Glory

John 17:5 English Standard Version (ESV) And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Here Jesus declares to us that His presence is not seen to be in His full glory. The idea being that Jesus was only in HIs full glory in the presence of God the Father. This partial glory is seen by us to be more than we can handle in ourselves. Knowing that the abiding presence of Christ in us is not full glory should be comforting. His full glory is too much for humans.

The human aspect of Jesus desires to be reinstated in His full glory much in the same way that we as His creation want to be reinstated with God in the Garden of Eden. Restoration of glory is being in His presence who is glorious.

Glory is the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way he reveals Himself in these respects, and particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His “glory” has ever shone forth and ever will do. Vine’s definition.

The fact that He will only manifest little bits of His essence has to be based on His love for us and acknowledgement of our abilities to handle all that He is in glory. This will change once we have been translated into our incorruptible form. Then we will be able to stand in His presence, His full glorious presence.

Until then we are left with the reality that we can only glimpse of His glory that serves His purpose in our lives. We might want more but we cannot make God reveal more of Himself than His will allows. This places us in a position that Jesus expresses inJohn 17:5, we desire more.

We want to see more of Jesus in us than we have seen. The trick is that we can only see more of Him by being less ourselves. Can we be less ourselves and still be true? Yes, if we have learned to be humble without being humble by God Himself. It is a matter of free will, to give up self will in favor of entering into His will. Taking that step takes faith and trust in God.

John 3:30 English Standard Version (ESV) He must increase, but I must decrease.

JB shows us what we must do, to see more of Jesus.

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