Jubilee Church
Glory to Glory - Pt1 FINAL
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  • You Are Good (Bethel)
  • When you walk into the room
  • Worshiping You
  • O Come to the Altar

  • Degrees of Glory

    2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
    And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
    I love how the English Standard Version (ESV) translates this into “degrees of glory”. It denotes a process of transformation. Sometimes, we live as if we don’t like change, but when we want it, we want it now. The pace of our lives have become so rapid that we are missing so many of the wonders of God’s mercies in relationships and in a moment of silence of the day.
    However, in the Hebrew text we get a better understanding of the context of this transformative process that takes time. In the Hebrew translation it reads מִכָּבוֹד לְכָבוֹד “from glory to glory”. This denotes that it is a work of God in me and not just my own efforts.
    The word “glory” here is kavod. The primary definition is “to honor”. In this context, it is not that we are the ones to be honored, so as to receive glory unto ourselves. Instead, it is that we live our lives in such a way as to honor the Lord that He might receive glory. In fact, the meaning at it’s root is to be “weighty or heavy”. The glory of the Lord is “heavy”. What does that mean? In the Old Testament it meant that no one was worthy to encounter the weight of God’s glory and presence. It meant no one was worthy to live in the weight of His glory. In fact, during the days of the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple, the High Priest could only go into the Holy of Holies once a year after much process of purification.
    But there is a another meaning that brings us to a powerful work that only Christ could do. That meaning of glory is “copiousness”. Copiousness means “more than enough”.
    So, as we look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 we see that the glory or honor that is being revealed is that of the Lord God Himself. As we seek to live to honor Him we are surrendering to the transformative process of being more like Jesus. Jesus is not just a spiritual mantra, a religious icon, or an historical figure of faith that we read of in Scripture. Jesus is to be made manifest in how you think, act, speak, your choices, your worldview and how you treat others. Jesus becomes your core values, precepts, principles and purpose of why you live, how you live, your motive and so much more.
    Maybe you too have come before the Lord desiring change in your life, but when you felt you had brought all of yourself, it seemed as if it were just not enough. That is what sin does. The weight of sin is great and it makes you seem like you are never enough. But you were never meant to carry the weight of sin. This is why the Scriptures tell us that the blood of bulls and goats in sacrifice could never atone for our sins.
    A.W. Tozer put it this way, “All that Moses and the Law could do was command righteousness. But only Jesus Christ can produce righteousness in us. Moses could only forbid us to sin. But Jesus Christ came to deliver us from the grip and control of sin.”
    Greater than the weight of sin is the weight of God’s glory. And once you allow Christ to remove the weight of your sin and free you once and for all from it’s control over your desires, the weight of His glory is indeed liberating and life changing.
    Matthew 11:28–30 ESV
    Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
    So, what does that practically look like in my life? Everyday in every moment, every situation when a desire arises I make an intentional and willful choice. When the desire to sin arises, I choose Christ instead. And the more I do this the less the weight of sin becomes and the greater the glory of the Lord increases in transforming my heart and mind. In every circumstance I choose the Spirit of God over the control of the flesh.
    The flesh seeks its own glory but its glory fades away and leaves death.
    1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV
    Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
    In Christ, your soul has been made clean. Live daily in sincere obedience to the truth of God’s Word. Hide it daily in your hearts that you might not sin against Him. You have been born again, the old you is a dead man never to be resurrected. The glory that grows in you is not from the seed of mortal and perishable flesh man but the imperishable seed of the Word of God. Plant more of this seed and not the seed of flesh. The fruit of glory comes from the seeds planted. If seeds of sin are sown flesh is glorified. If seeds of righteousness are sown, God is glorified. Flesh can never please God, but the life of Christ is more than enough.
    This cannot be done through mere will power or positive thinking. It is not a matter of forbidding my flesh from what it lust to do. It is a matter of the Spirit of God living in me and growing in greater desire to know and love Christ greater than myself. It is Christ through the Holy Spirit transforming my entire being from glory to glory.
    As a kid did you experience the growth chart on the door jam? As a kid you were so excited to get Dad or Mom to check and see how much you had grown and make a new mark on that door jam. Sometimes, you wanted them to check every day. Then as you grew older, growth began to be less of an excitement as life grew more challenging. But Father God gets excited every time you grow an inch in the Spirit. What does that look like? First you are born again. Then you start surrendering to Him. You start reading and learning the Word of God. Then you learn to pray. Then you have someone do something that would normally offend you but instead you pray for them. You have an opportunity to get angry but instead you choose peace. One of those old temptations come your way but instead of giving in, you rob it of its power over you and choose to seek God instead. You learn to give, you learn to be patient. With each step you are growing in the Lord. Each one of these becomes a notch on the doorpost of your soul where Father God is, with great rejoicing, making a mark with His glory.
    It is like watching grass grow. You cannot see it growing an inch with your fleshly eyes. But day after day it increases. So it is with the glory of the Lord in you if you stay planted in His vineyard. It does not happen over night, but it is a process of walking every day in the light of His glory. Never lose desire for the transformative process of God’s glory and grace. And always know that Christ is more than enough.
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Jubilee Church
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