SHARING GOD'S GLORY WITH HIM - PART 5

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2025

The sharing of God's glory is a continual emanation from an internalized display of divinity within the saints in reality, and it is directly specific to the new creation alone. More below!

Reference: John 17:22 English Standard Version (ESV)

"The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one."

I want to remind us again regarding the glory God has given Christ, which was also given to the gods through the abiding presence of Christ.

One prevailing impression left on my mind after cogitating on this gift of glory that belongs to me now, is that it personally reminds me of my true identity and existence rooted in Christ-God inextricable oneness, which implies that I am not dealing with a distant Deity or a God who is very far away in heaven, while I'm very far apart from them, but rather a Deity who is forever my personal Lord and God, and has chosen me for a glorious life in Him. To that effect, Acts 17:28 reads, "For in Him we live and move and exist" (NLT).

Like I mentioned in part 2 of this topic, there is a conflation of two divine notions in our versified reference:

1. The glory that you have given me I have given to them

2. that they may be one even as we are one.

Today's focus is majored on the first segment: The glory that you have given me I have given to them. On the contrary, the New Living Translation of Isaiah 42:8 reads, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols." This versified approach always leads to the controversial conclusion that absolute knowledge of sharing God's glory is not attainable. So this matter has remained constant in so called "religious debate" (sometimes seen as a conflict between a particular denomination and another in Christendom). But concerning the role of my spiritual reasoning in confirming this truth, I advise some Christians to stop using logic or Old Testament limited annotations to interpret Scriptural truths concerning the presently revealed Glory of God on earth, so as to avoid reaching fallible conclusions they think are true.

In the Old Testament, God did not reveal the radiance of His glory in man, bearing in mind that His Son radiates His own glory and expresses His very character. So God, not giving His glory to anyone else in the Old Testament writings, is a concise reflection based on Jesus' weighty and glorious significance in heaven before His time to emerge on earth was due. Therefore, the accurate rendering of Isaiah 42:8 is:  "I am the LORD Eternal; I Am is My name. My radiant beauty is unique, a weighty splendor all my own. And nothing else - no idols could possibly gain my praise."

That "radiant beauty and a weighty splendor" is the mystery, namely Christ. That's the reason you hear apostle Paul saying, "The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:26-27 NKJV). God hid the tangible personification of His glory from mankind, which is Christ, denoting the mystery hidden from ages and from generations. To better understand His role as God's glory in the world, we see His earthly life and ministry as the embodiment and manifest representation of the fulfilment of the KNOWLEDGE of God's glory.

To that effect, in due time, Johannine literature numbered as John 1:14 revealed, "So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son" (NLT). Got it? Hence, Jesus' inextricable oneness with God and His unique office as the light of the world reflected divine glory on earth. Zero wonder Pauline epistolary expression numbered as 2nd Corinthians 4:6 reads, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ" (NIV).

Then, in His discussion with God the Father, which is characterized by high density of eternal purpose, He gave His glory to the us, the gods. Hallelujah! Stay tuned for part 6. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:19; Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 2:9.

Exuberant Declaration:

The glory of God is evident upon my life and it has every role to play in my divine experiences, which are my higher realities in the Lord. Blessed be God!