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glory to glory

 

 

Jesus made a statement in Luke 10:20 and it will pilot the thought in this article. The spirits being subject to us is beyond just casting out demons. It includes the power and wisdom we received from heaven where our names are written to overcome their alluring and deceptive doctrines.

Countless times I have heard people say things like “there will be a lot of surprises in heaven” and by this, they almost always mean they may be surprise to see themselves in heaven and others they did not expect will be there. It is wrong to assume someone else will not be in heaven and the assertion that you will be surprised to be there is erroneous and needs to be humbly but firmly corrected.

Being admitted into heaven is not like taking an exam after you have read very well or poorly and now, you just wait passively for the outcome.

Admission into heaven takes place now while we are living not when we are dead. Everyone who is admitted there now is part of the bride awaiting the ceremony that will be graced with the presence of the bridegroom and the heavenly host with God the maker of all things visible and invisible.

Everybody hoping to be surprised then, is also already surprised now as to why the devil and sin is dominating them. In contrast, all who know they are already admitted into heaven now are giving thanks and pondering why God has so love them to deliver them from the dominion of the devil and the grip of sins.

The truth and reality of 2 Cor 3:17-18, is certainly happening in all who are admitted into heaven now and waiting for the marriage supper.

The “Lord’s Prayer” taught us by Jesus indicates that God’s will happening in heaven must happen in God’s kingdom on the earth. If you are part of His kingdom on the earth, wake-up and “let” His will be done now in you. The devil is not powerful enough to stop it unless you have imbibed doctrines that demons are teaching today via false teachers and prophets (Matt 6:9-10, 1 Tim 4:1).

The will of God that is being done in heaven is not the pursuit of earthly ambitions but ceaseless worship and reverence to God Almighty.

God’s will that happens in heaven is happening IN His people’s lives today all over world in an increasing measure. Where each of us is now in Christ as parts of His Body is not the farthest we can go. Not believing you can break out into a new dimension will mean doubting God’s ability. And, if you doubt God’s ability to take you beyond your struggles, you will also doubt that anyone else is living beyond where you are now. This kind of unbelief (sin) leads to judgemental spirit, schism and multiplicity of erroneous doctrines that makes it impossible to live above sin and it impacts the fulfillment of Eph 4:13.

What is the secret for God’s will happening in some of His people? What are they “doing” to achieve this? The secret is simple! What they are “doing” is even simpler.

They trust and continue believing God! This may sound overly simple but ask yourself the question “how did I become a Christian?”.

You just believed in your heart and you were rescued from the kingdom of darkness and “translated” into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. For this reason, you are entitled to glorious inheritance in the kingdom of Light (Christ)

Now, if just believing in the finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ brought us wholistically out of the kingdom of darkness, think about how easier it is for the Spirit to give us victory over any besetting sin(s) which is only an integral part of the power of darkness. We must remember that the intention is to debar us from enjoying the inheritance but Mark 9:23 and Phil 4:13 NLT gives the key for consistent victory.

As we continue believing in the light God is reflecting in our minds Psalm 119:130, we are transformed from one degree of His glory to another. The word “another”, is not indicative of the totality of His glory that is available for us because 1 Cor 13:12 portrays another glory for the time when we see Him face to face. At the moment, He is moving us in the dimensions of His glory and this work being done in us by the Holy Spirit keeps us alive in Him, content, joyful, peaceful and demonstrating His glory to the world. This is the business of the gospel of Christ! Rom 14:17.

You may still ask what is your part to play? Well! Believe and submit to Him joyfully and any dark spot in you will be overtaken and snuffed-out by His glorious light. Note the heartwarming emphases at the end of 2 Cor 3:18, – The Lord who is the Spirit does the work.

Ours is to believe and that is the springboard to unimaginable degrees of glory in Christ.

You may be asking what about the other things a Christian should be doing! Like:

  • Reading and meditating on the scriptures

  • Praying, fasting, and being hard working

  • Preaching the gospel to the lost and exercising your gift

  • Admonishing and exhorting the brothers

  • Attending the gathering of saints regularly for fellowship

  • Giving to the household of faith and giving to the poor

  • Honouring your father and mother

  • Loving your spouse and loving your enemies

  • Training your children in the way of the Lord

  • Being Patient

Those are fallout from the change occurring inside of those the Holy Spirit is making more and more like Christ. Doing those things, is not what makes you “be” like Christ rather, Christ is absorbing you into who He is because you are believing and submitting, you are budding His nature and that is why it is Him working in you to will and to do His good pleasure (Gal 2:20, Phil 2:13 NLT).

Those good virtues can be natural just as plants do naturally bud but it is very temperamental and highly subject to vagaries of weather. This speaks of self righteousness. But, we seek after such thing which only the Lord does as evidenced with Aaron’s wooden-rod. That is not natural but spiritual. We as dead stick are taken by God, made alive and producing life (God’s nature and virtues) because of our belief and submission to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus by which, His will IS being done on our earth. I like what Jim Elliff once said, “No man presents himself to God perfectly, but all of us can tell when we present ourselves half-heartedly”. But, we do not glory in presenting ourselves half-heartedly while Christ gave Himself for us fully.

Therefore, we are invited to join Abraham the father of faith to be fully persuaded that God can and will bring us into His fullness as promised (Rom 4:21, Heb 4:1, 3:19). Committing our lives fully to God is not just the business of the dying like Stephen did Acts 7:59. Actually, he committed his life fully to God before that event of his death Acts 6:8 KJV, and so can we. Let us commit our lives fully to God by believing all He has promised Rom 6:14.

  • James 1:18, warns us against doubting. Let all fears be gone! It is God Himself that is accomplishing this impossible work in us. We can look at men and women like Apollos, Epaphroditus, Timothy, Priscilla, Phoebe etc and know He who has done it in them in time past, is doing it again in us in this generation.

  • To reiterate, our part is to love the Lord, submit and believe in His faithfulness.

  • Everyone who is becoming more and more like Christ know they have found such favour with God, they are aware God is changing them and the sheer joy of it gives amazing strength! Nehemiah 8:10 Psalm 28:7-8.

  • It is said, true godliness and spirituality is seen in simple things with amazing power!

  • So, this transformation from one degree of glory to another shows itself in simple things such as:

Humility, putting away envy, quick to hear God, not in haste to speak, slow to anger and forgiving quickly.
Quick repentance (turn away from evil and not returning to it), and stability in the things God has already given victory.

  • Quickly casting down thoughts that exalt itself against God’s way and seeking and pursuing peace        Increasingly needing private discussion with Christ before making decisions and interceding much for others

  • Increase in submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ and not judging people’s motive but their actions

  • Loving increasingly the Body of Christ, an unusual leap in patience and increase in the use of kind words in the face of even severe provocation

  • A healthy loss of interest in some legitimate things in order to travel light and painstaking for good conscience

  • Fearing God more than man

  • Eagerness and more deliberate readiness to reach out to the lost

  • Unabated peaceful expectation of the Lord’s return

Those simple virtues carry tremendous power, producing astonishing results in general and for the gospel in particular! If the activities of heaven is happening inside you both while asleep and awake and budding out from you visibly, appearing in heaven will not be a surprise but one of unspeakable joy and peace marinated in unfathomable everlasting love that is reserved for sons of God clothed with immortality through resurrection John 6:40. So, the real surprise in Heaven is that, there will be no surprise!

Make these seasons a time to believe God like never before and live by faith- it has no drawbacks only profits all the way!

May the grace, joy and peace of the Lord be with you.

Maranatha!