TUESDAY, 31ST MAY 2022
Minister: Pastor Bola Bello
Text: Romans 3:19ff
Truly, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but atonement brought man back to a right standing with God such that he can put on the glory again. However, there are rules of righteousness and obedience to these rules brings us to the glory of God. Obedience to the rules of righteousness is the currency that brings us closer to God and His glory since the law is incapacitated in bringing man to glory. All the law did was to multiply sin.
The law is judgmental. Satan knew man would never come to glory even with the antics of man. The determinate counsel of God is for man to come to glory.
Psalm 8:4ff
Satan needed to fight and contend that man does not come into glory, so he hijacked the law. The law is a tool for him to manipulate any man who has not come into the purpose of God, because he is the prosecutor and defender of the law.
Romans 2:1-14
We need to come into the nature of things that encapsulate the whole essence of the law. We need to find out the things that are the nature of righteousness which are called the rules of righteousness. God’s standard of bringing man into glory is to come into His righteousness. His righteousness is encapsulated in His voice and instructions.
Adam was in control of nature. No man except Jesus lived like Adam lived. Adam lived above nature because of the so much glory and honour God bestowed on him. He had so much influence on nature that he was not subject to it.
1 Corinthians 15:45
In the terrestrial realm, Adam lived as a spiritual being even though he was not the first spiritual man to walk the earth. Until the fall, Adam enjoyed the glory of being a spiritual person.
There are two kinds of glory: the terrestrial and the celestial glory. In the temptation of Jesus, the glory that was shown Him by the Devil once belonged to man but the Devil inherited it when man fell. Interestingly, celestial glory cannot be inherited by any man. Yet this glory is what atonement has brought for us but we do not know it still. By implication, we cannot manifest this glory while still subjected to the flesh.
John 17:22
The celestial glory which Jesus was a part of has been given to us. This glory is power and we must manifest it. However, this glory requires that we all remain one (without competition). Jesus’ statement in John 17:22 can only mean one thing: He emptied and poured Himself into us. God is looking for men who will stand for Him and dare Satan.
Romans 8:29
If we must come into glory, we must conform to the image of the Son. By conforming, we come into obedience to His will. Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit will help us in conforming to the image of the Son. The image of Christ is full of glory and power and God is looking for men to manifest this glory. The manifestation of this glory is power in us. This glory is not about money or fame, it is about how much of Christ is formed in us.