WAITING FOR HIS GLORY

 

 

We have already been abundantly blessed, even glorified:

·       And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

 

We have already been raised with Him, yet we await a fuller communion with Him:

·       and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6–7)

 

We have already been redeemed and adopted as His children, yet we await its consummation:

 

·       And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:23–25)

 

We are required to await the fullness of our Lord’s blessings. Meanwhile, we experience an intense inner struggle (Galatians 5:17) as we wait, causing us to long for His return and His promise of righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

 

Nevertheless, we now experience the firstfruits of His promises. We suffer, but we are also delivered by His merciful hand (1 Corinthians 10:13) but in His good timing (1 Peter 5:10):

·       Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!...When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles…Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:9,17,19)

 

However, it is plain that we still have “lack,” “troubles,” and “afflictions!” How then do we reconcile these (our suffering) with the promises of our Lord? Indeed, God will deliver us from all of our trials, but He doesn’t guarantee when this will happen. Indeed, when we cry to Him, he hears us (and is working everything together for our good), but He may require us to suffer in faith with our ailments. Accordingly, hundreds of times the Bible informs us that we will often have to wait patiently, endure, persevere, and to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Admittedly, Jesus had paid the price in full for all our infirmities on the Cross, reversing the curse. However, to receive His deliverance in full, we must await His return. This also pertains to the healing of all our diseases. We all die, and so this healing will be accomplished in full when we go to be with our Lord. Therefore, the verses that assure us that He will heal all our diseases will not be fully accomplished in the here and now.

 

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We seek honor and glory, but our glorification must be granted by God in the right place and at the right time. The Apostles were also unwilling to wait:

 

·       A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And [Jesus] said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. (Luke 22:24–27)

 

In the Kingdom of God, greatness is a matter of being like Jesus. Consequently, we need to humble ourselves to serve as Jesus had. He was born into humility – a smelly fly-infested stable – He left in humility on the Cross and lived a humble existence, a Man of sorrows acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). However, humility and brokenness are the winds that stoke the blacksmith’s transforming fire.

 

When the Apostles sought their own glory, it created division. The sons of Zebedee came to Jesus to request to reign alongside of Jesus:

 

·       And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. (Matthew 20:24–26)

 

Love and humility draw others to the Gospel and build community, while pride divides. James contrasted this humble wisdom from above with earthly wisdom:

 

·       Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13–18)

 

The wisdom from below is self-serving and seeks immediate gratification. The Wisdom from above is the fertile soil whose fruit is peace. Jesus promised that those who exalted themselves would be humbled and those who humbled themselves would be exalted (Luke 14:11; 18:14; Matthew 24:12).

 

This means that our Lord wants to exalt and honor us (Romans 8:30). He will even glorify us in the presence of our enemies, filling our cup to overflowing with blessings (Psalm 23). However, this must be according to His timing in His way. He even wants to conform us, even more, to His own likeness (1 John 3:2-3). He will not deprive those who love Him of any good thing (Psalm 84).

 

However, Adam and Eve jumped-the-gun. Eve had wanted to be like God right now. According to her desire for immediate glory, the serpent deceived her:

 

·       “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:5–6)

 

Why then did God place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden? It was not only a test, but it seems to have served to humble the first couple so that, in the fullness of time, He might exalt His people to something far greater. Perhaps it was also prophetic of what was to come – to know as God knows (1 Corinthians 13:12) and to even reign over the nations along with Jesus (Revelation 22:5)

 

When we know these things, we can wait patiently rather than to pursue our own glory:

 

·       For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. (Galatians 5:5)

 

What we want for ourselves, we must first give to others. Jesus told a parable to those who were invited to a fancy dinner and were trying to occupy the seats of honor:

 

·       [The host] “who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.                                                       But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:9–11)

 

If we seek our own honor and glory, we will eventually be humbled. Instead, we should seek to honor others. To illustrate how, Jesus then instructed the host:

·       He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12–14)

 

When we seek servanthood, the honor and glory of others, we minister as our Lord had done. He did not come to be served but to serve. Jesus measured greatness in terms of placing ourselves beneath others (Matthew 18:4; Philippians 2:3). So must we!