Glory to Glory?

Think of someone you know doesn’t like you.  Of course everyone likes you since you are a child of God, so just imagine there is someone out there who doesn’t think highly of you, better?  Now you hear from your friends that this person said you were awesome.  What would you think?  Maybe something like “what are they up to?”  Now let’s say you hear your parents think you are awesome, what do you think?  “Well they are obligated to say stuff like that,” right?  How about a good report from your friends?  You might actually believe that they believe it but you wonder what they would think if they really got to know you.  Hey I’m just trying to be real and honest.  So what about your boss?  He says you are a great worker and he really likes having you around.  You think to yourself “I do try hard to do a good job so maybe he’s right, but if he really knew me…”  Are you getting the idea?

OK, how about a good report from a perfect loving God who cannot lie and is always right in everything He does and says?  Would you believe Him?  “Of course I would but what does that have to do with me?” you ask.  Well, everything actually.

John baptizes Jesus and as He comes out of the water the heavens open and God proclaims “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  Do you believe it?  I bet you do.  So this is really cool.  That declaration is a glory.  “Wait I thought glory was clouds and pillars and glowing stuff and all that.”  It can manifest that way but in the Greek it can mean something a little different.

The word is doxa.  One of its meanings is a good report or judgment or opinion that results in praise, honor or glory.  So when God says how amazing His Son is, it is a glory.  Here is the crazy thing.  The Holy Spirit loves to brag about Jesus.  He is doing it all the time.  He shows us what Jesus did and what it means to and for us.  Paul said that he resolved he would know nothing other than  Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  The Holy Spirit is the one that reveals those truths to us in glory.  OK, with that new perspective take a look at these passages:

2 Corinthians 3:18 ·Our faces, then, are not covered [With an unveiled face…]. We all ·show [reflect; or behold; or contemplate] the Lord’s glory, and we are being ·changed [transformed] ·to be like him [into the same image]. This change in us ·brings ever greater glory [or is from one degree of glory to another; is from glory to glory], which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (EXB)

Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (ESV)

So this is just amazing to me.  The Holy Spirit is revealing the goodness of God in His Son and the finished work on the cross all the time.  The Bible is actually the love letter that lays it all out.  The Holy Spirit “breathes” on the Word and BOOM! you get a glory, a good report declaration from God about Jesus that is worthy of praise.  Those moments, revelations, realizations, illuminations, or whatever else you want to call them, are actually transforming you into His image.  Come on!  And there is more.  They are what is inside you.  They become a part of you because Jesus is in you.  Wait, there is more.  The good reports are for YOU too!  Wait, there is more.  You get to release the glory of Jesus inside you into other people’s lives.

So all those people I talked about had good reports (the enemy, friend, parent, boss…) and so does your Daddy in Heaven.  How do I know?  You are His child.  He loves you dearly.  He loves you like Jesus.  You are His beloved.  Every time you get a BOOM about Jesus that says how much He loves you…for God so loved YOU that…  Cherish the glory moments.  They are God’s gift to you and for you.  Jesus took your place so you could take His.  That will humble you and glory you at the same time!

That is amazing!

Yay Jesus

Lance