Glory!

 GLORY

“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” - John 17:22

As Christians, we use the word, “glory,” to indicate many things. On one hand, we refer to heaven as “glory.” Many of our songs and hymns use this description of heaven. The word, “glory,” is also used to refer to praise. We should have a desire to give God glory, that is, our praise. Finally, the word, “glory,” is used to describe the divine perfections of God. That is what Moses wanted to see when we prayed, “Show me your glory.” Psalm 19:1 speaks of this glory when it says, “The heavens declare the glory of God...”

In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father on our behalf. In verse 22, Jesus said, “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ...” What “glory” is Jesus referring to? Obviously, He is not referring to His deity. Jesus has always been divine. This glory was not given by the Father, but eternally enjoyed along with the Father. We have not been made divine ourselves. Although we have been made children of God, the trinity has not been expanded to include us. We are still mortals. We are sinners saved by grace. Thus, the glory that Jesus has given to us is not His eternal, intrinsic perfection.

Certainly, one day you and I will have a home in heaven. Because of the saving grace of God, we have a better place waiting for us. We refer to heaven as “glory,” but this is not what Jesus was referring to either. Heaven was not given to Jesus. It has been, and continues to be, His home. It is the abode of God. While this “glory” awaits us beyond the grave, that is not the “glory” Jesus is referring to John 17:22.

2 Peter 1:3-4 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Notice that the promises of God were given, “that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.”

God has made us partakers of the divine nature --- His glory. No, we are not divine. We still dwell in temporal bodies. We struggle with sinful flesh. Yet because of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, we've been given a position in His family. We are His children. Hebrews 2:6 says that He “... hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” What a position we enjoy!

Furthermore, the Spirit has imparted to us fruit that mirrors the character of our Lord. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Additionally, we are being molded to be more and more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 states, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” You see, our salvation was more than a deliverance from hell. It is a transformation of our lives by the power of God.

This glory was described by Paul in Colossians 1:27: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Notice that the Bible refers to “the riches of the glory of this mystery.” Too bad that most believers are satisfied to enjoy only part of their salvation without entering in the massive storehouse of God's provision and bask in the riches of His glory.

When the King takes residence in our hearts, He brings His glory with Him. It is one thing to be pardoned by the King, it is even greater for Him to move within and abide there. Christ in us, the hope of glory. That is true glory. The ramifications of our salvation are so massive that it overwhelms the minds of those who focus on it. Too bad that we tend to be too busy to meditate on our great salvation and the God who provided it.

The Lord of glory dwells within the heart of every believer. His glory is made manifest within us so that we may dwell in harmony together, just as He and the Father dwell in harmony. We experience such glory here on earth. Yet how sweet it will be to finally see Him face to face and behold Him in all His glory and splendor. What a day that will be!

Glory!