Kingdom Priority (6)

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected itin hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8.20, 21

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10.31

Glory all around
The Apostle Paul informs us in these verses that the glory we as Christians hope for, and that we wait and persevere to know and to express, the unseen glory and love of God, is not to be engaged for our own sake. We are being transformed, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3.12-18, from glory into glory. Beginning with the creation, and then extending throughout creation to every situation and person in our lives, God brings us into glory in order that we might bring His glory into the people and world we inhabit.

God’s design – God’s Kingdom priority – is that the knowledge of His glory should be everywhere manifest – in every situation, to every person, at all times – so that people are confronted with, accosted by, inundated, surrounded, overwhelmed, stunned, and astonished by a reality that can only be explained in the light of Jesus’ having risen from the dead (Hab. 2.14).

God is working, from glory to glory, to fill the world with the glory and love of Jesus, Whom Paul describes as the One Who is “filling all things, in all things” with Himself (Eph. 1.23).

Let’s have a closer look at how this guides us in our waiting and enduring to know the glory of God.

Creation and the hope of glory
The creation is at present subject to a form of futility which prevents it from fulfilling its purpose as a vehicle for glorifying God. This is one of the effects of sin, both that the glory God has “hidden” in creation does not readily manifest itself, and that fallen men are incapable, because of sin, of discovering, enjoying, and celebrating the glory of God in creation. This is a task for royal children, for those who have made the Kingdom turn and stand in the hope of glory (Prov. 25.2; Hab. 1.14).

We who hope in the glory of God, and are being transformed from glory to glory into the image of the Firstborn of all creation, must also consider that it is part of our calling to bring the creation into the redemption and glory which we enjoy as God’s children. In order to do this we must give ourselves to this high calling and holy challenge by becoming familiar with the creation, learning the distinct creatures, discovering their contributions to the symphony of glory which is daily being performed around us, and finding ways of making known the glory of God in each creature.

Further, we must take up the duty of conserving and developing creation so as to guard it against further corruption and to give it the freedom to flourish which we enjoy in the Lord. Thus we extend the Kingdom to the entire creation and increase anticipation of the new heavens and new earth, even as we are also preparing for that great day.

Creation is the stage on which we stand and hope in the glory of God. Its props, sets, lighting, and all the rest are in need of some refocusing and refurbishing, so that the glorious purposes of the divine Playwright can be clearly seen. And it falls to us, who stand in the hope of glory, to bring creation into the glory in which we hope, by every means, at every opportunity.

Everything and everyone
Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 10.31 could just as well be translated, “So whatever you do, whether you are eating or drinking or whatever you do, do it all into the glory of God.” That means all your relationships, roles, and responsibilities. We who stand in the hope of the glory of God, and who wait and endure and persevere to know that glory – we are not stingy about the experience. We want everyone to know it. We want everything we do to refract it. We want to haul people and situations and things into the glory we are coming to know more consistently. We want the knowledge of the glory of God to cover those parts of the earth we inhabit, and so we seek to bring our families, homes, work, colleagues, friends, diversions, time, possessions – the whole shebang – into the glory and love of God which we are increasingly coming to know.

Here it all boils down to words and deeds, words and deeds. How and what we talk about, and how and what we do will either contribute to the staging of God’s glory or the suppressing of it. If we don’t know how to “work out our salvation in fear and trembling” (Phil. 2.12) so that the glory of God comes to expression in all we are, think, say, and do, then we need to refocus our growth in the Lord, so that we learn to wait and hope for what we should wait and hope for – the glory of God in us and through us, throughout the world around us.

Next steps: Make a list of everything you will be doing today. In a word or two, how do you expect the glory of God to come to light in each of these activities? Are you preparing for this, by seeking the glory of God? Share this exercise with a friend, and do it together for a week. Meet at the end of the week to discuss this exercise and what you learned from it.

T. M. Moore

Additional Resources

This week’s study, Kingdom Priority, is the fourth of an eight-part series on The Kingdom Turn, and is available as a free download. T. M. has written two books to complement this eight-part series. You can order The Kingship of Jesus by clicking here, and The Gospel of the Kingdom by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.