SURPASSING GLORY

SURPASSING GLORY

Glory has to do with splendour, honour and dignity. There is a form of glory revealed before the coming of Christ and another revealed after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The former glory is hinged on the law which is temporary making it a temporary glory but the latter is hinged on the love sacrifice of Christ which is of eternal value. The latter is of surpassing value than the former and this write-up aims to enlighten us on this surpassing glory.
The Bible is replete with differentiation of these forms of glory. Lets consider
2corinthians 3:7_11
7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Here, the Bible begins to teach on the glory that was revealed before Christ and after Christ love's sacrifice. The initial glory is seen as a product or result of the law which is a ministration of death. The writer opines that if the glory from the law which is temporary can have such glorious effect on the Israelites how much more shall the glory that comes from the ministration of the Spirit be glorious. The law which ministers death and condemnation had a level of glory much more shall be the glory that comes by the ministration of life and righteousness. The glory seen in the old testament is no glory at all when compared to this glory we are talking about. In short, the glory seen in the old testament was a shadow of the real glory we now see and experience.
Haggai 2:9 also has something to say on this.
9  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
Here, this latter glory is said to be greater in magnitude, extent and importance. Though here the prophet was speaking of a building to be built by the Israelites. It points prophetically to glory of the New covenants.
Let us at this point examine the latter glory which is the surpassing glory. 1peter1:11 states that:
11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
The question we must ask is what is the glory that has followed the sufferings of Christ and how does it surpass the former glory.
We said in the early part of this write-up that the former glory is hinged on the law while the latter glory is hinged on Christ. The following are parts of the latter glory.
1. ETERNAL FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Now, we have forgiveness of sins in Christ, see
Ephesians 1:7
7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
All our sins are eternally forgiven. Under the former glory which was birthed from the law it was not so. It is recorded that the people had to atone for their sins once every year and inspite of the many atoning sacrifices, they still felt condemned and guilty.

Hebrews 9:6-14

6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God
7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. note

11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? note
No one could be righteous, justified with the law; see Galatians 3:11:
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
But now in Christ we are righteous, blameless, we are the ones that come boldly before God without any sense of guilt or unworthiness.
2. ETERNAL LIFE
No one could be born again until after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Romans 8:29 and Colossians 1: 18 explain this.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Being born again means having the life of God which is eternal and this turns us into children of God. God becomes our Father. Since no one could be born again until Christ, it shows that no one under the former glory could relate with God as a father- it was not a father children(son) relationship but a God- servants relationship. Examine this scripture.
Hebrews 3:3-6
3  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Part of the latter glory is that we are GOD'S children. Paul quoted this in Galatians 3:26:
26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
We have passed from servants hood  into sonship. This is clearly explained in Romans 8:15-17
15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
3. THE ETERNAL PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The old testament guys who were partakers of the former glory had lots of miraculous experiences due to the Holy Ghost coming upon them for specific task. Never did He indwell them except to carry out a given task. But now the Holy Ghost lives in every believer; we are His temple, 1Corithians6:9 reveals this:
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
He does not dwell in us for a season but eternally. If the report of the old testament could be so alarming because they had the Holy Ghost influencing them from time to time, then greater should be our report because we do not have the Holy Spirit as a visitor. He resides in us and presides over us.
Everyone that speaks in tongues knows the importance of speaking in tongues. It would shock you to know that no partaker of the former glory was able to speak in tongues. This ability was reserved for us who are partakers of this latter glory.
In Acts 1:4, Jesus after His resurrection tells His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem till they received the promised gift: the Holy Ghost.
4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
And in Acts 2:4, we noticed that the coming of the HolySpirit upon the apostles was accompanied with a language and this is true for almost every part of the Bible where men received the HolyGhost.
4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Hence, the presence of the HolySpirit in us is most times evidenced by our ability to speak in tongues.

I conclude by saying that everyone who has placed faith in Christ for salvation is a partaker of this surpassing glory. In that we partook in his sufferings, we  also partake in His glory. This glory is His spirit and His life in us. We are privileged to have the glory of the father in us. We are now the expression of God’s glory. We are the shekinah working the earth. We the expression of His presence. Hallelujah. By Okosodo Magdalene

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