Straight Talk… Glory to Glory to Glory, Rodna Epley
Romans 8:29-30 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. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Notice here that the word “glorified” is past tense, just like “foreknew”, “predestined”, “called”, and “justified”.
What the Bible doesn’t say is, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined…whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He will glorify once we have all died and been buried and resurrected in the sweet by and by, someday way in the future when we meet on that beautiful shore.”
While glorification is for now, it is true that it isn’t automatic. It’s fully received at salvation because the Father (who is glory – Exodus 33) comes in when Jesus does. But the glory is only released when Jesus has chosen to reveal the Father to us.
Matthew 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Releasing the glory of the Father which transforms everything quickly also takes a willful decision on our part to enroll in the school on His glory. The process of our transformation goes from glory level to glory level.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
With His glory doing all the work, it gets released through suffering, putting to death the old nature, bringing to life the new nature in Christ.
Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
We learn to work with the Holy Spirit, flipping darkness into light. He personally trains each one of us how to operate in the glory, transforming each one of us into the “glory of the Lord”. But, it’s a willful decision on our part to engage in this one-on-one private tutoring with the Holy Spirit. We are learning to hear Him and respond. Just knowing you can do this and that the purpose of the Gospel is for “obtaining the glory” will begin to transform our thinking immediately. It’s not taught in the churches although it’s all throughout scripture. Those who know there is something more than what they’ve been hearing will have the ears to hear.
Luke 10:22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Avoiding Bible translations that don’t adhere closely to the original languages unblinds minds on the knowledge of the glory.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
After all, obtaining the glory is the purpose of the Gospel (Good News). Salvation is the way in which we obtain the glory, but glory is the goal. Being remade in our Father’s image, doing the things our Father does, and being crowned with glory is what He purposed for us from the beginning.
2 Thessalonians 2:14 He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 5:44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Blessings to all! ❤
Rodna
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