This article – last in a series of devotions shared on the Christian Businessmen’s Connection (CBMC) PrayerNet call – explores the restoration of God’s glory in and through His sons and daughters. Here are links to previous articles in the series:
Our Propositions
First, the storms, chaos, and crises we are facing in this season make it more important than ever to find and dwell in the center of God’s will.
Second, God has given us a sure way to find the center of His will: by giving ourselves to the work of restoring His reign, intimacy, habitation, and the glory He desires to have with and through his sons and daughters.
Third, the storms, chaos, and crises provide opportunities for participation in God’s restorative work, and in the advancement of His Kingdom, to those who are willing, prepared, and courageous.
The storms, chaos, and crises of this decade may well be the shaking God will use to remove what does not belong in our lives (Hebrews 12:25-27).
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29
The kingdom of God has come, and it is coming. Those firmly established in God’s kingdom will not be shaken down or torn apart. Like the house built on a strong foundation, they will stand in the storms to serve as refuge, encouragement, and wisdom for those shaken and stormed out of houses built on false religion and secular coping mechanisms.
Definition
The word glory appears in the New King James Version more than four-hundred times. Needless to say, it is an important word in Scripture; important enough that we take time to understand its full meaning.
Glory (doxa): Splendor, brightness, magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace, and majesty; a thing belonging to God; the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity; a thing belonging to Christ; the kingly majesty of the Messiah; the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the state of blessedness into which believers are to enter through being brought into the likeness of Christ. (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon; BlueLetterBible.org)
In short, the glory of God the Father is the manifestation of His perfection and majesty. It is what Peter, James, and John saw in Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. It is also the majesty of Jesus Christ as our ascended King; and, amazingly, the manifestation of His majesty that men will see in us, as we are transformed into His likeness and walk in the good works God prepared for us (2Corinthians 3:18; Matthew 5:16, and Ephesians 2:10).
At the end of God’s story (as we know it from the Bible), His glory is restored in the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ.
The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:23-24
What we have now spiritually will be manifested physically at the end of the age. The collective people of God will be filled with the glory of God, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the fellowship and habitation we have with Him. This was His intention from the start, when He said…
Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Genesis 1:26
God had much in mind for us at the beginning. But, in our rebellion against His reign, we fell from glory and out of intimacy and habitation with Him. As Romans 3:23 tells us…
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24
God knew we would rebel. He went into creation knowing He would have to restore what we rejected. Fortunately, He did not give up on us. He has a plan to bring us back to Himself and His glory. In Hebrew 2:10, we find…
…it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Jesus came and suffered to make a way for the restoration of God’s glory in and through His children. God Himself is bringing many sons and daughters to glory; and He has given us a way to participate.
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. 2Corinthians 3:18
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
This is the decision of our day. Which way will we turn in the storms, chaos, and crises that threaten to destroy our houses? Will we stand strong and become instruments of God’s refuge, encouragement, and wisdom, or allow ourselves and our spheres of influence to be further conformed to a lost and dying world?
Rejecting and coming out of our conformity with the world, and looking unto Christ (the author and finisher of our faith; Hebrews 12:2), we shall be transformed into the very image of His glory, AND we shall learn the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for navigating the chaos.
Jesus has been praying for this very thing for over 2000 years:
The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one… John 17:22
From Psalm 3:3, we know…
Those who have His life, have His glory.
Now do not miss this: We have the glory of God, given to Jesus by the Father, through the life of our Savior and King. The only reasonable thing to do is to give the glory back to the Father. We are given instruction for this in John 15:7-8 and Matthew 5:16.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
One of the coolest things to me about glory is how the Father gives His glory to Jesus, Jesus gives it to us, and then the Father is glorified, not by us directly, but by others, as we walk in the glory of His good work.
Is this not the most awesome thing you have ever heard? So, how do we lay hold of this?
From the previous articles in this series and the passages above, we understand God’s way for restoration.
- Surrender to God’s reign in our lives, and to the Captain of our salvation.
- Pursue intimacy with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit; and with the brethren (for God’s habitation).
- Behold the glory of the Lord.
- Submit to the Holy Spirit’s transformational work, through the renewing of our minds.
- Receive the glory Jesus has offered for our unity.
- Ask the Father to be glorified in our lives.
- Abide in Christ.
- Allow the light of Christ to be manifested in our lives.
- Walk in God’s good work as His instruments and weapons of righteousness.
This may sound like a lot of work – to you, and to those you disciple – so let’s close with the Holy Spirit’s encouragement in Ephesians 3:20-21.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God does the work of restoring His reign, intimacy, habitation, and glory – both in and through us. Ultimately, our only responsibility is to choose to join Him – to search out and obey His instructions and commands (Proverbs 25:2). Anyone of us could choose to begin participating with Him… right now.
Affirmation
God has a plan to bring us back to Himself and His glory. The Holy Spirit transforms us, by the renewing of our minds, into the image of the glory of the Lord. God is restoring all He lost in our rebellion, and the Bride of His Son will be perfectly beautiful.
God bless you with courage and wisdom for His restorative work in the storms, chaos, and crises which are heading our way.
Have a strong day in the Lord,
Rob
#iamjustthepen