YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS FROM GLORY TO GLORY




By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

2Cor.3:18 But we all,  with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are  changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the  Spirit of the Lord.
      The word 'glory' is the Greek word 'doxa' and it  means honour, good, to be of reputation, dignity.  There is an apparent transformation taking place in the life of the born again christian , it is first of all internal by the Holy Spirit leading to a change of perspectives.  This transformation results in a life of goodness, honour,  dignity: it is a  manifestation of the tangible goodness of the lord.It makes the believer in Jesus Christ appear as being rich and wealthy even with little resources.
          This transformation is expedited by our conscious constant exposure to God's word. The scriptures says in 2Cor. 3:15 -16 "But even unto this day, when Moses is  read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to  the Lord, the vail shall be taken away". This means there is a shadow of this glory upon followers of the old covenant in the laws of Moses. These persons want to be seen as being worthy of honour by their achievements. This is seen in the formalism , legalism and rigidity observed by some religious organizations.
       The glory that comes from following the laws of Moses is unsustainable , the scriptures says in 2Cor 3:13  "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of  Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: " Whenever Moses descended from the mountain after prayer, his face shown with the brightness of God’s Glory ,so bright that the Jews could not look at him, and for that moment he enjoyed honour before his followers but as soon as the glory faded away, he diminished in dignity. Sin diminishes the glory of God upon man (Rom.3 :23) , once a christian begins to indulge in known sins,  they   lose respect, dignity before men and Satan is emboldened to attack them. Therefore, to avoid losing honour, Moses developed a scheme of masquerading himself before the Jews as deserving of honour even when the glory was no longer on him. This is the reason behind the paraphernalia that adorn our cathedrals and rituals in some churches. It is designed to manipulate the minds of followers into believing that the glory of God dwells in that religious edifice. This is contrary to scriptures which says in Acts 17:24 "God that  made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of  heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"God does not live in church stickers, wrist bands, oils, images of religious leaders, cathedrals  etc. Persons who promote such teachings seek to make a name for themselves (Gen11:1-9)
     God's glory does not dwell in a church building, He resides in the hearts of men therefore, it is more glorious to spend money used in building religious monuments in the economic empowerment of parishioners, that is more rewarding in the sight of the lord. Human capacity building is of more relevance to God than cathedralism.
           The lord requires that we keep working out our salvation in every aspect of life just as His spirit works in us (Phil.2:12-13) this requires living by faith.  This is how God's glory is revealed in our lives. As we daily meditate on His word our souls are revived and our hearts filled with joy while we walk in His wisdom.(Psalm.19:7-11).We must allow the growth in godliness,  faith and love be our motivation knowing that we are guaranteed victory through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth is attained by imitating Jesus (1John 2:6) and putting more effort by His grace to live a godly life (2 Pet.3:14). This requires making the necessary sacrifices just as an athlete does through persistent training (1Tim.4:7-8) it demands getting rid of anything that is a hindrance in running the race of faith with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1) and like a marathon race we should keep pressing on until we have the victory (Phil.3:12-14) .
       The bible is the inerrant,  inspired word of God by which we are trained in righteousness, so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Tim.3:16-17) by so doing we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ( 2Peter.3:18).
Prayer : Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you, I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation and I receive him as lord and saviour and receive grace for sustained progress in the face of much opposition in Jesus' name. 
   Prayer / counseling + 2348098536911, + 2348035536911 Email : Michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com
Pics credit :pixabay 

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