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PRESENT AND FUTURE GLORY
A. Introduction: We’re working on a series about glory. This series was inspired by a statement that Paul the
apostle made. Paul was an eyewitness of Jesus and an ardent follower of the Lord.
1. Paul wrote: For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for
us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever (II Cor 4:17, NLT).
a. Whatever Paul knew about glory, it enabled him to view his many troubles as momentary and light
in comparison to that glory. And, this view lightened the load of his hardships.
b. Knowing something about glory helped Paul (and others in the first generation of Christians) deal
with challenges. We’re considering what this glory is to help us better deal with life’s troubles.
2. The word glory is used several ways in the Bible. We are focusing on two aspects: glory in connection
with God Himself and glory in connection with the salvation that God has provided through Jesus.
a. Almighty God is glorious by nature. He is a glorious Being who does glorious things. Glorious
means magnificent, splendid, beautiful. God is called the King of Glory. Ps 24:8-10
b. Almighty God created human beings for a position of glory. He created us to be His sons and
daughters, offspring who reflect our Father’s glory as we live in loving relationship with Him.
1. God created human beings with the capacity to receive Him into our being—to be indwelled by
Him (His Spirit, His life, His glory)—and then image Him (His communicable attributes) His
glory) to the world around us by the way that we live. This in turn brings glory (honor and
praise) back to Him. Matt 5:16
2. But all humans have chosen independence from God through sin, and are cut off from our
created position of glory as sons and daughters of God who reflect God our Father. Rom 3:23
c. Jesus came into this world to die as a sacrifice for sin and open the way for us to be restored to this
position of glory through faith in Him. Heb 2:9-10; Heb 2:14-15; I Pet 3:18; etc.).
1. There is a present aspect to glory. When we surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord, God
indwells us by His Spirit and life (His glory).
A. He then works in us by His glorious power to empower us to live lives that are pleasing to
Him, as He restores us to all that He intends us to be—sons and daughters who are like
Jesus. Jesus is the pattern for God’s family. Rom 8:29
B. II Cor 3:18—All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that
same glory, coming from the Lord who is the Spirit, transforms us into his very likeness, in
an ever greater degree of glory (Good News Bible).
2. There is also a future aspect to glory. At the Jesus’ second coming our bodies will be raised
from the grave and glorified (made immortal and incorruptible) so we can live on earth again.
Heaven and earth will come together in the new heavens and new earth.
A. Phil 3:21—We are eagerly waiting for (Jesus) to return as our Savior. He will take these
weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the
same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere (NLT).
B. Rom 8:21—All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious
freedom from death and decay (NLT).
C. Rev 21:1-5—I saw a new heaven and a new earth…God himself will be with (his people).
He will remove all their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or
pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever (NLT).
3. To fully appreciate all that glory means you must understand that this world in its present condition is not
the way God created it to be. It has been damaged by sin, beginning with the first human being’s sin.
a. Rom 5:12—When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. His sin spread death
throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die (TLB).
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1. As a result, life in a damaged world is difficult. There is no such thing as an easy, problem-free
life in this world. No one escapes troubles—from minor to major. Jesus Himself said: In
the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration (John 16:33, Amp).
2. We all must deal with the challenges of life in this fallen world. You can do everything right
and things still go wrong. But you can learn how to deal with and go through life’s problems.
A. The Bible (especially the New Testament) emphasizes deliverance in the midst of trouble
by changing your perspective, rather than deliverance out of trouble. Paul followed his
statement about comparing his troubles to the glory to come with these words:
B. II Cor 4:18—For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are
unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time; but what cannot be seen lasts forever
(Good News Bible). That’s why we keep our minds on things that cannot be seen (CEV).
b. There are two kinds of unseen things: things that are invisible—Almighty God with us and in us to
help us (present glory) and things aren’t here yet—the blessing of the life to come (future glory).
1. Present glory means inward strength, peace, and joy to help you face hardships. Future glory
means hope that comes from knowing life’s hardships will be forgotten and that there will be
reunion, restoration, recompense, and unending joy—life as it’s meant to be.
2. Learning to focus our mind on these unseen realities (both present and future glory) lifts us up
in the midst of our troubles. We’ll say more about this point later in the lesson.
B. Paul was not the only apostle who wrote about present and future glory. Peter, one of Jesus’ original twelve
disciples and apostles, also wrote about a present and a future glory.
1. Peter understood that we suffer in this life, but that we will come to glory. Peter referred to himself as
“a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (I Pet 5:1, NKJV).
a. Peter literally saw God’s glory during Jesus’ earth ministry (John 1:14; John 2:11; Matt 17:1-7).
And he was present at the Last Supper when Jesus promised that His apostles would soon be
indwelled by the Holy Spirit and united to the life (the glory) in Him (John 14:17; John 14:20).
b. Peter wrote two New Testament epistles. The first was written to encourage Christians who were
facing increasing hardships because of their faith in Jesus. The second was written shortly before
Peter was executed for his faith in Jesus. He wrote to urge Christians not to forget what he and the
other apostles taught them. In these letters Peter made several powerful statements about glory.
1. Peter wrote: II Pet 1:3-4—God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a godly
life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share his own glory and goodness. In
this way (God) has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of
these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world and come to share the
divine nature (Good News Bible).
A. Through sharing (present) glory with us (Him in us by His Spirit, His divine nature) God
provides us with the ability and strength to live this life in a way that glorifies Him.
B. And, by His glory in us (we are His sons and daughters) we will escape the rottenness
and corruption that is in the world (future glory).
2. Peter wrote: I Pet 5:10—But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who
calls you to share in his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you (Good News
Bible); complete and make you what you ought to be (Amp).
A. Like Jesus and Paul, Peter understood that hardship is an inevitable part of life in a sin
damaged world, but that it is all temporary, and God will get us through whatever we face.
B. Peter also knew that we will ultimately be fully glorified, fully restored to all God intends
us to be. The Greek word translated perfect means to complete thoroughly.
2. Words fall short when we talk about how God who is Transcendent and Infinite interacts with finite,
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fallen human beings. The Bible uses word pictures to convey aspects of God’s Person and our
relationship with Him.
a. For example, God calls Himself a Shepherd and His people sheep (Ps 100:3; Ezek 34:11-12; etc).
These terms had great meaning to the first Christians since sheep and shepherds were all over Israel.
1. Sheep were used for food, clothing, trade goods, and sacrifices. Sheep are dependent creatures
who are prone to straying and who need protection and provision. Shepherds cared for sheep,
led them to food and water, kept them from straying, and protected them from predators.
2. A sheep’s lot in life was dependent on the type of person who owned him (the shepherd). A
good shepherd meant well cared for sheep.
b. Israel’s prophets wrote about a coming Good Shepherd (the Messiah). Isa 40:10-11—Yes, the
Sovereign Lord is coming in all his glorious power…He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will
carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart (NLT).
1. When He was on earth, Jesus took the title of the Good Shepherd for Himself. John 10:11—I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (ESV).
2. Peter would have heard Jesus make that statement and witnessed Him lay down His life at the
Cross for men and women who “like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his
own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6, ESV).
3. Peter would have also heard Jesus tell a parable about a lost sheep whom the shepherd searched for until
he found it. During Jesus’ three plus year ministry prior to the Cross, He was regularly criticized for
associating with sinners and publicans (Jews who worked as tax collectors for Rome).
a. When Jesus was chided for going to be a guest in the home of a wealthy publican named Zacchaeus,
Jesus said: The Son of Man, has come to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10, NKJV).
b. Another time, when the religious leaders complained that Jesus associated and even ate with these
despicable people, Jesus responded by telling several parables—one about a lost sheep. Luke 15:3-7
1. Jesus posed the question: What if a shepherd had one hundred sheep and one went astray.
What would the shepherd do? The answer was obvious to Jesus’ listeners.
2. The shepherd would leave the ninety-nine who didn’t stray and searched for the lost sheep until
he found it. Then he would rejoice with his friends and neighbors that he found it.
A. Jesus said that this is how Heaven responds when a lost sinner repents and returns to God.
Jesus’ point is that the sheep did not lose its value to the owner when it was lost.
B. But its value (its purpose) couldn’t be realized by the shepherd. And people lost in sin are
lost to their created purpose as sons and daughers who reflect and glorify their Father God
4. Peter, in his first epistle, referred to the Lord as our Faithful Creator (I Pet 4:19) and as our Shepherd.
Jesus is God Incarnate. He is our faithful Creator and our Shepherd. He created us for a purpose—to
be sons and daughters of God who live in loving relationship with Him as we reflect His glory.
a. When we turned our backs on Him and His purpose for us, He left Heaven and came to seek and
save us. He incarnated (took on a human nature) and was born into this world to die as a sacrifice
for our sin. The Good Shepherd (Almighty God) is the one who restores us to glory.
b. In the context of Jesus bearing our sins on the Cross, Peter wrote: For you were like sheep going
astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (I Pet 2:25, NKJV).
1. To return to your shepherd means that you have submitted yourself to Him. (By the word
souls Peter means you, your life). The Good Shepherd is the one who restores us to glory.
2. Later in the letter Peter wrote: I Pet 5:4—And when the head Shepherd comes your reward
will be a never ending share in his glory and honor (NLT).
5. To fully appreciate what it means that you are being restored to glory, you must know that you matter to
God. You are not an accident or a mistake. You exist because God wants you. He brought you into
being. You are part of His eternal plan for a family. You have value, purpose, and hope.
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a. Almighty God, motivated by love, chose us for a glorious purpose before the world began (Eph
1:4-5; II Tim 1:9-10). Sin damaged the family and took the plan off track.
b. This glorious Being, our Faithful Creator, came after us. He came to seek and save His lost family
and restore us to glory—God has called you into his Kingdom to share his glory (I Thess 2:12,NLT).
c. When you turn back to your Faithful Creator in repentance and faith (turn from your ways to His
way), He welcomes you back, celebrates your return, cleanses and restores you by His power. He
He not only has a glorious future for you in the life to come, He has help for you in this difficult life.
6. Peter would have been familiar with a psalm written by Israel’s great king and psalmist David about
what it means to have your Creator as your Shepherd—the 23rd Psalm. We could do an entire lesson on
this psalm, but consider these points about present and future glory.
a. Ps 23:1-3—The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need, NLT…he restores my soul (ESV);
he renews my strength (NLT)…He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name (NLT).
b. Ps 23:4-5—Even though I walk through valley of the shadow of death (ESV) I will not be afraid, for
you are close beside me…You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies (NLT).
1. David met Goliath in a valley of potential death (I Sam 17). But David knew that God was
with him and for him. God provided a feast (or provision) in the presence of David’s enemy,
what David needed to make it through and out of the valley (present glory).
2. David faced many hardships and obstacles in his life, but he experienced the Lord’s provision,
protection, and guidance in his life, as well as God’s inward strengthening (present glory).
c. Ps 23:6—Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the
house of the Lord forever (ESV). David knew that when his life came to an end he would be with
the Lord forever in His home (future glory).
C. Conclusion: Early we pointed out that Paul wrote II Cor 4:17-18—For our present troubles are quite small
and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever (NLT).
For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts
only for a time; but what cannot be seen lasts forever (Good News Bible). That’s why we keep our minds on
things that cannot be seen (CEV).
1. What does that look like in real life? We live in a fallen world and face challenges daily that stimulate
unpleasant emotions and thoughts. How can we keep our mind on things we can’t see?
a. It will not happen automatically. You have to put forth effort to focus on unseen realities, but it can
be done. You have to learn to talk to yourself and remind yourself of the truth. Harness your mind
with your mouth (James 3:2-3). You can’t think one thing and say another.
b. Call to your mind the fact that your Creator is your Shepherd and your Savior. Remind yourself
that your Creator has gone to great lengths to bring you back to Himself. He values and wants you.
1. Remind yourself that what you see is temporary and subject to change by God’s power either in
this life or the life to come. He will get you through until He gets you out
2. Remind yourself that the Shepherd is not only with you, this glorious Being is in you to
strength and help you. He will hold on to you. He will guide to the glory of the life to come.
You can trust the One you have committed your life to.
2. Peter told his readers to live right before God no matter what circumstances they faced. He urged them:
Keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you (your faithful Creator), for he
will never fail you (I Pet 4:19, NLT).
3. You have been restored to God, the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd is restoring you to glory—some in
this life, the rest in the life to come. Speak these facts about Him and your relationship to Him to
yourself until they become more real to you than what you see and feel. More next week!!