Believe and See

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, His hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

--John 11:38-44

What is the glory of God?

When Jesus spoke about it here, and in many other places, He was referring to the most amazing of God's miracles: the giving of life.

“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

There's a problem with that: we don't believe. I know I have saving faith. Yet I often find myself not living as though I really have faith in God's ability to give life to the dead.

It's easy to say, “I believe in God.” But it's harder to live day to day expecting God to bring the miracle of life. Sure, I know that God saved me when I was dead in sin. But _(fill in the blank)_ is too dead. “He'll never turn away from his sins.” Wrong! No one will turn to God on their own, but anyone can be saved if God wills it! If He could save me, then of course He can save them. No heart is too hard.

I've also been guilty of skepticism as it pertains to myself. Sin is death. Jesus in me—now that's life. But at times when my struggle with sin is getting more intense, with no sign of letting up, I might think “I will never have victory.” Wrong! Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom is in my heart—freedom from every wrong thought, every mixed-up priority, every unhelpful word I say. Jesus is completing perfect life in me.

The miracle of my sanctification--the glory of God in giving me life--is not impossible. It's happening, right now!

The most amazing, God-glorifying giving of life happened a couple thousand years ago when a dead man named Jesus took a breath and walked out of the tomb He had been laid in. And millions of miracles have happened since, because of that one. Dead people in every place, buried by their own sinfulness, have taken in the breath of new life by His power. I am one of them. How can I possibly think that Jesus won't do this miracle again? He glorifies God by giving life—so we better believe He'll give more!

John 17:1-5
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.”

Jesus glorified His Father when He gave me eternal life! What a thought—my salvation is part of the work that God gave Jesus to do. And I believe that making me holy is the other part of the work. I am so excited about this. Jesus is giving me life! He won't stop—ever.

I believe that I am seeing the glory of God.