THE WORD AND THE GLORY
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 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: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
We always stress the necessity of the word being preached, and well we should! But what of stressing the necessity of seeing the glory? Does not the above passage give equal requirement of the glory of God being revealed, as much as to the word being set forth? And of what value is the word preached without the glory being manifest? For to comply with the preaching of the details of the cross without seeing the glory of God in that cross will only make one a religionist!
The above passage applies the same things to the effect of the glory as it does to the preaching of the word! It takes both the preaching of the word and the revelation of God’s glory for a soul to be made one with God! And it takes both for the world to see that the Lord Jesus was sent of the Father! (Vs. 21-23).
And isn’t this man’s “chief end?” – to glorify God? Sure! Whether we eat or drink, we should do so for the glory of God! (1Cor 10:31). And it is only those who seek for glory that God shall glorify! Rom. 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Pastor Gene Breed
