Glorifying Jesus!

Glorifying Jesus!

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:8-14.

This is part of the Spirit’s work. The Spirit shall also convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Most people belong to the world, either the world of the ungodly or the religious world. As far as the majority of people are concerned, the Spirit cannot do anything more with them than to convict them of sin, because they do not believe. They live according to their human reasoning and their feelings instead of living by faith.

“Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more . . . .” All authority has been given to Jesus to execute judgment. John 5:27-30. He does not deliver us up to hopelessness by just convicting us of sin; He is also our Mediator with the Father and has given Himself as a ransom for all. 1 Tim. 2:5-6. It is His desire—and He is able—to lead us to righteousness.

“Of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” Most people seek this world and are being ruled by the spirit of the times—the prince of this world. In order to restrain them from sinning, they have to hear about judgment. They do not want to be lost, so by hearing about judgment, they are being kept under guard so that they do not wallow in sin. The Spirit cannot work beyond this point with the majority of people.

The bride, who has a heavenly calling, is in a completely different category. Heb. 3:1. She has been raised with Christ. She has died to this world and seeks the things that are above, where Christ is. Col. 3:1-3. The Spirit can lead her into all truth. The Spirit glorifies the Bridegroom to the bride. She is apprehended of Christ, and the glory of Christ causes her to count all things as loss and dung in order to gain Him. Phil. 3:8.

God separated the people of Israel for Himself through the law, and they were blessed if they were obedient, but they were cursed if they were disobedient. Deut. 28. It became evident over and over again that they were not apprehended of God’s commandments, and so the curse had to humble them into being obedient. It is also evident in these days that the vast majority of those who call themselves believers are preserved as God’s people by a powerful preaching about sin, righteousness, and judgment. There are very few who are apprehended of Christ, who pursue the virtues of Christ, and whose delight is in the law of the Lord. These people do not ask whether this or that is sin or whether this or that is permitted and one can still be a Christian. The others need all these rules and regulations because they live in the world and have not died with Christ. Col. 2:20-21.

Paul speaks about running as if only one wins the prize. He exhorts Timothy to lay hold on eternal life. Jesus speaks about pressing into the kingdom of heaven and taking it by force. Only those who are apprehended can follow these exhortations. You cannot separate a bride by means of the law. Not at all! She beholds the glory of the Bridegroom and is apprehended of Him. It is the Spirit who reveals the glory of the Bridegroom to the bride. The best evidence for us that we are of the bride is that the Spirit glorifies Christ for us.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18.

Reaching out for the glory of which we have been apprehended is totally different from being driven by the commandment out of fear of judgment. The first is the heavenly calling—the life of the bride. The last is an earthly glory of which God’s people partake through the law.