Called unto His Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus %

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Pet. 5:10 KJV)

Here is a profound truth many Christians do not know: God has called us to share His glory. Though this is the highest gift of God’s grace, many believers have a misconception about it. Many have heard and been taught not to share in God’s glory, which has created a major misunderstanding.

In Isaiah 42:8, God says, “And my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” The context makes it clear: He will not share His praise with idols. He means He will not allow idols or people to take the praise that is due to Him as God. We see this principle displayed in Acts 12:23 when the Angel of God killed Herod “because he gave not God the glory” when the people called him a god. This has not changed. Even today, if a minister takes God’s place in people’s lives and receives praise for what God does, that minister is taking God’s glory. This is a dangerous trend in many parts of the Church.

But in 1 Peter 5:10, Peter unveils something different. He says God has called us to His eternal glory, to partake and share in it. Here’s where rightly dividing the Word helps us understand God’s mind clearly. The key is recognizing the subtle differences in the meaning of “glory” in these two passages.

In Christ, God has called us to share His glory. God’s glory is God Himself, often in the context of manifestation. That is why light is a major metaphor for God’s glory. Nothing is more perplexing in the New Testament than God has called us to share in His very nature( 2 Peter 1:3-4). Whatever makes God God, He has given it to us. How can our human words fully explain what this entails and what the future holds for us in Christ?

Christ in you is God in you, one with you. So, we are the visible expressions of the invisible God. As Christ was God in the flesh, we are Christ’s flesh and bones, the Body of Christ, His visible expression to the world. This sharing of the divine nature, the experience of the divine life, and the expression of the invisible God manifesting Him encompass our call to glory. It has started here but will be completed when God gives us a heavenly body that can fully express His glory!

Meditate

Please take a moment to think about what you just read. Reflect on each word in 1 Peter 5:10 in light of the devotional above.

Apply the Word

This devotional presents two obstacles. First, some might not understand it, and second, some might not believe it. Seek to receive this truth, but most importantly, let it change how you see yourself and live.