The Glory I had/have with You

John 17:1-26 (NKJV) 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 “as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 “Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received [them,] and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 “And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are.] 12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 “that they all may be one, as You, Father, [are] in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare [it,] that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The glory of God! LOVE. Not the love that humanity attains to and tries to portray, but a love that explodes into creation! In the beginning, God so loved the world that He created it! His glorious being would not be contained or bound by darkness. It exploded in a glorious display of Light. That Light is Jesus Christ, the manifest glory of God. God so loved the world! That Light is The Light of humanity. The Light by which they can “see” truth and discern what is not. The is another light, a lesser light. The light of the sun, moon and stars. This light is a testimony, a witness of The Light of the glory of God. His love by which all things are created. These are great parallels. With one light, one sees with eyes of man. The things known by the senses. Things tangible and knowable in human terms. But the other, The Light of men, is God in glory, Christ glorified. Heaven on earth, the “Word of God made flesh dwelling among us”. Seeing with the eyes of God. Eyes of love.  As Christ did, so to mankind has the great opportunity, calling and command to walk as He did. Holy. Not as a man can walk in the power of flesh and blood, but in love, the glory of God, the glory of Christ and the glory of Holy Spirit. Seeing, moving and doing in the invisible power and glory of God. Manifesting in the visible realm of the senses. By which all the senses make sense! Working as extensions and reaching of the ever exploding love of God. His glory. For God so loved the [created] world, that He sent His Only Begotten Son [Whom He loves], that whosoever would believe in Him [that He too loves the created world, being willing to die in its place] would not perish [which is the just and final judgement for the rejecting of the creating love and glory of God], but have everlasting life [to live in His glory, His love forever].

Andrew Murray: “I cannot learn to love until the Spirit of God fills my heart with God's love, and I begin to long for God's love in a very different sense from which I have sought it so selfishly-as a comfort, a joy, a happiness, and a pleasure to myself. I will not learn it until I realize that "God is love," and to claim and receive it as an indwelling power for self-sacrifice. I will not love until I begin to see that my glory, my blessedness, is to be like God and like Christ, in giving up everything in myself for my fellow-men. May God teach us this! Oh, the divine blessedness of the love with which the Holy Spirit can fill our hearts! "The fruit of the Spirit is love."