holiness love and light. these are not mere attributes he possesses—they are his very being. when god is expressed that is glory. this is not a poetic abstraction it is the concrete reality of who he is. and from the beginning god’s intention was that humanity would be the vessel for this glory.
Created to Contain and Express God’s Glory
God’s purpose in creating man was not to give him an independent righteousness or a self-derived glory. He made us in His image for one reason: to contain and express Himself. We were designed as vessels—containers—meant to display God’s own character and rule on the earth. The dignity of humanity is not in self-achievement, but in being a vessel for the only true Righteousness.
“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 the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
(Genesis 1:26-27)
This is the foundational truth: humanity’s purpose is to contain and express the glory of God. Any theology that shifts the focus to human performance or self-improvement betrays the original design. The moment we make ourselves the source, we have already lost the plot.
The Catastrophe of Sin: Separation and Emptiness
But sin entered. Humanity chose independence—life apart from God. This was not a minor misstep; it was a total collapse of purpose. Sin created a chasm between us and God, leaving us empty, unable to contain or express His glory. We fell short, not just of a moral standard, but of the very glory we were made to bear. Separation from God is not a neutral state; it is the forfeiture of our created purpose.
Let this be clear: to live independently of God is to be a vessel without content, a cup without water, a lamp without oil. The problem is not merely that we do wrong things, but that we are fundamentally incapable of expressing the righteousness and glory that belongs to God alone.
The Gospel: Restoration by the Indwelling Spirit
The Gospel does not offer us a second chance to try harder. It brings us the Spirit of God Himself. The God of glory comes to dwell within those who believe. This is not a metaphor. The Spirit’s indwelling is the restoration of our original purpose: to be vessels filled with and expressing the very glory of God.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
(2 Corinthians 4:7)
This is not a partnership of equals. The excellency of the power is of God, not of us. Our weakness is not a liability; it is the platform for God’s glory. The Gospel restores us as containers—so that the world sees not our strength, but His.
Affliction: The Tool That Produces Glory
Even our present afflictions are not wasted. They are not signs of God’s absence, but instruments in His hand. These “light afflictions” are working for us an eternal weight of glory. God uses the pressures and trials of this life to further conform us to His image, to deepen the reality of His glory within us.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
(2 Corinthians 4:17)
Affliction, in the hands of God, is a tool that produces glory in the believer. This is not a call to glorify suffering itself, but to recognize its role in God’s purpose: shaping us as vessels for His eternal glory.
What Is Lost If We Miss This?
If we abandon this truth—if we imagine that righteousness is something we can produce, or that glory is something we can achieve—we lose everything. We forfeit justification, because we make it about our own works rather than God’s gift. We lose sonship, because we return to the slavery of self-effort. We lose inheritance, because only those who are in Christ, filled with His Spirit, are heirs of the promise. Any system that makes humanity the source or the sustainer of righteousness collapses the Gospel and leaves us empty, separated, and without hope.
The Only Foundation: Christ in Us
The Gospel brings us back to the beginning. God alone is righteousness. We are vessels—earthen, weak, and entirely dependent. But in Christ, by the Spirit, we are filled with the very glory for which we were made. This is not secondary; it is the heart of salvation. To be restored as a vessel for God’s glory is to be restored to our created purpose, our justification, our sonship, and our inheritance.
Do not settle for anything less.
Read more: Christ As Righteousness Sanctification and Reward
