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(Created page with "<p>"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" 2 Corinthians 13:14.</p> <p>Grace is God's "indescribable ...")
 
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<p>"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" 2 Corinthians 13:14.</p>
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<p>"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we...might be for the praise of his glory" Ephesians 1:11-12 (see Romans 9:23; Job 36:5; Isaiah 46:10).</p>
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<p>Grace is God's "indescribable gift" to the believer (2 Cor.9:14-15). As Christians, we are:</p>
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<p>As Christians, we have been "called according to his purpose" (Rom.8:28). The plan He has for our lives was conceived even before the creation of the world (Eph.1:4; 1 Cor.2:7). That plan includes many things, but the bottom line of God's purpose is to reveal His glory in and through our lives.</p>
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<p>Saved by grace (Ephesians 2:1-9; Eph 1:4-8).</p>
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<p><strong>Revelation of God's Glory</strong></p>
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<p>Standing in grace (Romans 5:1-2; Acts 13:43).</p>
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<p>"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God...And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken'" Isaiah 40:3, Isa 40:5.</p>
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<p>Strengthened in grace (2 Tim.2:1; 2 Cor.12:9; Heb.13:9).</p>
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<p>The earth is already full of God's glory (Isa.6:3) - the creation itself reveals one level of God's glory (Psa.19:1-3; Rom.1:18-20).</p>
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<p>Taught by grace (Titus 2:11-12).</p>
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<p>But God desires to reveal His glory in a much deeper way.</p>
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<p>Energised by grace (1 Corinthians 15:10; Acts 4:33; Acts 6:8).</p>
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<p>"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" Habakkuk 2:14.</p>
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<p>Growing in grace (2 Peter 3:18).</p>
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<p>God's glorious plan hinges on the Church becoming everything that God intended for her (Eph.3:10-11). God has planned for a Church that will reveal His glory and nature to the world.</p>
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<p><strong>The Danger of Self-Effort</strong><br /> "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" Gal.5:4 (see Heb.12:15).</p>
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<p>"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you" Isaiah 60:1-2 (see also Isa 58:8).</p>
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<p>The Bible says it is possible for a Christian to "fall away from grace". This does not mean that he has lost his salvation; rather, it means that he has separated himself from the effect of God's grace in his life. Paul says that those "who are trying to be justified by law...have fallen from grace."</p>
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<p><strong>The Darkness of the World</strong><br /> "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23.</p>
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<p>"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" Galatians 3:19, Gal 3:24-25 (read also Gal 3:20-23).</p>
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<p>When Adam rebelled against God, sin entered the world. The Greek word for sin means "to miss the mark." It means to fall short of God's glory. When he sinned, Adam exchanged the glory of God for his own glory (Romans 1:21-23).</p>
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<p>The Law of Moses was given to reveal sin. Its purpose was to act like a mirror. When we look into a mirror and see that our face is dirty, we do not pick up the mirror and rub our face with it to try to get clean. Its purpose is simply to show us that we need cleaning, but we go to another source - the water - to be made clean. In the same way, the Law was added for a short period of time to show mankind their need of salvation, and to point to the One who would make us clean (Rev.1:5; Titus 3:5).</p>
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<p>But into this darkness, the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" has shone (2 Cor.4:4, 2 Cor 4:6). This Gospel promises two kinds of glory:</p>
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<p>"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" Romans 3:20.</p>
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<p>A future glory (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 4:17)</p>
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<p>The covenant of the Law that God gave to Moses has nothing to do with us (read Galatians 3:15-17). It was simply added to preserve Israel until the coming of the Messiah. We are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham and with Christ (Galatians 3:7,Gal 3:29; Romans 4:1-5, Rom 4:16, Rom 4:22-24). If we get caught up again in self-effort and legalism, we are walking in the wrong covenant! (read 2 Corinthians 3:6-18).</p>
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<p>A present glory (2 Corinthians 3:10-11, 2 Cor 3:18).</p>
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<p>"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21.</p>
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<p>"To [us] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27 (see also 2 Thessalonians 2 :14).</p>
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<p><strong>The Curse of the Law</strong><br /> All who try to live by the Law through self-effort are under an automatic curse (Galatians 3:10-14; James 2:10), for under the light of the Law two things are revealed:</p>
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<p><strong>The Radiance of God's Glory</strong><br /> God has chosen to reveal His glory to the world through:</p>
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<p>God's righteous standard and judgement (Matt.5:21-48).<br /> Our inability to reach that standard (Rom.3:23; Rom 7:14-25).<br /> God knew that we could never keep His standard of righteousness, so He sent Jesus to take that curse upon Himself and set us free from the Law's demand of judgement.</p>
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<p><strong>The Son of God<br /> "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word..." Heb.1:3.</strong></p>
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<p>"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us." Romans 8:3-4 (see also Phil 3:3).</p>
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<p>The glory of God was revealed in the person of Jesus (John 1:14, John 1:18). He is "the radiance of God's glory." We cannot look directly into the glory of God (Exo.33:20). But when we look at Jesus, we see the brightness of God's glory through Him.</p>
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<p><strong>Christians Under Law</strong><br /> "You foolish Galatians!...After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Galatians 3:1-3 (read also Gal 1:6-7).</p>
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<p>"For God...made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" 2 Cor.4:6.</p>
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<p>We are born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3, John 3:6). But many Christians then try to live the rest of their lives under law. In other words, they try to live up to God's standard by self-effort. But it doesn't work!</p>
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<p><strong>The Church of God</strong><br /> "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... to present her to himself as a radiant church..." Ephesians 5:25-27.</p>
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<p>When a Christian lives in legalism, his life becomes characterised by constant struggle (Romans 7:1-25), self-condemnation (James 2:10), a lack of joy (Galatians 4:15), alienation from God (Galatians 5:4) and condemnation toward others (Romans 2:1-3). So terrible is this life under law that God actually took the law and crucified it to the Cross!</p>
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<p>The Church holds the central place in God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). The purpose of God is that the Church will reveal the full majesty of God's glory (John 17:22).</p>
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<p>"...having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross" Colossians 2:14.</p>
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<p>"And he...showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" Revelation 21:10-11 (read also Hebrews 11:10,Heb 11:16; Heb 12:22-23; Heb 13:14).</p>
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<p>The Christian life was designed to work by God's grace. It is the Holy Spirit who causes us to grow and become more like Christ (2 Cor.3:17-18). The Bible says we are now dead to the Law (Galatians 2:19) and living under grace (Romans 6:14).</p>
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<p>The redeemed people of God are described as a city, shining with the glory of God. Whereas Jesus is the actual radiance of God's glory - "the exact representation of his being" - the Church is likened to a precious jewel, reflecting the glory of God. When you hold a diamond up to the sun, it splinters the light into many colours. This is how we reveal the glory of God.</p>
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<p>"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" Romans 7:6 (read also Rom 7:1-5).</p>
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<p>"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" Ephesians 3:10-11.</p>
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<p><strong>The New Way of the Spirit</strong><br /> "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" Galatians 5:16 (see also Phil 3:8-9; Romans 8:1-2; Hebrews 10:29).</p>
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<p>The word "manifold" literally means "multicoloured and magnificently variegated." Each of our lives reflect the glory of God in a unique and complimentary way.</p>
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<p>The Holy Spirit has been given to empower you to keep God's holy standard. He writes God's law, not on tablets of stone for us to try to keep, but on our hearts.</p>
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<p><strong>Walking in God's Glory</strong><br /> Experiencing God's glory was the whole ambition of Moses (Exodus 33:18) and of David (Psalm 17:15; Psa 27:4). But under the Old Covenant, the glory of God was limited.</p>
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<p>"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" 2 Cor.3:3 (see Heb.10:16).</p>
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<p>"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?" 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 (read the whole chapter).</p>
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<p>The "new way of the Spirit" is a life of inner empowerment, not of outward law. God's grace releases the law of love in our hearts (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8-10; John 13:34-35). This inner love fulfils everything required by the written code. But like everything else with God's grace, this love comes from God not from us. All we have to do is walk in this grace!</p>
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<p>The Cross changed forever the way God's glory interacts with people. The New Covenant in Christ has opened the way for every believer to walk in God's glory.</p>
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<p>"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" 2 Corinthians 9:8 (see also Heb.4:16; 1 Peter 5:10; James 4:6).</p>
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<p>"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" 2 Corinthians 3:18.</p>
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<p>With Moses, God's glory was a fading glory that had to be veiled (2 Corinthians 3:13). Now, through the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Romans 8:1-11),</p>
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<p>God's glory is unveiled and ever-increasing! As we walk closely with the Lord, two things happen - we reflect the glory of God like a mirror and we are transformed into His glorious likeness. This is the purpose of God for our lives. As we walk in His purpose, the glory of God is revealed through us to the world.</p>
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<p>"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21.</p>
  
 
[[Study Working with God 9|Walking in Grace]]
 
[[Study Working with God 9|Walking in Grace]]

Revision as of 00:32, 14 February 2011

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we...might be for the praise of his glory" Ephesians 1:11-12 (see Romans 9:23; Job 36:5; Isaiah 46:10).

As Christians, we have been "called according to his purpose" (Rom.8:28). The plan He has for our lives was conceived even before the creation of the world (Eph.1:4; 1 Cor.2:7). That plan includes many things, but the bottom line of God's purpose is to reveal His glory in and through our lives.

Revelation of God's Glory

"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God...And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken'" Isaiah 40:3, Isa 40:5.

The earth is already full of God's glory (Isa.6:3) - the creation itself reveals one level of God's glory (Psa.19:1-3; Rom.1:18-20).

But God desires to reveal His glory in a much deeper way.

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" Habakkuk 2:14.

God's glorious plan hinges on the Church becoming everything that God intended for her (Eph.3:10-11). God has planned for a Church that will reveal His glory and nature to the world.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you" Isaiah 60:1-2 (see also Isa 58:8).

The Darkness of the World
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23.

When Adam rebelled against God, sin entered the world. The Greek word for sin means "to miss the mark." It means to fall short of God's glory. When he sinned, Adam exchanged the glory of God for his own glory (Romans 1:21-23).

But into this darkness, the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" has shone (2 Cor.4:4, 2 Cor 4:6). This Gospel promises two kinds of glory:

A future glory (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 4:17)

A present glory (2 Corinthians 3:10-11, 2 Cor 3:18).

"To [us] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27 (see also 2 Thessalonians 2 :14).

The Radiance of God's Glory
God has chosen to reveal His glory to the world through:

The Son of God
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word..." Heb.1:3.

The glory of God was revealed in the person of Jesus (John 1:14, John 1:18). He is "the radiance of God's glory." We cannot look directly into the glory of God (Exo.33:20). But when we look at Jesus, we see the brightness of God's glory through Him.

"For God...made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" 2 Cor.4:6.

The Church of God
"...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... to present her to himself as a radiant church..." Ephesians 5:25-27.

The Church holds the central place in God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). The purpose of God is that the Church will reveal the full majesty of God's glory (John 17:22).

"And he...showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" Revelation 21:10-11 (read also Hebrews 11:10,Heb 11:16; Heb 12:22-23; Heb 13:14).

The redeemed people of God are described as a city, shining with the glory of God. Whereas Jesus is the actual radiance of God's glory - "the exact representation of his being" - the Church is likened to a precious jewel, reflecting the glory of God. When you hold a diamond up to the sun, it splinters the light into many colours. This is how we reveal the glory of God.

"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" Ephesians 3:10-11.

The word "manifold" literally means "multicoloured and magnificently variegated." Each of our lives reflect the glory of God in a unique and complimentary way.

Walking in God's Glory
Experiencing God's glory was the whole ambition of Moses (Exodus 33:18) and of David (Psalm 17:15; Psa 27:4). But under the Old Covenant, the glory of God was limited.

"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?" 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 (read the whole chapter).

The Cross changed forever the way God's glory interacts with people. The New Covenant in Christ has opened the way for every believer to walk in God's glory.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" 2 Corinthians 3:18.

With Moses, God's glory was a fading glory that had to be veiled (2 Corinthians 3:13). Now, through the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Romans 8:1-11),

God's glory is unveiled and ever-increasing! As we walk closely with the Lord, two things happen - we reflect the glory of God like a mirror and we are transformed into His glorious likeness. This is the purpose of God for our lives. As we walk in His purpose, the glory of God is revealed through us to the world.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21.

Walking in Grace

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