I have said that God’s glory is seen in the person of Christ, and it is saving faith that makes that new life more appreciate the Lord. Peter puts it like this, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of GLORY” 1 Peter 1 v 8. “Yet believing”; what a challenging phrase! When all things go against us, we rejoice with full glory. Why? We are growing in the knowledge of him that brings all things to perfection. The sure word to us is “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”…. [1 Peter 3 v 18]. As we grow we shall find glory the companion of our way.
The Scriptures are given for this precise purpose. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.” “For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”, and that knowledge will bring glory, “But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” [2 Corinthians 3 v 18].
Resolution
But you are still uncertain of the glory and find that you have so little of it in your life, then consider that it may not be the right Lord you behold, or you may not use the right eye to behold Him, or the right glass to behold him in. That mirror is no less than the scripture, for it is seen in the face of the Lord and our image is clear to read. Look often in that reflection and let the spirit of God work the transformation, “Be ye transformed”, says the Book. Simple believing faith can do what nothing else can. It can make us to be like Christ. “He must increase and I must decrease”, and it can only happen as you are aware of his rightful authority. The Bible gives us that. Paul gives us the secret in Romans 15 v 13. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost”.
Abundant knowledge will lead to right reckoning of Christ’s glory. I emphasise this point to bring you to this place of full clarity. We need to put Christ’s glory before any other thing in heaven and earth. To do this we must see right and strive to ensure that what we see is of God, ascribing to Him the eternal measure that is due.
Only by faith can we do this and faith is freely given of God. “And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” to all those who long for right relationship, and have sincere motive in seeking. The use of this act will serve to convince you that you are saved. For the more you see of God and find out by revelation about His glory in Christ, the more you realise that you are, in fact, saved. Those who have a strong and unshakeable faith are those who have seen much of the glory. It is only by the divine operation that we see Him at all. The greater degree of knowledge about Him that we possess the more fully we must consider that there is a supernatural Spirit that is guiding us into all truth. The seeking of this glory then also serves to strengthen us in the safety of our souls. This is not a belief for belief’s sake, but true and open insight into God’s remedy against sin.
