So far we
have seen that there are different degrees and measures
of manifested glory (2Cor.3:18). Yes, we are already
fully gloried in Christ (Rom.8:29-30, 1John 4:17).
However, we have not yet entered into the full
manifestation of that glory while still on earth because
the earth cannot handle it. Remember, even the Lord
Jesus didn’t come to the earth in His full glory. If He
had there would be an unquantifiable chaos on earth
because the earth would not be able to handle it because
of its fallen state, because of sin! Romans 3:23 shows
us that sin and glory never mix!
There is
what is called consummated (perfected) glory and this is
experienced when we check out of this world. Apostle
Peter calls it
“…the
excellent glory…”
(2Pet.1:17). There is a measure of glory this fallen
flesh can’t contain. It’s already in our spirit man but
can’t be manifested in this physical world. Our
glorified (sinless) bodies would be able to accommodate
it, but not this fallen body (Phil.3:20-21). This is the
degree of glory we would experience in the New Heavens
and Earth in which righteousness dwells (2Peter 3:13).
When a believer sleeps in Christ he steps into that
consummated, perfected, full, ultimate glory of God.
Praise God!
“But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the
Lord.”
~2Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV).
“For
now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also
am known.”
~1Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV).
“But
the path of the just is as the shining light, that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
~Proverbs 4:18.
The
perfect day is coming. The day we’d walk in perfected
glory. Praise God!
Now,
let’s not be quick to push everything into the future to
be experienced in the sweet by and by as we often do.
There are great dimensions of this glory that we can
experience here and now on earth and that is the purpose
of God glorifying us while still on this earth.
Amazingly, we get to choose how far we can go in this
glory experience before we check out of this world. The
following portions of Scripture helps us see this:
“If
then you were raised with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on
things on the earth. For you died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our
life appears, then you also will appear with Him in
glory.”
~Colossians 3:1-4.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on
us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore
the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet
been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when
He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
~1John 3:1-3.
For many
years, whenever I read these portions of Scripture, I
always concluded that these were only available to us in
the sweet by and by, when we get to heaven. I never knew
that there were dimensions of these Scriptures we could
experience here on earth until the Holy Spirit
graciously enlightened me. My challenge was with the
underscored words as indicated above. I thought until
Christ appeared at the rapture or in His Second Coming
then we shall appear with Him in glory. But then the
Holy Spirit helped me see that there were different
appearances of Christ. There is a kind of appearance we
can experience while still on earth, that is, when
Christ becomes real and tangible to us, when He is
unveiled to us (2Cor.3:16-18) and that introduces us to
higher degrees of glory experiences and manifestations.
Without this appearance, Christ will remain just a
historical figure to us and we can’t experience the
realities of His glory. I also thought same about 1John
3:1-3, thinking that
“…when He
is revealed…”
meant after the rapture. But now, by the Spirit, I know
that there’s a revelation of Jesus that I need here and
now to be conformed to His image (Rom.8:29-30). Bless
God for the Holy Spirit! He sponsors the appearance of
Jesus to us. He is the Revealer of Jesus to us!
Therefore, as we sojourn through this world, God expects
us to be advancing in glory experiences. He expects us
to keep stepping into higher dimensions and realms of
manifested glory. I believe the Lord wants us to
experience the highest level of glory that can be
experienced here on earth before we leave this earth. We
have a good picture of what that looks like, the Man
Jesus Christ. That’s one reason we behold Him through
the Word (God’s transforming Mirror). And as we behold
Him we are changed into the same image from glory to
glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord till we are
entirely captured in glory. So, it’s time to start
pressing into deeper places in the glory zone! Deep
calls unto deep (Psalm 42:7). There’s so much more than
we have experienced. There’s always more with God!
The soul
(mind) plays a major role in determining how much of
God’s glory we can experience on earth. This is why the
Scripture emphasizes the renewing of the mind with God’s
Word. Without the renewing of our minds we can’t
function in the glory of God on earth. To the degree our
minds are renewed with God’s Word we would manifest the
glory of God on earth. As long as this earth remains,
anything that must be expressed on earth from our
recreated spirit must pass through our minds because,
for man, the soul (mind) is the intermediary between the
spiritual and physical worlds. Therefore, if there must
be any transfer or transaction between these two worlds
it must be determined by the faculty of the mind. Though
we’ve been ultimately glorified in spirit, however, to
the degree the soul engages the glory already in our
spirit man it is manifested in the body. The Holy Spirit
expressed His will in this regards through Apostle Paul:
“For
it is the God who commanded light to 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. But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God
and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet
not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying
of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our body. For we who live are always
delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
~2Corinthians 4:6-11 (NKJV).
The Lord Jesus is building a glorious Church, a Church
that would manifest Him physically here on earth
(Eph.5:27; 4:11-16). This unprecedented manifestation of
the glory of God accompanied by great persecutions would
be the Church’s last witness of the reality of Jesus
Christ to the world before the rapture. Our
glorification process is consummated when we put off
this fallen body and put on the glorified body
(Phil.3:20-21). We look forward to this!
David C.
Okoye
