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God’s glory should not be understood merely in terms of spectacular manifestations, supernatural experiences, miracles, signs, or visible demonstrations of divine power.
The glory of God is also profoundly revealed when the character and nature of Christ are manifested through His people. God desires both the power and the character of Christ to be expressed through those who belong to Him.
Therefore, to live the life of glory is to live a life in which the character, nature, virtues, and life of Christ increasingly become visible in us and through us.
As we live out the life of glory that God has purposed for us in Christ, there are four important truths we must understand and embrace.
1. CHRIST IS THE SOURCE OF OUR GLORY
We cannot live the life of glory apart from Christ. He is the source, centre, and substance of the glory we have received.
It is through Christ that we become partakers of God’s glory, reflect His glory, and live in a way that brings glory to the Father. God has called us through the gospel so that we may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:14).
Our life of glory therefore begins with Christ, is sustained by Christ, and finds its fulfilment in Christ.
2. CHRIST, BY HIS SPIRIT, ENABLES US TO LIVE THE LIFE OF GLORY
The life of glory cannot be lived through human strength, natural ability, or self-effort. Christ, who dwells in us by His Spirit, is at work within us to transform, strengthen, and empower us.
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Christ is being formed in us, and His life is increasingly expressed through us. This is why Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
Christ is not merely our future hope of glory; He is our present hope, present assurance, and present source of transformation. He is presently at work in us, shaping us into His image and causing His life to be manifested through us.
Therefore, living the life of glory is not a matter of trying to become Christlike through our own efforts. It is allowing Christ, by His Spirit, to work in us and produce His life, character, and virtues through us.
3. CHRIST IS OUR PATTERN, STANDARD, AND MODEL FOR THE LIFE OF GLORY
Christ did not come only to save us and make us partakers of God’s glory. He also came to reveal what the life of glory looks like when it is lived through a human life.
Jesus is our pattern, our standard, and our model.
As His disciples, we behold His glory in the Word and learn from His life how the glory of God is to be expressed through us. In Christ, we see the character of God manifested in human life—His love, compassion, holiness, righteousness, humility, obedience, faithfulness, and power.
We are therefore called to follow Christ, imitate His character, walk in His ways, and allow His life to be expressed through us.
The more we behold Christ, the more we are transformed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).
4. WE MANIFEST THE GLORY SO THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED
The glory we have received in Christ is not given to make us draw attention to ourselves. We are not the destination of God’s glory; God Himself is the ultimate purpose of its manifestation in our lives.
We are called to manifest His glory so that the Father may be glorified through us.
Our thoughts, words, character, conduct, works, and actions should increasingly become expressions of God’s glory (Matthew 5:16 ;John 7:18;8:50).
The life of glory, therefore, is not simply about experiencing God’s power or witnessing supernatural manifestations. It is about Christ being revealed in us and through us—His life, character, nature, virtues, and power becoming increasingly visible in the way we live.
We live the life of glory from Christ, through Christ, like Christ, and for the glory of the Father.
GOD’S servant: Peter Collins Obeng
GRACE COVENANT GLORY FELLOWSHIP
