Focus: Glory In The Church (Pt1)

Text: Eph.3:21

"Unto him be glory IN the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

I love this Biblical text. It touches me to my bones, ignites my soul and stirs my spirit. The word 'ages' speaks of generations. The words 'world' and 'without end' speak of ages. So Paul is actually saying that God's glory resides in Christ and His church throughout all the generations of the ages upon the ages. That is heavy tautology. Simply put, God will be glorified in Christ and in us for ever.

In Phil.4:20, Paul says, "Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." You see the word 'ever' occurring twice in the immediate verse? It is the word 'aion' in Greek, and it means 'age' or 'a period of time.' The point is that the Greeks have no word in their vocabulary for eternity. So when they speak of eternity they usually amplify the word 'aion.' They speak of 'age to age,' or 'time after time until time is no more.' God's glory is ageless or timeless, and so cannot be timed-out, outdated or outlived. God means for every age to see or witness His glory until time is over and eternity truly unravels. 

The glory of God unfolds in Christ and in us. We are God's medium of manifestation and expression and His vehicle of vision.

In the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, three things are ascribed to God: the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Matthew reports, "For thine is the KINGDOM, and the POWER, and the GLORY, for ever. Amen" (Mt.6:13). And Luke says, "Fear not little flocks, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the KINGDOM" (Lk.11:32). God has "called you unto his KINGDOM and GLORY" (1Thes.2:12). Christ has given the church kingdom keys to operate on earth. Christ Himself is "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of THY people Israel" (Lk.2:32). He is the church's glory and we reflect His glory to the world. We have no glory of our own, but His to unveil, unwrap and unravel.

In His prayer to the Father, Jesus said, "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them…" (Jh.17:22). John writes, "And the temple was filled with smoke from the GLORY of God, and from his POWER; and no man was able to enter into the temple…" (Rev.15:8). There is just no substitute for the glory of Christ in the church. No human razzmatazz, paraphernalia, or pomp and pageantry of any sort can serve the purpose of the glory of God in the church. The psalmist says, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to BEHOLD the BEAUTY of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple" (Ps.27:4). People want to behold God's beauty in the church. 

The church is the place where the wisdom and power of Christ can be known for what it is, and where God's people can find God's answers.

The world would love to see the church reflecting in visible and tangible ways the invisible and intangible glory of God. I am talking about the beauty of His holiness, the glory of His presence, the glory of His power, the presence of His glory, the power of His word (2Thes.1:9; Jude 1:24). By beholding our order, our brotherly love, and our passion for souls, the world would glorify our God.

The Queen of Sheba was gasping for breath for hearing the wisdom of Solomon and seeing the glory of his kingdom, and here is her response: "Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice," and she also said, "Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom" (2Chron.9:7,8).

O let the church be the church! Let the church be full of glory! Let the church advance God's glory! As Satan showed Christ the glory of the kingdoms of the world, let the church show the world the glories of Christ, the centrality of the cross, the resurrection power, the resurrection life, and the resurrection hope. Let the church live for the glory of God! Paul says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1Cor.10:31). Let the glory manifest in us and through us. Paul says, "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God BY us" (2Cor.1:20). Peter says that the "spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you" (1Pet.4:14).

In Cana of Galilee, Jesus Christ manifested His glory. Right now, His glory is upon us to manifest. We bring awe and joy into people's lives. No one will ever wonder where the wonder went, when they see that the wonder of Christ is still present in His church.

Paul cautions, "Let us not be desirous of VAIN GLORY, provoking one another, envying one another" (Gal.5:26). We must avoid vain glory and focus solely on manifesting the glory of Christ. Paul, describing Titus and others, says "they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ" (2Cor.8:23).

How do we manifest the glory of Christ? We do so through our worship, our witness, our walk, our ways in Christ, our work, our wisdom, our spiritual warfare, our winsome character and our winning attitude. We are called to declare the word, demonstrate the power, do the will and work of God, draw souls into the kingdom, and share the love of Christ. May the Lord help us!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter