Glorified in Christ

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In John 17:2, Jesus prayed: “Father, the time has come.  Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”.  He was asking God the Father to support Him as He went to the Cross.  His Father did this when He raised Him from the grave and set Him at His right hand, bringing to a triumphant completion the work of salvation He gave His Son to do.  There are several things we can learn from Jesus’ example in this prayer.  Firstly, Jesus sought to be glorified by the Father, not the world.  Secondly, He sought to be glorified, not for His own sake, but so that He could glorify God.  Thirdly, Jesus knew He was going to suffer on the cross and He asked that God be glorified in His suffering.
In all that you do, are you seeking to win the praises of men rather than the approval and praise from God.  Jesus rebuked the Jews in Jn. 5:44 when He said, “How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?”  Many in the world glory in their status, wealth, the prestigious school or university they attended, the jobs they are holding, their own personal achievements or even in the achievements of their family members.  Who and what do you glory in?  We are told that “all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall” (1 Pet. 1:24).  Let us look forward to a glory that has permanence for “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet 5:4).

As Christians, we have been assured of our glorification since “those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:30).  What a wonderful assurance indeed!   Meanwhile, in our Christian walk, let us through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, present in us, reflect His glory since “we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”(2 Cor. 3:18).

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2)