Saints, Glory, Riches, Hope and Security
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Important messages
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| "The glory of man is as the flower of grass" |
One of the problems that we
face in understanding the Bible is the difference in vocabulary, specifically, because
of the biblical definitions of words. Some have to do with the difference in
time between the New Testament and today and others have to do with the
difference in the ambiance in which the word was learned. There can be a drastic
change in the meaning of things seen from an earthly ambiance, and the
significance given from the biblical, spiritual sphere.
Paul said in Colossians 1:27,
“To them (the saints) God chose to
make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this
mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Christ in you, the
non-Jew, the hope of glory is the mystery to which Paul referred. The
Scriptures were not interpreted in that way in times past (v.26) and, for that
reason, this truth was totally hidden from the majority of Jewish Christians.
In Acts, chapters 10 and 11, we see the difficulty that this mystery caused.
God began to teach this theology to the evangelists in Acts and by chapter
11:20-21, some began to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. But, whether Jew or
Gentile, the fact that a human being, dwelling on this earth, should have the divine
Christ living in him, is an awesome mystery and, for the non-Christian, it is
totally inconceivable. For us it is the hope of glory.
Paul referred to “his saints” in Colossians 1:26; to
those “called to be saints” in
Romans 1:7 and 1 Corinthians 1:2; to “all
the saints” in 2 Corinthians 1:1 and Philippians 1:1; and simply “to the saints” in Ephesians 1:1 and
Colossians 1:2. This term could be a mystery to some today, especially those who
have a Catholic background. We have learned that a saint is a super Christian, canonized
by the Vatican, and not a simple believer, washed in the blood of Christ, as it
was understood in biblical times.
The word Gentile from this verse 27, which means non-Jew, might sound
mysterious to a new believer, not schooled in biblical terms. He should learn,
however, that in Bible times it was a great disadvantage to be a Gentile and,
knowing this, he should be very grateful to God for permitting him to enter
into benefits that, first of all, were only for Jews.
Glory
Maybe I ought to explain what
glory means. It refers to a quality
of life, a high form of existence. Peter related the man and his glory to grass
and a flower. The flower is the glory of man, attractive and superior to grass.
Glory also means the fame that is given to something that is superior.
Glory also can be described
as that, which shines from some body, such as the sun, the rays of which reach
beyond the body itself. The glory of the sun gives us the benefit of light and
warmth, so that human kind can live and enjoy life on this planet. Spiritualizing
these benefits, we could say that the light of the glory of God illuminates us
with a capacity to see and walk in things that are worthwhile. The warmth of
His glory comforts the soul, bringing joy, love and many other spiritual
values.
However, the glory that Paul
refers to, in saying “the hope of glory”,
is the future glory of heaven. Already he mentioned it in verse 5: “…the hope that is laid up for you in
heaven.” A name for heaven is Glory and, all that I have written to
describe the word, reaches its perfection in Glory. There a quality of life
exists beyond what we can imagine. The rays of Glory reach us even now on this
earth; we have been born from above and we are endued with the Holy Spirit, Who
is the power from on high.
Riches
Now, think about the riches of this glory… the value and the
abundance of it. Its costliness has no comparison. There is no earthly glory
that is like it. It is a glory given without measure. There are no limits;
there is always more, no matter how much you have discovered of it. For that
reason, the Bible speaks of going from glory to glory.
Now, what is the message,
from which these riches of glory proceed? Paul writes of the life of Christ
within the saint and proclaims that this is the hope of glory. He that has the
Son has this glorious, eternal life (1 Jn. 5:12).
Hope
In the verse previously
quoted, we learn that he that has the Son has hope and He is the only hope of
glory. According to the Bible
definition, this word hope might
bring us another mystery that has to
be solved. This is important, because some, who have not resolved it and define
it according to their own understanding and use of the word, can error in their
doctrine. A bad interpretation and definition of this word can rob us of some
rich and magnificent glory.
The common use of the word hope expresses little more than a desire
or a challenge in life. It’s a “hope-so” hope. The child hopes to be a fireman,
a cowboy or a soldier. We hope to go on vacation to a beautiful island or spend
it in the mountains. In this case, hope is a desire and a dream, but we are not
sure whether it will happen or not. Some experience their hopes and others do
not. However, the Bible definition guarantees us an absolutely sure future.
Look carefully at Hebrews 6:18-20: “By
two unchangeable things (the promise and the oath of God), in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge (security) might have strong encouragement to hold
fast to the hope set before us. We
have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of
the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where
Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Imagine one end of a chain
fastened to a soul and the other end to the anchor firmly holding within the veil,
which is the Holy of Holies (not a symbol, but the true presence of God). Our
soul cannot be moved by the waves that disturb the water’s surface or the winds
that want to blow us in another direction, because this anchor holds us firmly
to God’s presence. Jesus guarantees our destiny for us, for all the time that
His priesthood endures, because the word promises, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through
him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb.7:25).
Security
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| Steadfast and sure |
This security is given us,
because Christ intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father, but we are
seeing also that His presence in our lives keeps us secure: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” At
the moment, I can’t recall the name of the author, who wrote of The Life of
God in the Soul of Man. His life in ours guarantees our destiny. All doubt
is removed and all the questions are annulled, when Christ comes to live and to
reign in a human being. The Psalm exclaimed: “The Lord is my Shepherd… surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever.”
Nothing can be more glorious.
It is the height of all that anyone can experience. Paul preached this message
among the Gentiles and called it, “the
unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph.3:8)… a quality and quantity far beyond
our comprehension. This is the will of God… so come in! When you do so, you
will not be violating foreign property; you will be there by invitation. There
is a table prepared for you and when you respond, you will only be exalting the
Lord’s benevolence and generosity.
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