UNVEILING FOR THE GLORY (5)

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17 NKJV).

Our sharing in God’s glory is only to the extent we identify with Christ. We are glorified only in association with Him, for besides Him, we can never have any claim to glory. Identity with Christ involves identifying with Him through suffering.  The popular chorus that says, “me I no go suffer” may not be completely right if that includes not suffering for the sake of Christ. Paul in our text affirmed strongly that we can only be glorified with Christ if we indeed suffer with Him. He taught Timothy, “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.  If we deny Him; He also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:11-12 NKJV). Paul was communicating to Timothy an objective position of God in relation to our identification with Christ. We died with Him to sin; we now live with Him for righteousness. In living with Him thus, difficulties and challenges come from time to time demanding endurance. If we endure with Him, then we will reign with Him in glory both now and in the world to come.  But if for whatever reason, we deny Him by compromising our commitment to Him because of the allurements of this world, then He will deny us.

Our Lord warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7: 21 NKJV). Doing the will of the Father sometimes if not always involves going contrary to our will. It is at the point where your will crosses with the will of the Father that the cross Jesus asked you to carry and follow Him is created. When you insist on doing your will instead of God’s for whatever reason, you drop the cross. Whenever you drop the cross, you deny Jesus and turn your back against His glory. But when in obedience, you faithfully lay down your desires in preference to God’s; you create a platform for experiencing His glory.

As believers in Christ, we should not see suffering for the sake of Christ a distasteful experience, but rather as a prelude to glory.  The Apostle Peter explained, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13 NKJV). There is nothing that is done for Christ that will not be rewarded both in this life and in the life to come. God makes demands from people He trusts. If He is not making any demand on you, it may be because He has not seen you as a serious person. Get serious with God this year and let Him know that you are all out for Him. Stand for your faith and let the world know you are for Christ.

Some people because of what it would take do not undertake big things for God. They always opt for the very minimum that is required in any task. When you call for fasting, they will do just the minimum that will enable them to be counted among those who are fasting. When you ask for financial contribution, they will opt for the least, even though they have what it takes to do better. This year will be different. You must attempt big things for God and see Him work wonders for you in glory. Resist the demon that belittles you and set out boldly for God in every way.

Let us pray with these inspired words of Apostle Peter, “...May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter5:10-11 NKJV)

UNVEILING FOR THE GLORY (4)

“For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV).

As the suffering of Christ caused the rejoicing of the world, especially those who have by faith in Him have become children of God, so our suffering with Christ and for Him generates joyful praise among those who are being saved by our ministries. There is a redemptive purpose in the godly suffering because they are like sacrifices of good smelling savour to God as sinners hear the gospel and turn to Christ through our sacrifices. While we don’t go around looking for suffering, we don’t shy away from it when it becomes necessary to proof our commitment to Christ.  The more people that are saved through our labours, the more thanksgiving is going up to God and that brings Him much glory. Therefore, Peter encouraged:

¹⁴If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. (1 Peter 4:14-16 NKJV)

Suffering ridicule and insults, or any other form of persecution because you are a christian attracts upon you “the Spirit of glory and of God.”  Hence, afflictions work in us the eternal weight of glory. “Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:11 NLT). Therefore, Paul enjoins us to glorify God –give thankful praise in the midst of our suffering for Him. In this way, we unveil His glory for the world to see. 

The mystery of thanksgiving lies in its ability to take what the enemy designed for our harm and places it in the hand of our Father who makes all things to work for our benefit unto His glory. The experience of Paul and Silas in the Philippians dungeon attests to this truth. Paul commanded a demon of divination out of a girl and the mob was aroused against them. The two ministers ended up in jail where they released the glory of God through thankful praise.

²⁵But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”²⁹Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:25-30 NKJV)

Because Paul and Silas had the right christian attitude toward suffering, God released the Spirit of glory upon them, which not only freed them supernaturally but also led to the salvation of the keeper of the prison. Thanksgiving in the midst of trails unveils the glory of God. On the other hand, complaining and murmuring when one is met with difficulties, hardship and suffering, veil the glory of God. Thanksgiving in face of suffering is a strong testimony of faith in God.  Peter and the rest of the early Apostles , after being beaten and ordered never to preach in the name of Christ again went out of the court  “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).  No wonder they experienced so much of God’s glory.

This will be our testimony this year. You must live your faith in the full glare of the public ready to be ridiculed and laughed at if and when necessary. People around you must hear about Jesus from your mouth and see His glory in your life cost what it may. There is no other way to live in the year of glory to Glory!

UNVEILING FOR THE GLORY (3)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV).

Glory does not walk naked on the streets of humanity. It often comes under the cloak of suffering –sacrifice, hardship, difficulties, and trials. A man from Congo was handed a sack of diamond ore valued several thousands of dollars.  The man looked at the sack and wondered what he was going to do with a sack of dirt, not realising what it was, he dumped the sack at the corner of his house.  Several months passed and a neighbour visited him; on sighting the sack, he inquired what was inside it. The man who owns the sack answered with a sigh, “nothing but a pack of dirt.” The inquisitive visitor decided to look closely at the dirt in the sack and recognised it was unprocessed diamonds. He asked for some water in a basin and began washing a little of the dirt, and some colourful stones emerged, which both of them confirmed to be diamonds.

As the diamonds were wrapped in dirt, so is glory often wrapped in sacrifice.  Paul therefore encourages us never to lose heart in the face of difficulties. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NKJV). Anything we acclaim as glorious comes at a price. Take education for example. It takes arduous efforts and determined sacrifice spanning over several years to acquire sound education. However, once acquired, it opens the doors to myriad of life-enhancing opportunities most of which would not have been possible without it. The glory of God, while it cannot be earned by the best of human efforts, requires disciplined sacrifices to experience it.  Some lousy habits may have to be relinquished and godly ones cultivated to replace them.  Certainly one must be willing to die to self if one is serious about experiencing glory.

¹Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)

We must lay aside sins and weights that so easily entrap  us and run the race that is set before us, by following the examples of Christ  who endured the cross to access glory.  The Cross is our bridge to glory. Hence, Paul exhorts us never to compromise the coming glory because of whatever present suffering we might be going through. God is about to reveal His glory in us so we can radiate it to the world. While the world is overcome with gross darkness, “the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:2 NKJV).

The overarching purpose of God in revealing His glory upon you is so that “the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3 NKJV) and by so doing encounter Christ who is the Lord of glory. Reaching the unreached with the gospel and bringing the unchurched into the house of God remains the consuming passion of God and undying expectation of creation.  “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19 NKJV). The creation will witness the manifestation of the sons of God as we soak in His Presence and receive deposits of His glory. The world needs to the see the glory of God upon His children if they must come to Him and no sacrifice should be too much for us to make in order to facilitate the glorious ingathering.

May the Lord see in you the genuine hunger and longing for His glory. He will surely satisfy your desire and cause His glory to alight upon you. Keep your eyes on His as the Holy Spirit transforms you from glory to GLORY in Jesus’ Name.