How to enter into the realms of glory
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24, KJV)
The Lord wants us to enter into the full enjoyment, experience, and expression of His glory. Yes, it is truly the Father’s desire to see us experience the fullness of His presence and power here and now. But there is one problem. We are still carrying the old soul and the old body, together called the flesh, that is, you and me! Until the resurrection, God has only one problem with you and me. That problem is not sin. It is not Satan. It is you and me, that is, the flesh.
Jesus gave us the sobering truth in John 12:24 above. He says until a seed of wheat dies in the ground, it does not grow to bear fruit. Death is the pathway to fruitfulness, which is how we glorify God. You may ask: death of what? Well, the flesh! There are three key domains of death I will quickly enumerate without detailed explanation.
The first is sin. If you want to see the glory, you must die to sin. The second is the law. Many of us are not familiar with this, that we have to die not only to sin but to the law. What does this mean? It means dying to fact of you trying to obtain God’s approval, favor or blessings keeping the Law, including Jewish old Testament traditions and even our Christian routines today. As long as you still think that there is something you have to do, from the Law or some ceremonial Christian routine, to earn some special blessing, you are not yet dead to the Law. The glory is not for the Law. You need to come to the place where you are dead to the law and only believe that Christ’s finished work is all you need. The glory comes by grace, not the Law.
The last is even more tricky. It is dying to our own abilities. Until it becomes a reality in us that we cannot live the Christian life or serve God in ministry by our own might or power, Christianity will remain a daily struggle.
If you want to see God’s glory, mortify the flesh. The flesh is not the same as the body. It is you, your purely human aspects, without the influence of the Spirit. Some of you are crying out loud day and night saying “Lord, I want to see your glory”. The Lord is saying to you today, this is the way to the glory. It is not just fasting for 40 days, sowing a big seed, or reading through the Bible in a week etc. The gateway is the death of the flesh, to sin, the law and to our own abilities. May the Lord help you allow Him to mortify the flesh in you for your own good, to enjoy eternal life until it overflows!
MEDITATE
What happens when the seed of wheat “refuses” to die, from Jesus’ words above? What happens when we continue to be alive ( that is, not dying) to sin, the law or our own abilities? Can you see the origin of many of our unnecessary sufferings as children of God with great promises?
APPLY THE WORD
The secret of a sweet and enjoyable Christianity has been set forth before you. It may appear frightening, but it is not. This truth has to come to you by revelation because your flesh will reject it. You need a revelation of what it means to die to the flesh. Want to step into a greater dimension fo glory? Mortify the flesh.
PRAY
Ask the Father for a revelation of this truth and the grace to accept and surrender to it.
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