The Glory of God, Part 2

The mystery of the Incarnation is wrapped up in swaddling clothes: the pre-eternal Word of God, existing with God the Father from all eternity past and even before, if "before" can be used in timelessness, emptied Himself and came down to become a human embryo, then developed into a fetus and then was born as a little baby boy. Just think: Christ was conscious of being enclosed in an embryo, wrapped safely in Mary's womb for nine months. This self-emptying the Greeks called "kenosis" as in Phil. 2:5-11 -

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and gave to Him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

By Christ's humbling Himself, emptying Himself, God the Father has exalted and glorified Him. Think how different this is from the way we humans seek glory and honor: we crave to be recognized for our accomplishments, expecting praise when we do something exceptional. But Jesus intentionally avoided publicity, even saying to people He healed: "Don't tell anyone!" How can we aquire this mind of Christ? St. Peter tells us -

Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue; by which He has granted to us His precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love (2 Peter 2:2-7).

Notice that "grace and peace" comes from experientally knowing God Himself, not from studying theology or even the Bible. Only then can "His divine power" give us all we need for "life and godliness." Then the process begins of becoming "partakers of the divine nature" - aquiring the mind of Christ. How? By replacing the vices with the virtues of faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly affection and agape-love. This is a process that takes a lifetime, not an instantaneous event. But by thus emptying ourselves and partaking of the divine nature, we begin to radiate the glory of Christ.

In 1 John 3:2-3 we read - "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when He is revealed, we will be like Him; for we will see Him just as He is. Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure." In order to share Christ's glory, we need to purify ourselves, by God's help, adopting the virtues mentioned above.

St. Paul writes - "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Whom He predestined, those He also called. Whom He called, those He also justified. Whom He justified, those He also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). The final goal is being glorified, and God's part is foreknowing, predestinating us "to be conformed to the image of His Son," calling and justifying us. On our part, we must practice the virtues. We can't claim to foreknow whether God has predestined us - that's God's part. As far as we are concerned, we might fall into doubt and apostasy, so we must hold firm to the end, in order to be glorified. St. Paul elsewhere describes this final goal of being glorified -

"As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let us also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can't inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: 'Death is swallowed up in victory'" (1 Cor. 15:49-54),

Several other passages tell us of the glory to come: "Seeing it is God Who said, 'Light will shine out of darkness,' Who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6); "For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working by which He is able even to subject all things to himself" (Phil. 3:20-21); and "For in Him [Christ] all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and you have this fullness in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:9-10). These are amazing promises, encouraging us to hold firm to the end!

(Linked to www.Hosken-News.info of 26 Dec. 2015.)

THE GLORY OF GOD

Working with a Christian organization is great: if our clients agree, we're free tell them that God didn't create them to live in poverty, He created them to share in His glory! This isn't some phony "health and wealth gospel" scam that promises people riches and health if they would tithe just 10% of their meager income to a diamond-studded televangelist. No, the glory of God isn't anything material; in fact, the glory of God is His uncreated Energy that radiates from God's unknowable, unfathomable Essence.

The majority of our clients are Afro-Americans living in the inner city, trapped in the bondage of inter-generational poverty. We share with them - "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope for your future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will return you from captivity" (Jer. 29:11-14). God is good, and wants to share His goodness with us!

Some bad habits may be keeping us from experiencing God's glory - "Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). "Such were some of you" - put the past behind you! "But" shows a change taking place: being "washed" refers to baptism into Christ, and being "sanctified" refers to receiving the Holy Spirit at chrismation, right after baptism.

We shouldn't set our hearts on becoming super-rich, but it's alright to ask the Lord for enough to live in moderation: "Two things I have asked of you; Don't deny me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; Lest I be full, deny you, and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, And so dishonor the name of my God" (Prov. 30:7-9). We've seen times in Russia when good people were driven to stealing just to survive, which dishonors God's name.

It takes 6-8 weeks to replace bad habits with good habits, so we show our clients how they can build the habit of daily prayers using their smartphone or a printed copy on one sheet of paper.

God calls us to true freedom: "For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don't use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don't consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Gal. 5:13-18). We can only do this by walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

Here's a whole laundry list of bad habits to replace - "Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).

And here's what to replace them with - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let's also walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-25). Walking in the Spirit means living in constant contact with the Holy Spirit.

We can do this by committing our whole life - body, soul and spirit - to Christ, refusing to conform to the world around us and its destructive lifestyles - "Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2). The word "transformed" is the same word that's used for Christ's Transfiguration, when the brightness of His glory was revealed to His disciples. We can share in His glory!

Finally, God promises to liberate us and share His glory with us - "Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:17-18). This glory is what God wants to pour out on us. We can experience His uncreated Energy... if we replace those bad habits with good habits, and keep walking in the Spirit.

(Linked to www.Hosken-News.info of 05 Dec. 2015.)