God Is Beautiful
For many years (a phrase which seems to introduce almost everything I say or write these days), I have thought about and preached on the subject of the beauty of God. I have never heard anyone teach on the subject, but I did through the decades come across two written sermons on the topic, “The Beauty of the Lord” by J. D. Jones and “Are There Shortcuts to the Beauty of Holiness?” (the short answer is “No!”) by A. W. Tozer. More recently, I read a review of a scholarly article about the American preacher Jonathan Edwards (of “sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” fame) that mentioned in passing that the beauty of God was one of the great themes in his preaching. I was thus encouraged that I have not headed off on an unprofitable tangent. In simple terms, beauty is that which attracts, causes a favorable interest, and creates an affinity. Such real, eternal beauty is found in our God. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In Psalm 96:6, an unnamed Psalmist sings, “Heaven and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” The anonymous author adds in verse 9, “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holines: fear before Him, all the earth.” The beauty of God should draw us to worship Him. Because we are physical beings, there is the need for an actual place of worship (“His sanctuary”). Tending to this place through repairs, general upkeep, cleaning, and maintenance of the grounds is thus part of our service to God. In a small way, the result is a reminder of His beauty. I Corinthians 14:40 commands, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” The context is worship: “all things,” including our preparation for gathering, should be done in a manner that is consistent with the nature of God. Because we are not only physical beings but also spiritual ones, our attractive place of worship must focus on the worship of God the Son, Jesus Christ, Who is supremely attractive. Colossians 1:18 establishes the eternal principle for us concerning Jesus: “That in all things He might have the preeminence.”