Glorified with Christ

“And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.” (Romans 8:17)

This is an incredible statement that Paul made. There was previously an incredible statement made by John. that we are born of God and children of God. “But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name, who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.” (John 1:12-13) We gloss over this Scripture, ascent to it and go our merry way without meditating on it. But the incredibility is that we become legitimate legal children of the Creator, Who made the immense and fathomless universe, the One Who is ultimately in control of all things. This was no small task for us who were unable to do anything about our bondage to sin, were bound to death, living in darkness and miserable. A side note here: This has nothing to do with our social or financial status. Without Jesus, life is miserable no matter our social status or amount of money we have or don’t have.

Fathers, to anyone of us, can be a relationship that is endearing or a terrifying one. For those whose relationship with their fathers hasn’t been a loving and nurturing relationship, they will have a hard hurdle to understand the love and care of a good father and have difficulty understanding the love of our Heavenly Father. Luke wrote: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) The holy Truth is that our Heavenly Father has given us everything we need for life in this world and in the next. If you haven’t read it in the Bible, I suggest you read it.

Our Scripture of study states that we are His children and He has made us His heirs. Just think of what belongs to God. He’s given us that to co-inherit with Jesus. It’s staggering to my mind. The full inheritance comes when we leave this earth. All the requirements of the will have been fulfilled by our Heavenly Father. We have to fulfill our part of the covenant. That is to believe, accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and receive the promises of the covenant. As soon as we do that the Holy Spirit comes to indwell and seals us as belonging to God the Father, born again a child of God. “For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God by us. But He, confirming us and anointing us with you in Christ is God. And He has sealed us and having given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2Corinthians 1:20-22)

There is another item in our Scripture of study, “...so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.” What!? After all the Good News we find that we have to suffer. What is that about? How did Jesus suffer? He was rejected, hated, scorned, persecuted and killed, put to death. When we come to Jesus, we immediately become enemies of the world. The world is controlled by the devil. “Again, the Devil took Him up into a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9) Jesus didn’t contradict the devil. Just think about what the world endorses; sexual immorality, exalting the ego and self and the belief that going contrary to the natural laws of God is something of which to be proud. So when we belong to God, it’s evident to the devils and his cohorts. Those who belong to the world will sense the Holy Spirit in us and will hate us. But know this that we have power over all the power of the enemy. Jesus said, “Behold, I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the authority of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) And although they may hate us and make it hard on us, we have power over all the power of the enemy. And how about the death part? This also must happen. But it’s in our hands, just like the death of Jesus was in His hands. Jesus said, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I might take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down from Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment from My Father.” (John 10:17-18) We must die to our desires, our dreams our self and allow Jesus to live through us. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) We must be able to say like Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.” (Galatians 2:20)

Concluding, as children of God and His heirs, we must deny our lives and allow Jesus to live through us. We have authority over any persecution and demonic attack on us, our families, our lives in this world. And although we may suffer a bit it’s nothing compared to the glory we will receive. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our Life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)