The glory of God is all that God is, it is the outshining of his
glorious attributes. Of this glory we are "joint heirs with Christ"
by Ian Hamilton
Is it not to our great shame that we live such pedestrian lives when we are
a people with an unspeakably glorious destiny? Perhaps you don't live
a
pedestrian life; perhaps you are someone who is daily full of "joy
unspeakable and full of glory." If, however, like me, you too often
live
"beneath your privileges," these words are for you.
When Paul begins to spell out the blessings that are the God-given
birthright of every justified believer in the Lord Jesus Christ in Romans
5:1ff, he writes this: "and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of
God."
This is breath taking. Paul is not writing to a favoured few; he is not
encouraging those who have had some post-conversion experience; he is
writing to every sinner who has fled to Jesus Christ for salvation. What
he
writes is true for the youngest, as well as the most seasoned saint -
"we
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." This is so astounding that
it is
almost impossible to take it in. We have, says the divinely inspired
apostle, a sure and certain hope, the hope of "the glory of God."
Not
simply the hope of seeing his glory - that would be enough to glory in
for
all eternity - but the hope of sharing in his glory, that is Paul's
thought. Stop and try to take this in. If you are a Christian, this is
your
destiny.
The glory of God is all that God is, it is the outshining of his glorious
attributes. Of this glory we are "joint heirs with Christ" ("if
indeed we
share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory"
Roms.8:17). I'm afraid all we can say in response to such revealed truth
is to echo the words of the Psalmist, "such knowledge is too wonderful
for
me, too lofty for me to attain" (Psalm 139:6). This is where God
one day
will bring all his children. This is our destiny in Christ.
Now, my point is this: how then should such people live as they await
the
consummation of this destiny? Ought we to live dominated by our
circumstances, however much they are against us? Are we to so focus on
the
"good fight of faith", that we lose the sense of the ultimate
triumph that
is assured? One of our greatest needs surely is to cultivate the art of
heavenly-mindedness. If the glory of God is our destiny and our
inheritance, "seeking the things that are above" should be a
major
preoccupation for every Christian. Our citizenship, even now, is in heaven
(Phil.3:20).
I am not in any sense advocating spiritual escapism, as if believers
are
called to opt out of the world and live in an "uncontaminated atmosphere."
We are called to be salt and light, preserving and irradiating this dark,
decaying world with the grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. However,
your usefulness to God and the gospel in this world, depends on your heart
and mind engagement with the world to come. The more heavenly-minded you
are, the more earthly use you will be. True heavenly-mindedness does not
ghettoize our faith, it invigorates our faith, it brings into the world
a
savour of the eternal, it gives us a passion to proclaim God's glory to
a
dying world.
Our forefathers, no doubt living in less pressured days, made the time
to
meditate on "the eternal glories that gleamed afar." They understood
that
meditating on the Lord and his glory, heaven and our destiny, was a
spiritual necessity, not a spiritual luxury. Paul's injunction, "set
your
minds on things above" (literally, "think about the things above"),
is
God's wise counsel to his church. Too often, if we are honest, we are
like
Pooh Bear, "sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits."
We
have in Christ the unspeakable destiny of the glory of God." It is
our
Christian birthright, given to us by God's grace, in our union with Christ.
Ponder the privilege of it, the wonder of it, the certainty of it. Stop,
even now as you read, and reflect on the glorious destiny that is yours
in
Christ.
Ian Hamilton
