Hope of Glory

Brethren, mark your calendar for these upcoming Holy Days: The Feast of Trumpets is Monday, September 17th. The Feast of Atonement is Wednesday, September 26th. The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is October 1st. The Last Great Day is Monday, October 8th.

Dear Brethren,

In order for us to walk with God, it is necessary that we be constantly mindful of the things of God. It is essential that we know of the hope of His calling, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us. (Ephesians 1:18-19).

What is the glory of God? Most people do not know. The glory of God is the brilliance, the magnificence, the power, the majesty, the greatness… and an unlimited host of indefinable attributes of almighty God. Our human language comes far short of being able to define the wonderful glory of God.

These things of God are an unknown mystery to those people of the world. They cannot grasp that Jesus Christ actually lives in those saints the Father has called.

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  (Colossians 1:26-27)

Jesus Christ in us is our hope of glory.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

What an incredible concept – Jesus in us now is our guarantee of sharing in the glory of God!

Few people know Jesus and what He taught, and even fewer are willing to submit to His way of living. The people of this world do not know God, and they do not know Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, and He is God, as the Father is God.

In the beginning, there was only God the Father and the Word, Jesus Christ. They were the only two beings that existed. The relationship and bond between God the Father and Jesus Christ represented perfect love and harmony. The first act of God, of which we are aware, is this… in their brilliant, glorious Godly love, they came up with a superb plan, a perfect plan – the Plan of God.

God the Father and Jesus Christ decided that they would invest themselves in the greatest venture imaginable. Before launching into their plan, they made absolutely certain that it was perfect and infallible. Their plan was to open their close knit God-Family to others.

Astoundingly, they did not see our sharing of their glory as an intrusion, but as an expansion of their love. For them, opening the God-Family to others was an act of sharing and giving of their Spiritual substance. They wished to share their Eternal God Life with an extended Family.

It was the most splendid design conceivable! God started by creating the vast angelic realm that would serve mankind, (Hebrews 1:14) and then they created the immeasurable, physical universe – this earth, the sun, the moon and the billions of stars. It is so enormous that it is impossible to comprehend its size. God the Father created all this by and through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9).

The vastness of the heavens, not only points to God's unlimited power to create, but it is also an indication of God’s earnest intent to extend and expand His Family. “Of the increase of His realm and peace there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7) God created mankind to be just like Him – to share His image and glory.

Jesus now sits in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven as our High Priest, intervening for us before God the Father. "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous… such an High Priest [Jesus Christ], who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens [God the Father].”  (1 John 2:1, Hebrews 8:1)

These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”  (John 17:1-5)

Praying to the Father, Jesus speaks of the glory we are to share with them. “And the glory which thou gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one… Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:22, 24)

“The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40:5) We will see Christ in His glory - we will share in that glory.

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Sermon:

"Hope of Glory"