John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 17:24a,b Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me:

Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

I love this sequence of verses because of the inherent relationship that is identified. Jesus is asking for God’s glory, not his own. He is asking for us to be included, so that we might see God’s glory in Christ. Lastly there is this protective identity within our relationship with Christ.

A dead man cannot be killed again. If my life is hidden with Christ in God then my security is guaranteed. Each verse plays an integral part in leading me into a place where I am secure in His Kingdom.

John 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

That Christ might shine in us is important but secondary to the security we have in Christ. If I do not have to fret about security, I am free to be bold in the face of the enemy. Nothing gives a warrior more confidence that an impregnable shield.

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Notice this shield quenches all the fiery darts, all of them. None shall penetrate to do us harm. Why? Because our lives are hidden with Christ in God. You cannot get more secure than that.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.

I capitalized his in bold print to emphasize that your purpose in life may be at odds with God’s purpose for you. Over the years this verse has been used to calm the souls of people who are going through troubling times. “Why, why, why?” We want to know why we have to go through the tough things of this life. Two things are important in receiving the peace of God through the use of this verse. Number one is loving God. Do you love God? The second is His purpose for you. Do you know God’s purpose in your life?

In most of the cases I have witnessed over the years our love for God is severely tested. Satan applies every pressure to separate Christians from Jesus Christ. One of those tests is to find you a purpose in life which is not God’s purpose. That is vanity as I described it for you yesterday. So how do you know if your purpose in this life is God’s purpose for you? There is a way to examine your life and identify God’s purpose for you.

Is God being glorified?

Is it bringing souls before the Lord?

Does it serve the needs of the body of Christ?

Vanity in purpose does just the opposite of these things. Vanity glories in attention. Vanity builds an audience to self-satisfaction, not thinking of others. Vanity serves itself.

Do you know how to glorify God? It is not what most people define as glory.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary on glory Strong’s number 1391 “glory” (from dokeo, “to seem”), primarily signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion. It is used (1) (a) of 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, John 17:5, 24.

Does Jesus Christ reveal Himself in you? If not, then the second and third issues are meaningless.