The Hope Of Glory

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight; if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister . . . To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27, KJV)

Devotion 5 of 6

WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL ALSO APPEAR

No one in possession of their God-ordained faculties likes obscurity. But the child of God is willing and able to wait for his own revelation. We are the sons of God incognito now. We are shrouded with a veil of flesh like everyone else. But beneath this "vile body" God has done a work. We have a "treasure" in this "earthen vessel" (2 Corinthians 4:7), and someday God will display it to an assembled universe. Hear the glorious promise, and doubt it not. "When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). Until then, you must be willing to live "by hope." The world will not recognize you now. Your work will not be appreciated in this world as it should. But we ought not to marvel at this. We have not been "glorified" yet: why should we expect to be treated as though we have been?

" T H E N ! "

"NOW" is not the compelling time for the believer! "THEN" is the era for which we long. There are, after all, only two times: now and then. And there are only two places: here and there. The purpose of salvation is to get us from here to there, and now to then. Hope is the anchor that grasps heaven firmly, securing the soul. "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil" (Hebrews 6:19). Without this confident expectation of the coming glory, we will drift on the sea of life. Some will even make "shipwreck of the faith" because of the lack of a dominating hope (1 Timothy 1:19). The Spirit speaks to our hearts on this matter. "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" (1 John 3:2). The persuasion that this is speaking about you is the "hope" that saves. There is no reason why you cannot possess it! "Then," when we are glorified, we will no longer be the "tail" (Deuteronomy 28:13). Rather than being judged by the world, we will judge the world. "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?" (1 Corinthians 6:3). "Then," when we are glorified, our enemies will bow before our feet. We must be patient until that time, not seeking premature recognition. "Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie; indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you" (Revelation 3:9). Isaiah prophesied similarly. The language is lofty and challenging. "Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me" (Isaiah 49:23). "Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 60:14). If you wonder at the rightness of this procedure, it will be constrained by God. This is His good pleasure, and it will come to pass. You will be duly compensated for all of the heartache produced by the rejection of those to whom you bore witness. Doubt it not! "Then," when you are glorified, you will die no more -- in any sense. "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection" (Luke 20:35, 36). "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). No more setbacks. No more debilitating effects from fighting the fight of faith. No more retrogression, forgetfulness, or cloudy days for the soul! Those are all aspects of death, and they will forever be gone when you are glorified! This is not a mere dream. It is not self deception, or psychological hype. This is the truth, and it is to be embraced by every child of God. If you look far enough ahead, the future is bright! PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank and praise you for such a bright and dominating hope! I know that I am unworthy in myself of such a glorious future. I give glory to my Lord, and your Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, for making me suitable for such a glorious inheritance.

-- TOMORROW: THE POSTURE OF LOOKING --