The Glorious Gospel
Continued
Jack Davis
The Glorious Church
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” Eph. 5:25-27.
This “church glorious” points us to the ultimate product of His love and the working of His power. Strong’s concordance gives synonyms for the word translated “glorious” here as splendid, gorgeous, and honorable. This speaks of those that greatly appreciate our dear Lord’s giving, are most receptive to and fully reciprocate His love. Those made kings and priests unto God, and shall reign with Him, are set apart by the cleansing, cleansed by the washing of water by the word. Those Old Testament priests prepared for entering the holiest by washing at the laver. That laver seemed to be both look glass and wash basin. See Ex. 30:18 & 38:8; II Cor. 3:18.
The Holy Spirit does this work in us today, by the Word. Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, They are spirit, and they are life” John 6:63. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” John 15:3. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” John. 17:17.
The gracious work that our dear Lord is presently doing in the church is preparation for a glorious presentation. This is a viable for every believer, but not all will submit to Him for its completion. The individual in whom this work is being done is part of a minority. Out of Adam’s body God took a rib, and of that rib, God prepared for him a wife – Gen. 2. Adam was a type of Him that was to come (Rom. 5:14), even Jesus Christ, the last Adam – I Cor. 15:45.
Our Apostle Paul also ministered to this end, for the presentation of a chaste virgin to Christ – II Cor. 11:3 & Col. 1:28-29. Oh, who will accept love’s sweetest engagement for that most glorious union? Will you go? Rom. 7:4. That company of believers to be presented unto Him, and by His side as His workmanship will be all glorious within, inwrought gold – Psalms 45:9-15.
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” I Thess. 5:23-24.
“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable the unproveable in his sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” Col. 1:21-23.
The distance is immeasurable between what we were by nature, and what He has in mind for us. The same is true with all we could accomplish in ourselves. Our part is to present our bodies a living sacrifice, Let, yield, permit submit!!
We must continue in living by complete confidence in the Lord, and stay steadfastly with the hope of the gospel. We do well to remain in absolute dependance upon Him. Let us be expecting, desiring, earnestly requiring of Him, to perform all that His wonderful word has promised. We are to allow the development of the life of Christ in us, which is indeed our hope of glory. We see yet many spots and wrinkles, and weeds in our gardens. We know purging and purifying needs to be done, and we are prone to cry, “Hurry up Lord!” He is more than able and dependable to get it all done on time, as we commit and submit entirely unto Him. “Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still.”
The Glorious Appearing
The grace of God is teaching us how to live, and to be “Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” We expect be to ready for that meeting in the air – Titus 2:11-13. Then will we fully see Him as He shines forth, manifesting His dignity, honor, and worthiness of all praise and worship. He has provided that we appear with Him in glory – Col. 3:1-2. The full overcomer’s place with Him will be made plain publicly, openly evident. It behooves us to set our affections on things above, if we haven’t already. LOVING HIS APPEARING! Letting love’s longing for His return motivate our living! No time to waste!
A Glorious Body
“Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be ye followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself’ – Phil. 3:16-21.
Looking intently for our Lord’s return transforms our thinking, daily adjusts our focus for living. As we have beheld our dear Lord in His precious Word, He has been changing us from glory to glory inwardly, from one degree of glory to another. We are being marvelously transformed as He is subduing in us all things unto Himself. But soon we are to reflect, radiate outwardly His glory in differing measures. “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” I Cor. 15:41-42.
He is coming soon to be glorified in His saints, and we in Him. Is not this at least in part the essence of the gospel of the glory? It is Scripturally evident that Jesus is and always will be the brightest light in our Father’s universe. AMEN.
