When we think of the glory and power of God, often, our minds recall the dramatic and visibly extravagant signs, wonders and displays of God’s presence that were recorded in the Old Testament scriptures. Though these spectacles were glorious in their own right, the greatest display of God’s glory and power is that which He has revealed and demonstrated through His Son – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The word that speaks of the ‘glory’ of God, translated in Hebrew is ‘kabowd’ (כָּבוֹד – pronounced kaw-bode’), which can be translated as abundance, honour, or glory; and carries the idea of ‘weight’, or ‘heaviness’.
This glory speaks of God’s name, character, majesty, holiness and essence. It speaks of the beauty of His nature, and the weight or ‘gravitas’ that it carries.

The word for ‘power’ in Greek is ‘dunamis’(δύναμις – pronounced ‘doo’-nam-is’), meaning [miraculous] power, might, or strength.
Interestingly, in Hebrew the word ‘El’  אֵל)), the name for God used over 200 times in the Bible, at its root also means power, might and strength.

You see, the glory and power of God go hand in hand with each other – you cannot have one without the other. His glory exerts His power, and His power displays His glory.

So, how do we experience God’s glory and power as believers?

We experience the glory and power of God continuously by the Word [the message] we believe and preach; the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Paul, in Romans 1:16 (NIV), tells us, “…it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” He does not say the gospel brings power, but it is the power of God to save everyone.

God, the Heavenly Father and King of Glory sent His Son in the fullness of His glory to dwell amongst us (John 1:14), to fulfil His mission of redemption (Tit 2:14, Gal 3:13), which was to die for our sins on the cross (2 Cor 5:21, Isa 53:5, 2Peter 2:24). So, defeating death, sin, and the grave, He was raised from the dead by the exerting of God’s power, raising Him above every ‘rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name’, and seating Him at the ‘right hand of the Father’ (Eph 1:19-21).

In other words, as Hebrews 1:3(NIV)puts it: 

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for [our] sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” 

And not only did Christ die for us, when He departed from this earth, He left us with the One who would seal us for the Day of redemption and empower us until that Day – the promised Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, Act 1:8, 2 Cor 1:21-22), the ‘Spirit of Christ’ (Rom 8:9).

Therefore, we who believe in Christ are not only liberated by the atoning sacrifice of the precious Lamb of God itself but also by what it invoked afterwards, which is the Spirit of He who died [Christ] now dwelling in us. We have been made alive in Christ as He is alive in us. No longer are we slaves to sin or the letter [the written law], which exposed the sin once alive in us, and so brought death, we have now been liberated and made alive by the law of the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2, 2 Cor 3:6).

And thus, this mystery is revealed: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

Say it, declare it, let it be the meditation of heart today: “Christ in ME, the hope of glory.”

By remaining in Him, it is Christ [His Spirit] in us, who is changing us into His likeness by the ‘incomparably great power’ (Eph 1:19) that is forever at work in us, transforming us with ‘ever-increasing glory’ as we draw near to him and ‘contemplate’ His glory (2 Cor 3:18), until we are made totally perfect & whole in Him, on the Day in which we will see Him face-to-face. As the Bible says,

“…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6, NIV)

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory [from glory to glory – NKJV], which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

That is the gospel – God’s mercy and love to redeem us who were once sinners, that by His power, His glory would be revealed to us, and then revealed in and through us.

Let us pray…

• That the very glory of God be revealed within us and manifest in every area of our lives. (1 John 1:1, 2Cor 3:18)
• As we now know what the power of God is, we as believers would recognize our authority in the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20)
• That God will give us the grace and conviction to keep our eyes fixed on His glory daily, and we will continually behold Him & draw near to Him. (James 5:8, Hebrews 12:2-3)

by Aimee Adeniran