Grace and Glory

Heb. 2:9 says, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

The perfect oneness of Christ and His Church, and the consequent reciprocity of interest and affection which exists shows that while Christ represents the Church above, the Church represents Christ below; while she is glorified with Him in heaven, He is glorified in her on earth. ~ said Octavius Winslow, 19th century preacher 

God’s gifts are beyond any measure. They are precious, and are freely given as the air we breathe. God gives grace to sinners because they need it. He gives grace to His elect because He wills it. God gives His favor and His friendship, and He gives abundantly. Jesus said, You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit. John 15:14-16 

These verses are part of the great discourse Jesus had with His disciples at the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane. It’s important to note (for me) - at this point in Jesus’s ministry, He is presenting Himself as Israel’s Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ according to prophesy. He and every Jew is living and operating under the law, which is why He qualifies His words of friendship with, “if you do what I command you” just as He said to the rich young ruler,  “Keep the law.”

Although salvation has ALWAYS been of Grace and of faith, under the old testament dispensation it was faith in God through keeping the law as sincerely as possible. In today’s church economy or dispensation, “election” means the same as “I have chosen you.” That, as they say, is another study.

The Lord will not deny glory to anyone He has freely given His grace; “Glory is grace in full bloom” said Archibald Brown, 1906. We may see it before this month is done but sooner or later, we shall be glorified.

And so we read in Psalm 84:11 – 

And we read in 2 Cor. 9:15, Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

God gave Jesus (promised in Gen. 3:15: Seed of the woman; and prophesied in Isaiah 9:6: unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given). Jesus, full of Grace and the Glory of God because He was Jehovah in the flesh. And we have been made joint heirs with Him.

In Jeremiah 50:34 it says, Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name (Jehovah): he shall thoroughly plead their cause (Israel’s).

The Redeemer is Jehovah, God the Son who will be born as Jesus, the Son of God, the Redeemer. It is this union that wrought, produced, and delivered redemption. Now “wrought” is an archaic word (they say) which means energy (en-erg-eh’-o), with the idea of “to put forth power effectually.” I know... another archaic word.

Eph. 1:19-20 says, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.

Some translations have it as “His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ.” 

Can you imagine what kind of power was spent if God had to exert Himself? I can’t, but I know the reality of it in my soul!

So we have been brought here by Grace... undeserved love. Grace which is the mercy of God that allows love for those who should be otherwise unlovable. And we have already a certain glory. 

Again, this is another study but, 1 Peter 1:3-4 says, His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in this world through lust.

One commentator said, “The reality of the work of God upon us is insured by the reality of that work upon the true Son of Man, whose members we are.” ~Charles John Ellicott

And another said, “The same power that produced the marvelous miracle of Christ's resurrection now works in the hearts of believers. The resurrection not only revived His dead body, but transformed that body into a spiritual body, and Jesus, being the second Adam, transmits or communicates to His spiritual seed both a renewed soul and a glorified body.” ~The Pulpit Commentary

We sometimes get so used to the lexicon of religious vocabulary and concepts (some would say rhetoric and jargon) that we do not realize the marvel of that which is Grace, or Love, or Glory.

Charles Spurgeon, considering, The trees of the Lord are full of sap, Psalm 104:16, said, “In the Christian the spiritual life is always full of energy, not always in fruit-bearing mode, but in inward operations. The believer’s graces are not always in constant action, but his life never ceases to palpitate within. He is not always working for God, but his heart is always living upon Him. As the sap manifests itself in producing the foliage and fruit of the tree, so with a truly healthy Christian, his grace is externally manifested in his walk and conversation. He has so much sap within, that it must fill his conduct and conversation with life”

I would like to share a prayer by Octavius Winslow...

"Lord, here I am. I have brought to You my rebellious will, my wandering heart, my worldly affections, my peculiar infirmity, my besetting and constantly overpowering sin. Lord, receive me graciously. Put forth the mighty power of Your grace in my soul, and subdue all, and rule all, and subjugate all to Yourself! Will it not be for Your glory, the glory of Your great name if this strong corruption were subdued by Your grace; if this powerful sin were nailed to Your cross; if this temper so volatile, if this heart so impure, if these affections so truant, if this mind so dark, if these desires so earthly, if these pursuits so carnal, if these aims so selfish.... were all entirely renewed by Your Spirit, sanctified by Your grace, and made each to reflect Your image? Yes, Lord, it would be for Your glory, through time and through eternity! 
In His Holy Name, Amen