The Word - Feb. 22, 2012 - GLORIFICATION

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering" (Romans 8:14, 16-17).

Have you ever tried to define the word glory? It has always seemed to me to be one of the most difficult words in the English language to explain. We read a great deal about glory in the Bible, but exactly what is meant when that term is used?

Sometimes, of course, it is used as if making a boastful statement. "My soul shall make its boast in the Lord," and that is certainly acceptable. So we are told, "Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord." We are warned not to glorying in our own strength, or our own fancied wisdom. But the word glory is used in a great many other senses in the Bible.

Our Savior prayed, "Glorify me with the glory which I had with You before the world was," and there our Lord was referring to the splendor of the deity which He left in order to come down into this world, veiling His deity in humanity.

But when Scripture speaks of the glory that awaits us, what does that mean? We think of heaven as a place of brilliance, a place of marvelous beauty, and yet that is not exactly the though that is connected with glory and our glorification.

Among a great many different definitions which the dictionary gives for glory, there are several that seem to fit better than others. Glory means honor, distinction, something in which we might rightfully boast; brilliancy, splendor, or radiant beauty. Then I am so glad in a fifty year old dictionary I discovered, "Celestial bliss," for that after all is the glory that awaits us.

Then we shall finally behold the glory of Him who was once rejected down here, now glorified, honored of the Father, and we shall share the glory that came to Him because of His sacrifice in obtaining our redemption.

What a prospect we have before us! "Whom He justified, them He also glorified!"