284. Obtaining the Glory
1 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God called us by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of Christ. This Gospel promise is quite something. God promises that we will have the glory of Christ. The Gospel calls us to forgiveness, life, and salvation, but also we shall have the glory of Christ. The glory of Christ was shown to us at the cross and the empty tomb. After suffering the humility of a humbling incarnation, an inglorious life, and an excruciating death, God raised Him up to glory through the resurrection from the dead and the ascension to the right hand of God.
The glorification of Jesus Christ after His humiliation is not surprising; what is surprising is that we sinful humans have a share in the glory of Christ. We did not expect glory; we would have been happy with simple life and salvation. Faith unites us with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, session at the right hand, and His coming to judge. But there is more: by faith we are united with Christ in His glorification. He shares His glory with us.
Glory is the brilliant shining forth of the inner character. Christ in us is the hope of glory. This inner character shines forth in us as glory. Once again, this promise must be believed since it is not seen. We don’t see the glory, but God sees it. We have obtained it and now it belongs to us. We did not earn it, we don’t deserve it, but we have it. What amazing grace that our Lord Jesus Christ would share with us His glory! Our faith makes it our own, just as if we had earned it
If we could see the glory that we have obtained we would never be the same again. The sight would be so beautiful and brilliant that we could not even bear the feeling of our own glory; it would be overwhelming and render us breathless. Faith in the Gospel receives, obtains, enjoys, and basks in the glory. And not only so, but by faith we can see the glory of Christ in fellow believers, and when we “see” it we treat the brothers and sisters in Christ differently.