GRACE YOUR ACCESS TO GLORY
Bishop David Ibeleme
Jn. 1:1, 14-17; 17:1ff
Glory is equivalent to;
All that God is – Jn. 1:1; 4:24.
All that God has – Jn. 16:12ff; Ps. 24:1ff.
All that God can do – Mk. 10:27; Lk. 1:37; Jn. 14:1ff.
All these were evident in the life and ministry of Jesus – Jn. 17:1ff.
The Holy Spirit and Glory
He is often referred to as the glory of God – Rom. 6:4; 8:11.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus – Jn. 16:12-15.
All the father hath are mine – Jn. 13:3; 16:15.
Hence, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to bring, give or show them to us – 1 Cor. 2:9ff.
Grace and the Glory
The concept of Glory is equivalent to the concept of grace – Jn. 1:14-16.
Hence the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of grace – Heb. 10:29.
The glory of God is evident or made manifest via the grace of God.
If you have or connect with God’s grace you will connect with his glory.
Eternal Life and the Glory
God started man off with His glory – Ps. 8:3.
Man lost the glory via sin – Rom. 3:21.
God’s Glory is connected to His Life.
Man’s greatest need following the fall is eternal life – Eph. 4:17-18.
Eternal Life => Righteousness => Redemption => Mediator => Incarnation.
The Incarnate one Jesus came to redeem us from the curse and to provide for us, access to the life of God.
God’s life is equivalent to God’s glory.
The grace of God made this (God’s life) available to us – Rom. 5:1-2, 17.
No man could access the Glory of God without grace hence Jesus came full of grace and truth – Jn. 1:14-17.
Every man that ever got anything from God was favoured – Gen. 9:1ff (Noah); 17:1ff (Abraham).
Accessing the Grace (Accessing the Glory)
Only those who appreciate God’s grace can experience the glory of God.
The Word of His grace will connect you with the glory (life) of God – Jn. 20:29-31.
1. Be Conscious of the Grace of God – 2 Pet. 1:1-4.
This will keep us in the place of glory; above sin – Rom. 6:14.
Remember that we are saved by God’s grace – Eph. 2:8.
2. Grace Teaches us to Live a Crucified life – Gal. 2:20; Tit. 2:11-15; 3:5-8.
No one can live holy on earth without God’s grace – 2 Cor. 7:1-2; Eph. 4:22ff.
This is because it keeps us focused on what God did for us.
3. Grace Exposes God’s Love to us – 2 Cor. 13:14.
This invariably helps our fellowship with God and others – Phil. 2:1-3.
Remember it is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance – Rom. 2:4.
4. Grace Destroys our Pride – 1 Pet. 5:5-6; 1 Cor. 15:10.
It helps us depend on God – Prov. 3:5ff; Zech. 4:6-7.
If you cannot depend on God you will end up in the deep end.
5. Our Gifts are Gifts of Grace – Eph. 4:7; Rom. 12:3-9.
We did not qualify for them by our works; Jeremiah was known and appointed as a prophet by God before he was formed in his mother’s womb – Jer. 1:4-12.
God simply set us in the body as it pleased Him – 1 Cor. 12:28.
Our gifts and calling are God’s decision and He doesn’t change His mind about them – Rom. 11:29.
6. Grace Puts us Over – 2 Cor. 11:18; 12:10.
The attacks, persecutions and afflictions we face today can only be overcome by the grace of God.
We cannot stop storms from “ever” coming but we can overcome them by grace – Matt. 7:24-27; Zech. 4:6-7.
7. Grace Gives us Abundance – 2 Cor. 8:9; Jn. 1:14-17.
Everything grace does is what the glory does for us – Phil. 4:19; 2 Cor. 8:9.
Remember that by the law of first mention glory simply means abundance – Gen. 31:1-3; 45:13.
The Role of Faith –
Jesus said that Faith helps you see the glory of God – Jn. 11:39-41.
Apostle Paul said Faith helps you access the grace of God – Rom. 5:1-2.
Faith can only believe for or receive that which grace has already provided – Eph. 2:8.
If grace hasn’t provided it then faith cannot receive it – Jn. 1:1, 14-17.
This simply means that God’s grace actually causes us to access His glory.
Copyright © 2012 Bishop David Ibeleme
Victorious Faith Ministries,
P.O. Box 4378, St. Ann’s, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. W.I.
Tel/Fax : +1(868) 625-6863;
Email: vfmwo@hotmail.com, info@vfmwo.org Website: vfmwo.org
