Proverbs declares, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18, King James Version). Many of God's people have fallen away because they have lost the vision of our potential. We must be vigilant to hold on to this precious truth. We read in Isaiah 43:7 and Hebrews 2:10 that God the Father created mankind for His glory, yet He also intends to bring mankind to glory. What exactly is that glory? Do we have that glory now, or is it yet in the future? Our Present Glory Scripture records that humans have physical glories now, can have spiritual glories upon receiving God's Holy Spirit and will have unimaginable God-plane glories when we are changed to spirit. In Genesis we read that even as humans we were created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Psalm 8:4-8 clearly states that God has crowned man with glory and honor and given him dominion over the earth now. How often do we stop and think about the glory that is already in us? As humans we look like God, not animals. God has given each of us a powerful mind, and a human spirit to go with it. We have emotions to express ourselves. We have the power to choose. We can think, plan, design and create. We have various talents and abilities. We can learn. We can make and sing beautiful music. We can build incredible buildings and even send man to the moon. And although we cannot presently comprehend the universe, we can begin to calculate the vastness of it. We have the ability to have intimate relationships. Husbands and wives can learn to be "one" as the Father and Christ are one. The glory of marriage (a divine institution) is even symbolic of the relationship of Christ and the Church! The angels were created by Christ and cannot reproduce. Yet we have been given the glory of reproducing God's future offspring. God has given us dominion over the earth. He entrusted mankind to take care of the earth and make it a better place. He wants us to take the glory given to us and use it to glorify Him. Some have chosen the good and lead exemplary lives. But often that has not happened. Corrupted Glory Instead of using the glory given to us for God's praise, mankind has often defiled that glory, producing a mix of good and evil. That is the result of an evil influence. Lucifer had a lot of glory given to him. He was intelligent, musically gifted, beautiful and had a lot of other angels working with him. As a covering cherub, he was to use the glory given to him to further God's glory. Yet he corrupted his glory and used it to defy God instead of glorify God. A glorious name, meaning "Light Bringer," was changed to "Satan," meaning "adversary." Satan influenced naive Adam and Eve. Just as he corrupted his own glory, Satan influenced man to corrupt his glory. Today mankind often uses godly attributes to produce evil—bad music, sexual immorality and vanity, to name a few (Romans 1:20-32). Today, we see the fruits of using our glory for selfish gain. If God would not intervene, we would destroy ourselves with this misdirected power (Matthew 24:22). But God's will is for us to develop the character we need to rightly use the glory given to us now, so He can give us more glory later. The New Man and New Glories Even with all the physical glories we have, we cannot glorify God without righteous character. God does not instantaneously create in us perfect character; character requires us to exercise our free will. It is the indwelling of God's Spirit that helps us develop righteous character, and that righteous character allows us to use our physical abilities to glorify God. Without God's Spirit, our physical glories are just that—physical. And being physical, they are only temporary and will pass away. The glory of beauty and strength soon disappear. And as our bodies age, even natural abilities and talents will fade away. Even though time causes our physical abilities to fade, our character stays renewed daily because of God's Spirit. As we develop more righteous character, God is able to give us even more glory that will not fade away (2 Corinthians 4:16-17; 1 Peter 5:1, 4). With our human spirit, we have the power to choose. With God's Spirit, we have the power to change. Indeed, God's Spirit is a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7; Luke 24:49)! We should stay tapped into that power, which the Father wants to give us (Luke 11:13). Scripture is clear—when we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive new spiritual glories. We must not limit glory to only outward appearances. The fruits of God's Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 specify what these glories are. Even though some of these fruits may be able to be practiced to a degree without God's Spirit, they cannot reach their ultimate level without God's Spirit. Take the fruit of "peace" for example. Godly peace surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27). Christ spoke about "His joy" in us (John 15:11). Unconditional godly "love" is on a higher plane as well. Years ago Herbert Armstrong said the closest thing to godly love is a mother's love for her child. Yet, he said, even that is selfish, as it is unconditional love for just her child. The Holy Spirit in us is part of God in us. So when God's Spirit joins our human spirit, we become a new creation (Romans 8:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Becoming lights in a darkened world, our spiritual transformation by God's Spirit is apparent to those around us by our good works. We are indeed a new man (Ephesians 4:22-24)! As with natural abilities and talents, we must develop these spiritual glories. At baptism, we do not immediately have a lot of the fruit of God's Spirit. But as we use and are led by His Spirit, we produce fruit. As we spiritually mature, we are able to use our physical and spiritual glories to praise God. Individually and collectively we glorify God when we bear much fruit (John 15:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). When we are younger, it is seemingly easy to find opportunities to serve. But as we get older, we sometimes think there isn't much we can do for God. Yet Scripture says God's people will still bear fruit in their old age (Psalm 92:13-14). Our legs may not move us very fast. Our eyes may be dim and our hearing may be gone. But we still have God's Spirit. And with His Spirit we can still be lights and glorify Him—if we look for and seize opportunities when they come (Galatians 6:9-10). Even if all we can do is pray, that can still bring results (James 5:16). We can't let physical limitations hinder us from serving. Partaking of the Divine Nature Even though we have eternity dwelling in us through God's Spirit, our bodies still grow old and will finally die. In His wisdom God allows our bodies to wear out so we will desire to have the divine nature. As Paul said, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven" (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul continues to encourage us to be confident, knowing that God's Spirit in us is a guarantee of eternal life (verses 5-6). Do we take time to consider that all the trials and problems we go through in this life are to prepare us for eternity? Do we stop and think about our destiny? The Bible clearly states that we are destined to be members of the God family (Psalm 82:6; John 10:34-35)! We are to be on the God-plane, above the angels (Hebrews 2:5-8). Christ even calls us His brothers (verse 11). After our mortality has put on immortality, our righteous character will have a glorious body to go with it. This outward glory seems incomprehensible to us now. Just like the Father and Christ, we will shine like the sun in full strength (Matthew 13:43; Daniel 12:2-3). Whenever God's glory appeared to humans, they could not stay in its presence. After Moses saw part of God, he had to wear a veil because of his shining face (Exodus 34:29-35). When the glory of God entered the tabernacle of meeting, Moses could not enter it because of the bright light (Exodus 40:34-35). When King Solomon dedicated the temple, the presence of God's glory caused the priests to leave (2 Chronicles 5:13-14). And it is God's glory that will light New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). As incredible as God's glory is, we are to have the same glory when we are changed to spirit (1 John 3:2). In the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory with Christ (Luke 9:28-31). Even the glorious manifestation of the angel Gabriel caused Daniel to faint (Daniel 8:15-18, 27). Our new bodies will be more glorious than the angels! But what other glories will we have in God's Kingdom? Does the Bible shed more light on our future? Speaking of the resurrection, Paul says, "There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:41-42). The sun, moon and stars are all celestial bodies, but they still have different glories. We will all be God's children, yet we will have different glories. We will not all be "yellow pencils" in God's Kingdom. We will each have different abilities, talents, roles and responsibilities (Romans 12:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:18-20). It makes sense that the talents and abilities we have now will continue as children of God, at even greater levels. So whether we are musically gifted, mechanically inclined or whatever our talent, it seems that will carry over into eternity with our righteous character. It is part of who we are. God is the great Creator, and He has given us creative abilities now as humans. As spirit beings, it seems we will have vastly greater creative powers. We will have our part in ruling and finishing the vast universe (Romans 8:19-22; Hebrews 2:8). In Ezekiel 1:4-28 we read about God's glorious portable throne. God gets around in style! His portable throne, as well as the splendor of New Jerusalem, are extensions of His glory. Even as humans, our automobiles and homes are sometimes extensions of our present glory. And as children of God, we will enjoy extensions of our God-plane glory. Even though there are many things we can see, we still "see through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12, King James Version) concerning the glorious things God has in store for us. Just as an infant cannot comprehend what it is like to be an adult, we cannot fully comprehend what it will be like to be on the God-plane (Isaiah 55:8-9). When we become children of God, it will only be the beginning. The good news is that there will be no end! Our physical lives are very short. It seems like only yesterday we were young, strong and beautiful. Now many of us are old, tired and full of ailments! But we must look forward to the time when Christ will transform our old, tired bodies to new, glorious ones (Philippians 3:20-21). It won't be long now until God will make us strong and beautiful again. And as partakers of the divine nature, our energy will never fade away. Yes, our spirit bodies will last us forever. And with the righteous character to go with our new bodies, we will have glory and will glorify God. As the apostle John said, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!…Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3). Let's never lose this hope, this vision. Let's endure the aches and pains of this life, knowing a glorious future awaits us. Remember the words of the apostle Paul, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). So the next time the sun gets in your eyes, let that bright light be a reminder of your future glory as a son of the Most High God! UN