8. I Seek Glory

Again, Paul cannot take anyone to Romans 8:29 unless he can first get them down to Romans 3:19, “I am wrong!” Paul’s purpose in Chapter 2 is to make sure that all Judeans, and especially the Pharisees, understand just how wicked they really are. For us, we place the holiness preacher in the same need, which includes our own self-righteous and religious selves.

It is normal for a heterosexual man to be repulsed by the thought of homosexual practice. This is not “hatred,” it’s just natural, as Paul points out. And so this is why Paul chose to take the fall of man down into homosexuality.

No Excuse. Because we chop the Bible up into tiny unrelated pieces, most miss the point, which is Chapter 2 Verse 1. Paul’s point is not to condemn homosexual practice above all other transgressions, but rather to catch the excitement of the holiness preacher denouncing homosexual practice. “Hey YOU, preacher of righteousness and obedience, YOU are more GUILTY then they are. They might have an excuse for their wickedness, but YOU DO NOT.”

We will not bring in Paul’s purpose in this first part of his argument until Chapter 3, “I Am Justified Freely by His Grace” because there is only one negative in the speaking of Christ, which is, “I have shut my mouth; I never speak of myself ever again as if I am separate from Jesus.”

The Great Story. What happens, however, is that, as Paul is grabbing hold of every Pharisaical Judean and every Self-Righteous Christian to take them down into “I Am Wrong,” he expands on a wondrous topic inherent in his gospel. That wondrous topic is the great Story of God.

Of truth, he has introduced this topic in Chapter 1 in tracing out the first part of the story, the fall of Adam, and he will continue to add to it going forward, because – Paul’s gospel is actually the completion of the Story. And so the statement, “I Seek Glory,” is the very heart of God’s great Story. Glory is the motivation of the hero.

Our Page. The Apocalypse is the Completion of the Story. Romans 8:28-30 is a full description of the Apocalypse. And so, after our initial speaking of Christ, we will have three boxes. The first will be titled “The Issue of the Story” and the second will be “Changing My Mind.” This is a correct presentation of what has been called “repentance.” The final box will include three topics, “I Seek Glory,” “I Seek Honor,” and “I Seek Immortality.” These are three different things. I see now that this determination as the Story hero is the only thing taking us to the Apocalypse, to Romans 8:29.

Speaking Christ. I do not judge others because I know my own lack and inability. I never claim rightness in myself; rather, I value the kindness of God that has changed completely how I think about everything. I seek glory. I seek honor. I seek immortality. I am the hero of God’s story because I believe in Jesus. I win the just approval of God, that I might know Him. I patiently endure all difficulty in working goodness together with God. I receive age-unfolding life; I receive glory, honor and peace from God. God approves and honors me because I am devoted to Him in heart and in Spirit.

The Metaphor of Story. We can view the metaphor of story as a subset of the metaphor of the reproduction of life. Story is an account of a life lived. Most would consider their life “story” to be shallow, rather boring, and with little purpose. This view is entirely untrue. Being designed to share Hheart with God in shepherding creation is intensely meaningful. Glory and immortality is more of a worthy goal than we can comprehend.

Stories, then, whether in books or in movies, show us that there is greater meaning pressing upon our lives than we would assume in our mundane circumstances.

The Issue of the Story. The metaphor of “story” is a subset of the metaphor of the reproduction of life, the ruling metaphor of the Bible. Story speaks not only of the life I have lived, as I place the Lord Jesus upon myself in the account I give in the presence of God, but it speaks also of the meaning of God inside the story I tell myself about myself inside my soul. The issue of all human stories, the issue of my story, is what I do with the Word God speaks. Does God lie or does He speak the truth? Who do I say that Jesus is? The proving of Jesus faithful and True as every Word God speaks is the meaning underlying everything God intends inside of creation, inside of my life, and inside of the great Story of God.

God’s Approval. Paul wrote, “The goodness of God leads to repentance.” “Repentance,” of course, has become a poor choice of translation. The Greek word means “change your mind,” that is, think inside of Life rather than inside of good vs evil. It means think like Jesus thinks, in union with the Father.

Now, another word has come into our sight in these first three chapters of Romans, and that is, “God’s just approval.” We want God to approve of us. This is actually the central meaning of “seeking glory.” Glory is winning the approval of those who are important to you. And suddenly we are getting a completely new understanding of Paul’s intent in the writing of Romans.

Two Minds; Two Stories. In verse 1:17, Paul quotes Habakkuk, “The just shall live through faith.” “Shall live” is story, the account and meaning of a life. And “the just” is those who possess God’s approval. “Through faith,” however, is an entirely different mind.

And so from Romans 1:18 to 8:17, Paul contrasts these two minds governed by two different laws of thinking all the way through, the mind of union with Christ versus the mind of opposition and separation, one of faith, the other of unbelief. Then he concludes by coming back to his original premise. For I reckon, I place to my account, that the sufferings of this present season of opportunity have no value compared to the glory ready to be unveiled inside of us.

The One Day that Counts. What is the most important thing to me? There is a day inside the everlasting existence of every human more important than all other days put together. The Bible calls it “the day of Jesus Christ,” when He stands forth in His glory, seen and known by all.

In that day, I must have Jesus put His arm around my shoulders and say, “This is Daniel, he’s with Me. His life story belongs to Me, and My life story is woven through every moment of his. God our Father approves of Daniel.” To be looking from afar weeping, in that day, has never been an option for me. – I seek glory.

The Thing that Drives Us. Paul begins here. – For having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but they became pointless, even psychotic in their thinking {a false story of self}, and their incoherent heart was darkened, misunderstanding everything. And he ends in 8:18 with our assertion that the only story we know is that every moment of our lives has been ONLY the GOODNESS of God. This is the mind of faith. Only then does Paul go on to the purpose of our lives with God, not again referencing the choice between two minds.

But the drive, the thing that takes us forward through the pain and tears, calling it all God and GOODNESS – is – I seek glory, I seek honor, I seek immortality.

Changing My Mind. Jesus gives me to eat of the Tree of Life; Jesus changes the way I think about everything. I have “repented.” That means I think only with the mind of peace and life and never with the mind of good vs evil. As I speak the same words that are Jesus, now personal as me, so my mind changes, bit by bit, as His words drive out all of my former false ways of thinking. I begin to see as Jesus sees, to judge everything as He judges. I begin to understand that the Father dwelling inside my heart is Love. Now my actions flow out from my acknowledgement of God my Father sharing life with me. Now my actions tend towards life laid down and love poured out for the sake of others. I have repented; I have changed my mind. I live and think only inside of God’s thoughts, inside of the mind of Christ.

Three Things We Seek. These three things that we seek, our drive as the heroes of our part of God’s great Story, are three different things, though they are related together, glory, honor, and immortality. Glory is the just approval of God. Honor is the approbation of angels and humans. And immortality is the Life that shapes the ages, starting with the next moment, age-unfolding Life.

The completion of God’s story is many sons in glory, many sons of whom He highly approves, who then step into His original intentions for them, the role of shepherding creation, calling it forth into life and guiding it into goodness. What we seek, then, is God’s original purpose for our lives. Of truth, all three are “I seek the resurrection.”

I Seek Glory. Glory is winning the approval of the One I value most in my life, the Father. I seek glory; I seek the just approval of God. I have God’s just approval through faith inside of Jesus. Yet, having God’s approval first, I now seek the second part of glory, which is “a job well done.” Now I seek that which gives all glory and approval to God.

I Seek Honor. Honor is winning the just approbation of humans and angels. I seek honor, not the honor of this world, but the honor of the Kingdom, the recognition that, in loving God, I love my brothers and sisters as well. Because I seek such honor, I give the same honor first to all who belong to Jesus, expecting a joyous return.

I Seek Immortality. Immortality is age-unfolding life. Age-unfolding life is knowing the Father; it is every next moment shared with God. I seek immortality. I seek knowing Jesus Sent into me that I might know the Father as sharing my life with me and His life with Him. Immortality is living forever inside the place of God’s dwelling, brethren dwelling together in unity. I seek such a place of belonging. Immortality is the resurrection, my dying body being swallowed up by life. I seek the resurrection, being sealed into God forever.

Travail. This is cool! It is so very important that we know exactly what everything is about, that way we are able to move with God in every moment, with purpose and direction, going forward always towards LIFE swallowing up all.

I am being hit harder this summer, outwardly and inwardly, more broadly than anything in some years. In my darkest moments, I call it God with me, His travail for the sake of His Church. Sometimes it’s just a whisper, but always, it is in the certainty that Jesus alone saves me. And that God has made me part of His great travail.

God, You have answered me.