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.)
The attractive nature of God is stated clearly in John 6:44. Jesus, God the Son, said, “No man can come to me, except the Father Which hath sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Two aspects of God’s drawing power stand out here. First, God speaks to each one, and He speaks beautifully. I have always marveled at God’s careful and considerate communication with us. For example, when He called Andrew and Peter to be disciples, they were commercial fishermen. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In so speaking, He demonstrated a knowledge of and an interest in these men and their work. Moreover, He used words to which they could immediately relate. They knew that Jesus was expecting them to labor as intently seeking souls as they had worked netting fish. Jesus did not employ these same words when reaching out to Matthew, a tax collector or, later, Paul, a scholar. Second, God’s attraction is so great that it will never end. He promises us that, if we respond to His call, He will surely “raise [us] up at the last day. “Jesus attracts us to Himself and then will not let us go. He is beautiful forever.