Along with having an attribute of glorious, God has an attribute of being beautiful. This daily devotional looks at how that beauty plays out and how disciples of Christ can imitate it.
Nuggets
- God’s beauty should be revealed as our inner beauty through our character.
- Disciples should navigate the Sanctification Road to gain the beauty of holiness.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Finding Our Center series
I can see why I tried to combine the last devotion with this one. There is a correlation between God’s gloriousness and His beauty.
In this devotion, we are going to look at God’s beauty as an attribute. Let’s get started.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
God’s Beauty Is Evident in His Character
“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple” (Ps. 27: 4 CSB)
God’s beauty should be revealed as our inner beauty through our character.
Fun fact. Beecher said that there is a difference in the way beauty is used in the Old and New Testaments. The only time beauty is used in the New Testament is literally when it is talking of the Beautiful Gate. The Old Testament used it more frequently and in regards to a variety of objects — things, qualities, actions, and persons.
Resource
We talk of an inner beauty as well as an outward beauty. Beecher pointed out that genuine moral beauty is better than physical beauty.
This inner beauty of character is cultivated through prayer. Shalders wrote, “True prayer engages the understanding in its most vigorous efforts, and always in a definite direction — that of God. Prayer, if not a supreme intellectual effort, certainly exercises our highest faculties.”
Resource
We keep saying that we have to focus on God. What better way is there than prayer?
Because what is prayer? Prayer is a two-way communication with God.
Oh, good. We finally got to the sermons on God’s beauty.
Even though these were the first sermons I read in my research, I was going to put those preceding paragraphs at the end of our discussion. However, it does dovetail with what Emmons and Body said.
In order to be considered beautiful, something does have to be pleasing. That is good to remember — especially when we are talking inner and outer beauty.
Don’t we excuse our (perceived) lack of outward beauty by saying we have inward beauty instead? That makes it seem as though inward beauty is not a thing for which we should strive. It makes it sound that possessing outward beauty is far more important.
Remember, God is a spirit. If we are to be like Him — which we are — the concern is not on a physical body.
Our inward beauty is our moral character, which we’ve been saying needs to be kicked up to spiritual graces. Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhance this world.
Devotions in the Moralities Lead to Godliness series
Emmons put it this way. He wrote, “The beauty of the Lord, therefore, must signify that, in His moral character, which is pleasing to a virtuous and benevolent heart. His beauty is the beauty of holiness. … Pure, disinterested, universal benevolence, forms the most beautiful and amiable character conceivable.”
Resource
Worldview people may read that and say, “See! Social conscious.” Well, it is not in the way they think.
Yes, we are to show love to our fellow mankind, but God’s way. Our goal shouldn’t be to fix this world. It should be to help prepare others for eternity.
That means fixing their spiritual condition. Have they ABCDed or not?
Our character needs to be pure, like God’s. Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
What does a pure character look like? Haynes said the beauty comes out of His “… harmonious wholeness of Divine character.” His character is unified and pure.
Resource
Why is God’s beauty so important? Emmons said that it permeated all of His works and conduct. It seeps out through His Word and into us.
We said in the last devotion, that God reveals Himself to us — but only partially. What beauty of Him that we see is only minuscule. It makes us want to see more.
Where can we see God’s beauty? Gray gave us a list.
- Nature
- Laws and commandments
- Gospel
- Through Jesus
Resource
We need to seek God’s beauty and let it beautify us.
God’s Beauty Is Evident in His Holiness
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” (Ps. 29: 2 CSB)
Disciples should navigate the Sanctification Road to gain the beauty of holiness.
Did you catch that? Yes, both of these verses are about beauty, but they are also about worship.
- “… to dwell in the house of the Lord … gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple” (Ps. 27: 4 CSB)
- “… worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” (Ps. 29: 2 CSB)
God is worthy of our worship. Lyon wrote, “The best worship is not merely to thank God for what He has done for us, but to show ourselves worthy of this. It is very clear that this is the best kind of worship for us; for it results not in mere words, but in character.”
Resource
If we are to be worthy also, then we need to have God’s beauty — His character.
How can we be worthy? We have to possess the beauty of holiness.
Williams said that we have to worship in reality to get to the beauty of holiness. I see that as more than just worshiping for the fire insurance. It has to get to the submissive level.
Submitting to God is actions by humans that obey God and keep His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, follows His purpose for us, or does not follow Satan’s promptings.
To me, submitting to God boils down to not sinning. We submit when we try to follow His laws and commandments.
That means we worship God by believing what He believes and is. We have to open our hearts to what He wants to tell us.
But it isn’t just for an hour on Sunday mornings. We need to take what we hear there and have it change us. Williams wrote, “If worship be true, character shall grow in strength and gentleness, and influences shall stream from us, bearing no tardy fruits, to our fellow-men.”
Resource
Making the Connections
This is a long quote, but I couldn’t have summed it up any better. Emmons wrote,
“Those who love God have the same kind of love that God has and exercises towards them and all holy creatures. They see God as He sees Himself, glorious in holiness, and of consequence, glorious in all His other attributes, which are under the influence of His perfectly benevolent heart. They see supreme beauty and excellence in His power and wisdom, in His justice and sovereignty, in His mercy and grace, as they are continually exercised for the highest good of the universe.”
How Do We Apply This?
So, how do we get to holiness? We navigate the Sanctification Road. One way we do that is to follow our job description.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
• We need to bury ourselves in His Word. Emmons wrote, “It enables those who are holy as God is holy, just as God is just, and good as God is good, to see why He commands all men to love Him supremely.”
Gray wrote that God’s beauty came from the following attributes:
• Holiness
• Mercy and grace
• The combination of all of His attributes
So, how can we apply that? How can we show mercy and grace to others? How can we let His holiness shine through us?
It might be difficult for some of us to see ourselves as beautiful. We need to see ourselves as God sees us.
We are His children, made in His image.
Gracious Heavenly Father. We can’t imagine Your beauty and splendor. We can only understand it by using human standards — and that isn’t enough. We want to see You as You reveal Yourself to us. Show us Who You are and who You want us to be. We long for the day we are truly in Your presence. Amen.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.