Don’t be backward in zeal. Glow with the Spirit. Serve the Lord. Romans 12:11
As we draw nearer and get to know God better, we glow with the Spirit. This inner glow is a reflection of the glory of God. In the previous article, we saw God our Father is glorified in and through us when we bear much fruit motivated by His love.
Depending on its context, “glory” means the honor and renown of God. Other meanings are the splendor, radiance, power and majesty of God.
When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they were sore afraid. That means they were thinking “Go feet go.” Why? They got a glimpse of the glory of God.
At the mount of transfiguration, the three apostles were astounded. Why? They got a glimpse of the glory of God.
When Jesus confronted Paul at his conversion, he was knocked off his high horse to the ground and blinded. Why? He got a jolt of the glory of God.
The glory of God is all around us. We just can’t see it with our natural eyes. Holy men of God spoke and wrote of God and the things of God in terms of glorious light. It is hard to distinguish when they spoke metaphorically or literally.
God created light. He is the source of light. God is light. He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. God is a consuming fire. In the upper room, Jesus baptized with the Spirit and with fire. Just as the fire didn’t burn the bush, it didn’t burn off the hair of the disciples it descended upon. But, it surly brought the glow in them.
We, reflecting the Lord’s glory, are changed from glory to glory. As new creatures, we reflect the Lord’s glory. We glow brighter and brighter as we draw nearer and nearer to the Lord.
The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And all of us, reflecting the Lord’s glory in our unveiled faces, are changed from glory to glory to be like Him, as we expect it from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
The Spirit produces the fruits of the presence of Christ in us and through us. What the Spirit produces makes for harmonious relationships in the kingdom of God on earth. As we grow up into the Messiah, more and more of our thoughts, emotions, motivation and actions are in accord with the love God pours into our new creature hearts.
Judy and I know a man who loves with that kind of love. He is so full of God’s love he can’t contain it. It oozes out of his pores. He glows with the Spirit.
When we were first getting acquainted many years ago, I had some very rough edges. God gave me prophetic insight about the sorry condition of His people and sorry teachings that violated God’s Word and thwarted Jesus’ leading. During a conversation I would occasionally burst out with a short but harsh tirade about a blatant error being promoted in books, on TV and in our gatherings, Leonard’s glow would dim. He wouldn’t say anything to me, but I could see I was grieving his heart. It convicted me and helped me get back to the gentle nature God gave me by my parents example and use better ways to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom.
The gospel of the kingdom prepares us for real life. In real life, we need a lot of help from God, especially to walk in love, glowing with the Spirit. Just going about our life with family, friends and co-workers often presents challenges. Children get sick and cranky. We have a spat with our spouse. Friends turn out not to be friends. Co-workers connive on ways to make us look bad. Our trusted Christian leaders teach error or their atrocious hidden sins are revealed. On top of that, the devil is still running around loose and his evil forces are arrayed against us.
Love breaks in. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For the joy that was set before Him Jesus endured the cross. God has rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. Jesus conquered Satan and broke his power, but He didn’t remove him from the earth and we still need to resist the devil. He hates. We love. Faith works by love. Love is to the glory of God. When we love, we reflect God’s glory.
It takes a lot of love to live in this world and God pours it into our hearts by His Spirit (Ro 5:8).
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. Galatians 5:22-23
You are a chosen people, priests of a King, a holy nation, a people saved to be His own and to tell of the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9