RISING BY GRACE TO REIGNING IN GLORY
Romans 5:2-21.
If you are going to move from one place to the other, you need a “from” and a “to”. It takes motion to move from grace to glory. You cannot move from grace to glory if you are seated, stagnant, satisfied, standing at a spot without any motion, desire, determination or destination. But when you want a change, you will get up, take steps, move on, and go from grace to glory. Adam was created by grace and possessed all things by grace, but God wanted him to move from grace to glory by moving on, subduing, and having dominion. As Adam allowed the tree’s fruit to hinder him from moving to glory, many people do the same. Adam was to see the provision of the Lord, seize the surrounding opportunities, study the rest of the surrounding creation, and search for all the things God had provided around him. Some people see but don’t observe, perceive, or have any insight. We should all be research fellows, searching for how to improve upon what we do, be a better person, contribute to the community, and touch and lift other lives up. We have to subdue all the mountains to create a road through the mountain and not allow the mountain to stop our journey from grace to glory. We cannot sleep all day and all night and subdue the mountains. You must wake up and declare: ‘I will subdue!’ After subduing, you must spread. Adam was to search, study, subdue, and spread the knowledge of good things, but he allowed eating the forbidden fruit to hinder him from doing that. After spreading good things, he was to soar and succeed. You are not here to be entertained or have your feelings excited but to be awakened. From today, begin to see, seize the opportunities you have, study yourself, your environment, your companions, search for the tools and instruments you need, subdue your world, and spread the knowledge you have got so that you can help others succeed as you succeed, and soar. “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:2). We get into grace by faith. FAITH – Forsaking All I Trust Him. Forsake all your weaknesses, setbacks, past failures, and everything that made you trip. Then, we trust God and rejoice in the glory of God. Between the grace and glory, there is faith. You must have faith that God is taking you to glory. Rise by grace, move on by faith, and nothing will stop you. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17). Your time has come to reign with Christ.
- THE GOOD PATH FROM GRACE TO GLORY
Jeremiah 6:16; Proverbs 4:18-27; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians 6:1-3,14-18; Titus 2:11-14.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16). You must stand, wait, and think about the path you are taking. There is a path that leads from grace to glory, failure to success, and sadness to joy; you must ask for that path.
(i) Repentance. There is spiritual and educational repentance. Spiritual repentance means turning around from the life of sin of the past and turning towards God. Educational repentance means turning from your love of play more than books, love of football more than teachers, love of sleep more than studies, and then you turn around.
(ii) Redemption. Only God can redeem you through Christ. When you ask God to redeem your soul, He will forgive you, change your life, and give you a new direction to follow. Educationally, remedial learning is a form of redemption.
(iii) Restoration. To be restored to where we should be, we must stop giving excuses and take responsibility for our lives.
(iv) Righteousness. Righteousness is doing what is right instead of doing what is wrong. Doing what is right means you reject the enticement of the devil, receive the instruction of the Lord, and remember the word of the Lord to you.
(v) Resilience. Resilience is being able to bounce back. As a ball can bounce back when it has air in it, when you have Jesus, the Emmanuel, the encourager, the uplifter, and your Creator inside you, you will be able to bounce back when you are kicked by the circumstances of life. Your life will not be empty in Jesus Name.
(vi) Responsibility. As a responsible person, no one has to remind you to do your duties, and no one has to push or pull you before you do what you need to do. Dress like a responsible person, and let responsibility show in how you walk. You will have an inner drive that says you are an achiever, and where you go will add something good to your life. From today, you will go up, and all the things that hindered and stopped you in the past will not stop you anymore.
(vii) Reigning. On your journey to glory, you will not stop until you reign. To reign in life, you must be resilient and take responsibility. When you follow the path in every area of your life, you will reign internally, educationally, and morally with the help of the Lord.
- THE GLOWING PURSUIT OF GROWTH IN GOODNESS
Galatians 5:22-26; Romans 15:14; Ephesians 5:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; Numbers 10:29, 32.
When you have the right pursuit, clapping will come at the end. The clapping may come as an award, certificate, and an offer of a good job, a good car to ride, and a good building to live in; however, the way it comes, the world will clap for you. “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). God will grant you that which will make you glow in pursuit and glow in life. God will make you worthy of being His child, a successful person, of progress, of the fellowship of good people, and of every good thing in life. What makes God smile at you and make His glory radiant in your life?
(i) Good Washing – Isaiah 1:16-19. When we confess our sins, God will wash and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(ii) Good Works – Matthew 5:16. When the Lord washes you spiritually, He sends you into the world to be the specimen of a good worker.
(iii) Good Word – Ephesians 4:29. Let the words of your mouth encourage others.
(iv) Good Will – Ephesians 6:7-8. Decide and declare that you will do, you will go, you will rise, you will study, and you will shine. Every time you wake up, you must wake up with goodwill.
(v) Good Way – Jeremiah 6:16. There is a way that seems right to men, but it is a way of death. But for you, you will follow the good way by thinking before you speak and looking before you jump.
(vi) Good Watchfulness – Matthew 26:41. The devil wants to destroy those in a good way, but you will watch and pray so that He will not catch you. Those who pray without watching have no balance in their lives. When there is a balance of praying and watching in your life, there will be no accidents in your life.
(vii) Good Wisdom – James 3:13-18. Any wisdom that makes you forsake your destiny and focus on the destiny of others is bad wisdom. But the wisdom that makes you glow and pursue is good wisdom.
- THE GLORIOUS PARADISE FOR THE GODLY IN GLORY
2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Revelation 2: 7; Colossians 1:13-14,23,27; 3:1-4; John 17:17,22-24.
Here in the world, you will wear a crown, the Lord will elevate you and make you soar in success, and you will carry that glory into heaven.
(i) Glorious Place – John 14:1-3. Remember that Christ has gone to prepare a place for you in heaven, and He is preparing you for that place.
(ii) Glorious Partnership – Colossians 3:1-4. God says He will help you to go in the direction you ought to go in life.
(iii) Glorious Privilege – John 3:1-3. We have the glorious privilege of being called the sons and daughters of God; you must not allow anything to take that privilege from you.
(iv) Glorious Promotion – Luke 20:35-36. When we get to the place where Satan and demons cannot get and where we will ever rejoice before the Lord that will be a glorious promotion for us.
(v) Glorious Perfection – Philippians 3:20-21. When you get to heaven, everything about you will be perfect. Your body, heart, environment, and all the surrounding angels will be perfect.
(vi)Glorious Possession – Revelation 21. You will possess your own mansion in heaven.
(vii)Glorious Perpetuity – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. In heaven, we will be together for all eternity.
Today, the Lord is moving you from grace to glory, and while you are going, you must:
—Go.
—Grow. Grow taller, higher, further, spiritually, educationally, emotionally, mentally, joyfully, and cheerfully.
—Glow. Let your light shine everywhere you go, and let people see the goodness of God in your life.
