EPISODE 287 – ADVANCE IN GLORY 1

Monday 6th November, 2023

ADVANCE IN GLORY 1

“And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.”

2 Cor. 3:18 (Amplified)

Most people look forward to a life of glory.
Such desire and expectation, move some people to eagerly pray for the glory of God.

– Should the born again pray for the glory of God?

– Will God share His glory with another?

– What is glory?

These are three interesting questions we need to look into this week.

The glory of God has a multi-faceted meaning through the scriptures.

The Hebrew word “kâbôd” is derived from the word “kâbêd”. Kâbêd is a verb that means being heavy or weighty. It also means having importance, being prestigious, being honored, and being glorious.

As a noun, kâbôd has two sides, which means:

a. Ability, power, weight, and strength.

b. Splendor, dignity, honour, glory, magnificence.

In Greek, the word for GLORY is “doxa”. Its meaning is not too far from the Hebrew, with just some little differences.

“Doxa” interestingly, means opinion, judgment, and view or estimate.

It also means:

– splendour, brightness
(of creation)

– magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, gracious and kingly majesty of God.

– the absolute perfection and excellence of Christ;  

– it is the outward or exterior brightness or expression of grace.

– it is the revelation of the most exalted state of Christ in His resurrection.

– Doxa also points to the blessedness of the excellence of God which every believer must experience in the now and that which shall be revealed at the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

From these two main words, “kabod” and “doxa”, we see that Glory is basically the honor, majesty, and excellence of God revealed or showcased.

Glory is the visible consummation of the inward work of God’s grace.

From the explanations above, it is obvious you just can’t jump to the conclusion that God doesn’t share His glory with anyone.

From the meanings of the word GLORY, you will realise it is not used in a straitjacket.

There is the glory which we bring to God only. This is not to make God better but for us to demonstrate our honour for who He is to us.

And there is a glory, the Lord has brought us into and shared with us.

Look at one of the things Jesus said in His prayer:

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one” John 17:22 (NKJV)

In our Lord Jesus, there is the revelation of the glory of God’s wonder, goodness, intimate and abiding presence.

Christ revealed the indwelling of the Father’s presence.

See the verse 21 of John 17:

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (NLT).

Until Christ came no one knew the possibility that the LORD GOD could indwell a man.

Yet Jesus who is God made flesh, said “THE FATHER IS IN ME”. (John 14:11)

He said, ” I and My Father are One”. (John 10:30).

This was beyond every human imagination. The religious experts couldn’t comprehend the weight of this matter.

Amazingly, our Lord Jesus points out the result of the glory, He prayed to the Father to give us:

That we may be one as He is one with the Father! (See again John 27:22).

The peak of our experience of divine glory is to SHARE IN THE ONENESS OF FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER AS SONS OF GOD.

The Lord didn’t just bring us salvation, He made us partakers of His glorious life and nature.

Beloved you share in the Father’s glory which is in Christ Jesus.

Hallelujah!