"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."(Romans 8:18)
God's revelation is one-shot, gradual continuation. That is to say, it is not about flashing and seeing light. Among the hymns, "Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine; Living with Jesus, a new life divine; Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine". There are lyrics. The original lyricist must have sang this hymn after confessing like this and waiting for the Lord.
However, in Korean, it was changed to always look to the Lord so that the promise of golry can come. It's going to happen in the future without seeing the glory right now. This hymn is said to be the list of important healing hymns in America.
So, when the glory shines in the soul longing to see the glory of God, the problems we have now will not be solved, but the problems will disappear by the glory. In christianity, the cross is not the apex, but the resurrection is the point of faith and the starting point for glory.
We, who were dead in our trespasses and sins in Adam, are raised to life through the atonement of Christ on the cross, and become a new creature through repentance and baptism united with the resurrection and life, receive new life in Christ, and see the glory of God. It is the resurrection faith. Therefore, we do not only look at the cross of Christ, but through the cross, we are buried with the death of the Lord, we are united in the life of the Lord, we gain righteousness through the resurrected faith, and we become reconciled to God, and we see the glory and rejoice.(Romans 5:1-2)
Our favorite gospel song "🎵 show me the glory of heaven and tell me to come, hallelujah I go to the Lord with praise". The lyrics are correct. This is because only those who have seen the glory of God can pay the price of suffering on the cross to live according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. Without the method, procedure, and process of gaining Christ's resurrection and life through the Spirit of life working in Christ, denying myself, taking up my cross, and following the Lord is just a feast of words.
Therefore, if you emphasize that you must repent and take up the cross, you are on the other side. They have already become one body with Christ through repentance and baptism through the cross of Christ, but they are emphasizing the need to repent day and night and that we must die. To say that you are a spiritual person is someone who knows the gap between light and darkness, knows the boundary between the spirit and the flesh, and practices godliness that does not follow the flesh but the spirit. For such a person, controlling their body with the power of the Holy Spirit is the present suffering, and if they follow the grace of the atonement of the cross, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will come from above and the light of God's glory will shine in their heart.
Therefore, it is said that true repentance is a challege to the glory of God. According to God's predestination, we were called into Christ, we believed, justified, and glorified.(Romans 8:30) This is not our toil and effort, but through God's revelation, we know the amazing grace of God. Through this, we gradually gain righteousness, holiness, and glory in Christ, and we are gradually transformed into people of light, life and love.
If there is no my resurrection through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross, we will be caught up in the faith that we will be resurrected only at the second coming of the Lord. How many people are now trapped in a net of hope that, because Jesus is resurrected, I too will be resurrected? The resurrection of new life is not a hope, but a present salvation by faith and a glorious joy. Of course, the resurrection of the body in which our bodies are changed will happen on the day the Lord comes on the clouds.
For those who have tasted the glory of the world now and the glory of giving and receiving, it would be better to let the promise of glory come in the future and keep it as far away as possible. But Christians who have been called in Christ to be justified and glorified will be dry if they do not see the glory right now. To give us the glory that was foreordained before the foundation of the world, the Lord sacrificed himself on the cross to deliver us from our sins, justify us and call us to the glory. We became children of God who is seeing the glory of hearing the word of the gospel of Christ and through repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit to become one body with Christ.
Therefore, realizing that the present and future are two sides by the grace of the atonement of the cross of Christ, we embrace the message of the cross, the glory is revealed through the present suffering of controlling the body with the spirit, and long for the glory. While waiting eagerly for the glory of the freedom of the Son of God.(Romans 8:21) Hallelujah!
Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.
Translated by Nancy Chung
COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION