines the spotlight on His goodness. Will I make God famous through my worship of Him? Or will I make Him look awesome through my sin and disobedience? Just in case you don’t think that’s possible just take a quick look back a Calvary. Father God took the murder of His sinless Son and transformed it into the most glorious moment in the history of the universe. He’s going to get the glory. And He’s going to get it forever. Period.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road for Jesus’ followers. When we give God the glory, it’s a good thing for us. We’re blessed that whatever brings God glory also brings us the most good. R.C. Sproul says, “Because you and I are in Christ Jesus, His glory and our good are linked together. Because we are united with Christ, whatever is for His glory is also for our good. And whatever is for our good is for His glory.” According to John Piper, we’ll find the ultimate satisfaction and happiness when we’re making God famous and finding our total satisfaction in Him. “The pursuit of our interest and happiness is never above God’s, but always in God’s. The most precious truth in the Bible is that God’s greatest interest is to glorify the wealth of His grace by making sinners happy in Him—in Him!” Piper drops the bottom line. “Our interest and His glory are one.” 

So if you and want to experience the overflowing and abundant life that Jesus talks about (Jn 10:10), let’s hop on the bandwagon and give God the glory He rightly deserves. His glory=our good. His fame rolls on and on and on. It’s not some short term publicity campaign that’s gone in a few weeks. The Message really sums up this idea. “Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes” (v20 The Message). He’s the only One truly worthy of the spotlight. He’s the only One who truly deserves the applause. He’s the only One truly worthy of the standing O. Giving Him glory means making God the Father famous forever. Period.

The Eternal Standing O

To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen (Eph 3:21).

Ever been part of a crowd that just kept cheering and didn't want to go home?  Your team has just won the big game and the celebration just won't stop.  The audience begs the band to return for an encore.  The crowd goes wild!  The applause doesn't end!  That's nothing compared to the ovation God deserves for who He is, what He's done and what He's gonna do.  "To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen" (v21).  Paul says that God alone rates such adulation.

Only God deserves the eternal standing O.  Props that don't stop.

So what's caused the apostle to jump out of his seat and cheer God all of the sudden?  He's just finished asking the Lord an outlandish request and knows He'll come through.  Paul has prayed that God would fill up his Ephesian friends with His unlimited supernatural strength so they could comprehend the incomprehensible love of Jesus (Eph 3:14-19).  He explodes in praise because he knows God has the resources to pull off such a big ask.  As a matter of fact, our minds can't begin to imagine the kind of overwhelming goodness of which He's capable (Eph 3:20).

From the big house in Rome, Paul works his tail off to get the folks back in Ephesus to see Jesus for who He is and know that everything they need they already have in Him.  He's inoculating this church against a nasty heresy that's making the rounds.  A counterfeit gospel has infected churches just down the road in towns like Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea.  A group of spiritual snake oil salesmen have duped folks into believing good news that's really no good at all.  Through some shifty spiritual slight of hand, they've convinced Jesus' followers that He might have been good but He's not quite God.  He may have gotten us into God's kingdom, but it's up to us to stay in.  We have to finish what He started by following a complicated list of religious rules, holidays and dietary laws (Col 2:16-23).

After firing off a letter to the multisite church based in Colossae, Paul writes another note to the Ephesian church.  He knows that when they understand the mind-blowing blessings we have in Jesus (Eph 1:3-14), they'll give God every bit of praise.  When our eyes are locked on Jesus and we give Him the glory, we're too busy to fall for any cheap imitations.  And once we're on our feet, we won't sit down.

Only God deserves the eternal standing O.  Props that don't stop.

God's forever glory is a mega-theme throughout the Bible.  He's to get all the applause for all time.  Scripture is chockfull of what smart dudes in ties call doxologies.  There's a little problem for when I hear the word doxology.  It takes me back to my days growing up the baptist church.  The doxology was that part of the service when the ushers carried the brass plates full of offering envelopes down the center aisle and we all stood to sing a song without using the hymnal.  That droning dirge we sang was the "Doxology."  So when I see or hear the word doxology, that's what comes to mind.

We get the term from the original language in places like v21.  When he mentions "glory," Paul uses the Greek word doxa.  It means splendor, grandeur, praise and honor.  It's the breathtaking and remarkable presence of something (or Someone!) spectacular.  In the OT, the idea of glory is synonymous with weight.  Think of it this way.  To give God glory is to recognize the full weight of who He is.  As Jonathan Edwards says, His glory is the fullness of His understanding, virtue and happiness.  We give Him glory when we make much of Him.  We give Him glory when we make a big fuss over Him.  We give Him glory when we make Him a big deal.  When we do that, it's called a doxology.  That's EXACTLY what the apostle is doing right here.  He's making God a big deal.  

These doxologies are all throughout God's Word (Ps 72:19; 104:31; Mt 6:13; Rom 11:36; 16:27; Phil 4:20; 1Tim 1:17; 2Tim 4:18; Heb 13:21; 1Pet 4:11; Jude 25; Rev 1:6; 4:9; 5:13; 7:12).  Think of them as divine applause signs.  Reminders of Who's really behind it all.  Reminders that we need to get our feet and cheer the only One truly worthy of our praise.  There's absolutely no reason to stop cheering.  Let the crowd go wild!

Only God deserves the eternal standing O.  Props that don't stop.