now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the israelites could not gaze at moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? [2 corinthians 3:7-8]

 

we know that God is all about his own glory. all glory belongs to him, and nothing and no one is more glorious. everything he does in heaven and on this earth is to display the fullness of his glory.

to further display the fullness of his glory, God calls us, a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, to join him in this mission. out of our deadness, in all our weakness, in all our brokenness, in our lack of understanding, and in our stubborn self worship, God loved us, called us, opened our eyes, breathed life into our dead souls, gave us a heart of flesh, forgave our sin, adopted us as his own children and heirs, and wrote a new purpose for our lives. his purpose. his gospel. his glory.

but as our flesh fights our spirit, we struggle to see his glory as it truly is. our flesh tells us that dull and temporary pleasures, comforts, and satisfactions are more glorious. our world tells us that we are glorious without God, and that to show our own glory is our mission. our enemy tells us that God would withhold glory from us, that we have to create it through our own hard work. our purpose can become our own glory. even our efforts to share God’s glorious gospel would be for our own glory. the truth of our hearts is …

 

“the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” jeremiah 19:7

 

but thank the Lord for his mercy! romans 8:10-11 says, “but if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” the blood of Jesus is sufficient for our salvation, and though we are weak, Christ has conquered our sin, conquered the world, and conquered our enemy. he is already victorious, and so through him, we are able to share in his purpose. the gospel for his glory. we can’t do anything to change our heart toward God’s glory or to diminish our lust for our own glory. it’s got to be the Lord. Jesus is our only hope in our priesthood. so let’s stop trying to change our own hearts and start begging for our hearts to be changed! 

 

Father, you know my heart. it is desperately wicked. but i know that in the grace you’ve given through Christ’s blood, that you alone have the power to change my heart. so Father, change my heart. give me passion for your glory. strip me of my passion for my own. help my unbelief. amen.

 

~arwen eastman