REJOICING IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD

The effect of standing in the Grace of justification by faith is not only peace and access to stand. It is also pure joyful hope to enter glory. Hope is defined as the joyful expectation of the future. For a Christian, the future is always better and more glorious than the present. In this scripture, the word ‘rejoicing’ is not just an emotion of happiness. In Greek it is translated as ‘boasting’. It means to triumphally and happily brag about the achievements of another. Practically, it means to boast of knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord! We boast about our hope we have in Christ. A Christian is so confident that he will go to heaven, that he happily boasts about that place. He sees heaven as his eternal home. This is called the assurance of salvation. All believers are saved but not all believers have this assurance of salvation. To get that, you need to press on by faith. Fast and pray so that God will give you this extra gift. This hope is not an ordinary hope of better life on this earth. It is the hope of experiencing and being a part of the eternal Glory of God. The believer has this living hope: he knows that he will go to heaven and will see God face to face. This hope is extremely powerful. It keeps the believer focused and strong through the trials of this world. Hope in the Bible is never mixed with doubt. It always connects with joyful faith. To walk in faith, with full assurance of hope is a walk of strength and courage. Few believers walk like this. Ignorance of doctrine is a major hindrance to the believers’ victorious life!

What glory does the Christian hope to see? It is the glory of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus lived on earth, His glory as God was veiled by His human body. Few people had the privilege to see a glimpse of it But now, in heaven, Jesus does not hide His glory. He is God Almighty! He is the King of Glory in heaven. As Man on earth, Jesus suffered rejection, died, was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the dead. He bodily ascended to heaven. The Father exalted Him above all. His glory is now revealed to all. All creatures in heaven bow and openly worship Him, singing with loud voices: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12). He always had glory as God! Now He receives glory as a Man! Amen!

God created man in His image, to reflect His Glory. Adam and Eve were the only human beings who saw the glory of God on earth in their physical bodies They had fellowship with God in the garden. God’s glory covered them as garments of light. When they fell into sin, the glory left. They felt naked. Sin damaged God’s relationship with man.

Among human beings, godly success is described as ‘glory’. Joseph told his brothers: “So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt” (Gen 45:13). King David also experienced God’s glory on earth. “His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him” (Ps 21:5).

These are some examples of men who saw the glory of Jesus.  Moses prayed to see God’s glory. God answered his prayer. God passed by revealing His goodness and sovereign mercy. God covered Moses so that he can only see His back. This is because no mortal man can see God’s glory and live (Exo 33:18-23). Prophet Isaiah saw King Jesus seated on the throne. He also saw that God’s glory is over the earth (Isa 6:1-3). Prophet Ezekiel saw God’s glory as fire around the throne of God in heaven (Eze 1:26-28). As he was dying, Stephen did not see the wicked men who were stoning him to death, but he saw Jesus in His glory. “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Ac 7:55). When Saul of Tarsus was going on the road to Damascus to arrest the Christians, he suddenly saw Jesus in His full glory! “Suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Ac 9:3). The light of the glory of Christ blinded him. He was never the same again. He became Apostle Paul, the greatest preacher of the Gospel in the history of mankind.

Jesus took Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor. He was transfigured before them. His glory shone thru Him. “His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light” (Matt 17:2; AMP). Peter remembered this event and he wrote: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2Pet 1:16-18). Later, Apostle John saw the resurrected Christ in His glory and fell at His feet like dead (Rev 1:12-18). Remember this: Each believer who has seen even a glimpse of the glory of Jesus, will be forever changed, from inside out. God’s glory changes us! “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Cor 3:18). Amen!

The disciples came back excited from doing ministry. They said that the demons submitted to them. Jesus didn’t stop their joy of successful deliverance ministry. But he raised their eyes to eternal things, to the glory of heaven. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20). Many preach about sanctification, but few preach about glorification. That is why the Christians focus too much on the present-day trials on earth, how to overcome them and ignore the hope of glory in heaven, which alone gives strength, courage and focus! “By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Lesson: Keep your eyes on Jesus and the glory ahead!

GOD’S GLORY DEFINED  

The Bible is the story of God’s glory! Glory is defined as the highest level of honor, beauty and power. It is fame won by the greatest achievements. It is the greatest intrinsic value of a Person. Glory refers to Position, Possessions, Power and Length of Life. Of course, Glory belongs to God. The Glory of God is the beauty of His Spirit, of His holiness, of His perfect character. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all!” (1Chr 29:11). Hallelujah!

The Glory of God is defined as the external manifestation of God’s Presence. Glory can be seen, or it is revealed. “Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud” (Exo 16:10). “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa 40:5). To see God’s glory and to disobey His commands, brings judgement upon the rebellious (Nu 14:20-23).

We are told that God does not share His glory with the idols. “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images” (Isa 42:8). In Hebrew, the word ‘glory’ is ‘kabod’. It is the weight, the heaviness, or the splendor of God. God is unwilling to share His glory and His Praise with idols or any false gods. All authority belongs to God alone, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Idolatry is desire to steal God’s glory. God punishes it. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom 1:22-25).

Immediately a believer dies, he goes to heaven to see Jesus in His glory, face to face. Our salvation starts on earth, and it is perfected in heaven. We start as sinners saved by Grace and end as saints in glory. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:29,30). Apostle Paul connects Justification with Glorification, jumping sanctification. The Process of sanctification is taken for granted. Many Christians know much about sanctification and little about the glory of heaven. It is not that sanctification is not important, but we are to look ahead to the glory of heaven. This vision helps us stay focused. When Jesus comes again, we shall have new spiritual glorious bodies, exactly like Him. That means we were not to be just spectators to the glory of Jesus, but we share in it. In our new glorious bodies, there shall be no spots, no wrinkles; no remnant of sin, no damage done by sickness or by old age. Our bodies will be beautiful, perfect and glorious. Halleluiah!

In the New Testament, God’s glory is revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ, who is the Living Eternal Word. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). The glory of Jesus was manifested thru His Words and His miracles (Jn 2:11). God’s glory was veiled by His human body. Occasionally, the glory was revealed. On the Mount of Transfiguration. The Glory revealed on Jesus is different than the way it was revealed on Moses. Moses’ shining face was reflected faded glory. But Jesus’ Glory emanates from His Person. It’s His own original personal divine glory. The Transfiguration was a glimpse in the eternal glory of Jesus Christ as God! When Jesus will come back again, His glory will be seen in full display. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27).

CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!

“God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory” (Col 1:27; AMP).

Our salvation is strictly by God’s Grace. God is sovereign in His choice of the elect. This doctrine is rejected by many Christians, but it is biblical. The truth is that no sinner is worthy of heaven. God alone calls and God alone justifies. God the Father has designed the plan of salvation from eternity. At the fulness of time, God sent His Son, to become a Man, to die for sinners. In the Old Testament, God revealed His will to Isreal. After the Cross, the Holy Spirit reveals that salvation is now extended to all people who believe in Jesus, Gentiles included. God promised Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). This mystery is glorious. Hidden for ages, it is now revealed to the saints (Eph 3:6). The Jews were offended that Jesus included the Gentiles in the plan of salvation. But they could not stop the rising tide of truth and freedom!

There are two aspects of this mystery: 1-It is very rich. Its wealth is beyond man’s capacity to measure. 2-It is glorious, spiritual, heavenly. The Bible reveals that all the elect, both Jew and Gentile are saved by faith in Christ. This revelation brings men to their knees in worship. That is the only proper response to it. This mystery is revealed to be in one Person. That Person is Jesus Christ who lives not only in heaven, but in the hearts of all believers. Christianity is not just religion, but a new way of life and love. Christ in the center of the personality works from inside out. This secret power, hidden in the soul, makes the Christian invincible to evil forces. The believer’s faith, love and living hope of heaven works powerfully during trials on earth. Lesson: Christ dwelling in your heart gives you the power to change, to become more like Jesus. This is an intimate relationship none can destroy. Christ dwelling in the heart gives the believer assurance of his salvation. He has this confidence that if he dies, he will go to heaven and worship Christ forever. Glory to God!

HOW DO WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD?

We are born to know and glorify God forever. It is man’s purpose in life. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). To eat and to drink are normal activities in life. But we reject any food or drink offered to idols. In all we do, we must remember God. Faith in God must be the center of every activity. In Greek, the word ‘glory’ is ‘doxa’. It means to honor, praise and worship God. Believers live such lives that people always see Christ in us. Our lives should make no sense outside Christ. The world hates Christ. They will hate us too. But some unbelievers, will come closer to see the secret of our love, calmness, wisdom and power, coming from Christ dwelling in us. In this world, we are the only people Christ can use to reveal His glory, the only Bibles people may read. To represent God is a great responsibility!

We cannot add to God’s glory, but we can testify to our hope of glory! “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1Pet 3:15; NLT).

Practically, we give glory to God by believing and boasting in Jesus Christ, by taking our Cross to follow Jesus, by dying to self so that the Spirit becomes fruitful in us. We give glory to God by preaching and living God’s Word! We give God the glory by praising God’s Grace in His salvation. He chose us before the foundation of the world to be accepted in His Beloved, Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3-6).  We give glory to God by confessing our sins and by repentance. “Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me” (Josh 7:19).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:23,24). Sin is the enemy of glory. All have sinned means that all humanity is born into sin. The word ‘sin’ means ‘to miss the mark’. It is like an archer whose arrow misses the target. Sin has stained the garments of glory that covered us. Spiritually, it means to fall bellow God’s standard of moral law. ‘To fall short’ shows continuous action. It is a process. We have sinned in the past and we continue to sin in the present. We see the need for ongoing grace in the process of sanctification. The glory of God shows the divine standard of perfection and holiness. We see the eternal gap between sin and glory. The Blood of Jesus on the Cross, has destroyed sin and death and has restored the glory of God back to man. Salvation is by Grace, through faith. The goal of salvation is to share in God’s glory in heaven! Praise God!

I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM!

In His high priestly prayer, Jesus said: “I am glorified in them” (Jn 17:10). “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17:24).

The Son of God came to earth to give glory to God the Father. God the Father also glorifies God the Son. “Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (Jn 17:1). “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:4,5). The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son of God! Jesus said: The Holy Spirit “will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14).

Thru the Holy Spirit the believers give glory to Jesus. God the Son gives His glory to the believers. His Glory unites them perfectly. His Glory proves to them that He loves them. Glory connects with Agape Love. This is one of the greatest revelations in the Bible. Because Christ dwells in our hearts in His glory we now enter the family of the Trinity. Thru Christ, we can give glory to God the Father. The problem with many believers is that they have doubts about their identity, and responsibility as ambassadors of Christ. But this is the truth: Christ sends us into the world to glorify Him among people. May our lights shine brighter for Jesus! May we boast of Jesus! Worship the Lord!