A PERSONAL GOD FROM GRACE TO GLORY
A great truth of Scripture is that God is a personal God from grace to glory. He is not an abstraction or mystical “higher power.” He meets us where we are and on our level. He is a personal Savior, a personal Lord, a personal Sanctifier, a personal Deliverer and His very life is appropriated on a personal basis. What a testimony to God’s grace toward us who believe.
Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” GOD GIVES US HIS PERSONAL IDENTITY. Paul says the Spirit Himself gives evidence to us that we are children of God. No second hand provider here! God becomes our personal witness so we never have to doubt who we are, to whom we belong too or where we are going. What better witness could you call on to verify your identity? The one who testifies on your behalf never lies, deceives or tempts. He never sleeps or slumbers and He serves as your personal defender and justifier. Paul writes, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth (Romans 8:31-33).”
God knows we need a personal identity. We need to know we are His children, that we belong to Him and we are glory bound. This identity is essential if we are going to serve God with a heart of love (1 John 3:1) and liberty (Galatians 5:1).
Not only is our identity found in a personal God but also our inheritance. GOD GIVES US HIS PERSONAL INHERITANCE. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 8:17a: “And if children heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” What high standing we have as Christians. Since we are children of God we are heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ. As heirs of God, heaven’s glory and a great inheritance await us. The Apostle Peter exclaims, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3-4).” The Apostle Paul also confirms this in Ephesians 1:1: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
As heirs, we must walk worthy of the high calling we have in Christ Jesus so we can lay up treasures in heaven and not make void the grace of God that leads to the glory of God. Matthew warns us: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is there your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21). As fellow heirs with Christ, we come into possession of all His Life (read Colossians 2:10). This is true in the “here and now” not just the hereafter. That is why Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The Apostle Peter further confirms this truth: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (1 Peter 1:4) Thus, we can by “grace through faith” have a taste of our inheritance here on earth as the Spirit imparts it. What a beautiful example and encouragement for what will one day be fulfilled for all eternity in glory!
How wonderful to know we can partake of the Lord’s peace and love and joy. How wonderful to know Him intimately in this life and experience the power of his resurrection while in his service. How wonderful to have a personal inheritance! But what about the fellowship of his sufferings? Not only is our identity and inheritance found in a personal God but also our sufferings. GOD GIVES US HIS PERSONAL SUFFERINGS. Romans 8:17b says, “…if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We would all eagerly say we want to be glorified with the Lord but we are a bit hesitant to say we want to suffer with Him. That gets too personal – we want the gain but not the pain. Yet, we tend to forget that when Jesus prayed “Father the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” he was going to the cross of suffering. To be glorified with Him means we must suffer with Him. The writer of Hebrews says of Christ: “…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2). “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12). But Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1) Thus, Matthew tells us not to mourn or be fearful but rather: “Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)
You might say, “Sure we will rejoice one day in heaven but how do we rejoice now in the midst of our sufferings?” The answer is to go to the One in whom your personal identity and inheritance securely rest. The key in “suffering with Him” is to make sure you don’t suffer without Him. Paul refers to such suffering with Christ as a special gift: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). It is a gift because it grants you and I a special fellowship, a special encouragement and a special witness. The Apostle Paul considered “…the fellowship of his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10) one of his three special gains in the Christian life. Why? Because it allowed “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6b) to break through his life. It allowed the treasure in the earthen vessel to shine through and give great encouragement to the saints and powerful witness to the lost. And in the process, God’s grace allowed Paul a special fellowship with the Lord.
Today, the apostle Peter says to us: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings: that when his glory be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12,13). What greater joy than to know your suffering with Christ brought a lost sinner to Christ or encouraged a fellow saint to serve the Lord more fervently. Paul wanted the believers at Philippi to know this purpose was being accomplished by his personal suffering with Christ so God’s personal glory might shine though others: “But I would ye should understand brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel: So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14).
Believer do not fear suffering with Christ rather fear suffering without him. As instructed in the great Christian hymn: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” One day you and I will see Him as He is high and lifted up shining in the Light of His glory and many others will be with us. Remember the words of the apostle Paul: “For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).” From grace to glory our personal God will guide us every step of the way.
