Living In His Glory

In the beginning when God created, everything was in its finished, fully mature form. He also placed seed in every living thing so that it could reproduce after its own kind. (Genesis 1:1-31) Therefore, the essence of creation goes like this, God spoke, it was so, and it was a completed work. Out of all creation, man was the only thing created in the image and likeness of God. Man is God’s crown jewel of creation, "For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]." (Ephesians 2:10 AMP) 

God created the Garden of Eden and placed Adam there to tend it. (Genesis 2:15). The word garden means, enclosure; to hedge about; It is something that protects, defends, covers, surrounds. Eden means, pleasure; delight. God’s design of Eden was the perfect setting for man, because it was the place of His glory and presence on earth. We get a glimpse of this, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." (Genesis 3:8) Although this was after the fall, we see God’s presence, His glory, in the Garden with Adam and the woman. Before the fall, Adam and the woman were surrounded by, protected by and continuously lived in God’s glorious presence. It was never God's desire for man to live outside of His glorious presence. 

Look at the Psalmist portrayal of man, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas." (Psalm 8:4-8) Notice that God is mindful of man and cares for him, "casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].(1 Peter 5:7 AMP) 

Next, take note that the word angel is the word "elohim." Verse five can be written this way, “For you have made man a little lower than yourself and you have crowned him with glory and honor.” The Hebrews word glory means weight. However, when used figuratively, it is in the sense of splendor; abundance; and honor. It is used to describe an individual’s wealth, power, majesty, fame, reputation, recognition, beauty, magnificence, strength, dignity, splendor, respect, excellence, holiness and greatness. Therefore, the glory of God, expresses the very attributes of God. God crowned man with His glory. In other words, man was created to be filled with and also to be continuously in God's presence, His glory. Not in some nebulous way, but in a real, tangible, experiential way.  

It was Adam's treason, the fall, that separated man from be continuously in the glory and presence of God. Adam did not know physical difficulties such as, pain, sickness, poverty or death. He did not know mental stresses, worry, anxiety, etc., because in God’s glorious presence, none of these things exist. In the glory of God, in His manifest presence, everything is complete. Every need of humanity is met. Jesus' ministry as the Son of Man was the first time that God's glory was present in a man on earth since prior to man's fall. In Jesus' prayer for all believers recorded in John's Gospel chapter seventeen, we find some incredibly good news, He says, "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one." (John 17:22) Then Jesus says, "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me." (John 17:24) 

First, by virtue of being born again, we receive the same glory that Peter, James and John saw on the Mount of Transfiguration radiating forth from Jesus. The brightness of God's glory in Jesus was simply manifesting on the outside. Not only do we have God's glory within, but Jesus also tells us, "that they may behold (to look at; to see; to perceive with the eyes; to participate in and to enjoy the presence of) My glory…” The Greek word for glory means, splendor; brightness; magnificence; excellence; preeminence; dignity; grace; and majesty. Therefore, combining both the Hebrew and Greek words for glory, we find that, the glory of God is the total sum of His attributes, character, nature and virtues, that is, the very essence of God is His glory. The glory of God is the essence of all that He is. 

With that said, we need to understand that God’s Glory is infinite, boundless, having no restrictions. It is beyond human comprehension and the imagination. His manifested glory on earth is the supernatural, experienced in the natural that makes everything complete and meets every need of humanity. For some this may be hard to comprehend, but that is where faith comes in. Many believers are settling for far less in their relationship with God as they serve Him. So, let me ask you, "Did the Father through Jesus, fully restore humanity or not? Has Christ completely redeemed us or not? Has God recreated us or not? The answer to these three questions is absolutely, yes! 

The final objective of redemption through Christ was to restore humanity to the realm of God’s glory, for which we were created as we saw in the Garden with Adam and now we see in Jesus' prayer in John seventeen. Believers have a complete redemption. Again, this means that the same glory that was and is in Jesus, is in the believer by virtue of being born again by the Holy Spirit. The great news is, God wants us to participate in and to enjoy His glory. This is not to be a once and a while experience, but a continuous one as it was with Adam, and moreover, with Jesus. Believers are in fact carriers of God’s glory and presence through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, we will never realize such an wonderful fact without faith. The Lord desires to manifest His glory and presence continuously and tangibly in His church, that is, in every believer, both corporately and individually. "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory..." (Hebrews 2:10) This is the objective of redemption through Christ! Glory, Hallelujah...