“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:14
What glory are you trusting in this Christmas? As we enter into our family Christmas celebration, we should be aware of where we are putting our trust.The Word of God tells us to examine ourselves to be sure we are in the faith. Simply put, are you putting your faith and trust in men, in politics, in your own abilities, religion, the works of others, or even your own works?
Looking to His gift of goodwill and peace, and embracing His glory, as declared in this verse Luke 2:14, is where we need to place our faith. The angels declared the heart of the Father through the Son, the voice of God’s word, and His will, as the shepherds watched that Christmas night. The angels declared the birth of Jesus, the gift of glory, peace, and goodwill towards all men.
Goodwill means, delight, pleasure, and satisfaction. It is the Lord’s delight, pleasure, and satisfaction towards us. This goodwill also goes both ways. It is our delight, pleasure, and satisfaction towards Him as we embrace and experience the glory of His blessing in our lives.
As the angels announced glory to God in the highest, we find glory in His perspective is to bring His goodwill and peace to us. At the birth of the Savior, we hear God’s ultimate plan is for our goodwill and peace. He knew the plan from the beginning and we find it inscribed by Him in Genesis 3:15.
In the meaning of the Greek word for glory we can find God’s plan. The word for glory not only encompasses goodwill, it encompasses His opinion, judgment, view, and word. His glory therefore includes His view of us, His opinion of us, and His judgment of us to be righteous in Christ. His glory is to do good for us and bring His goodwill and peace to our daily lives.
This word, “glory” also describes honor and praise towards someone. It means splendour, brightness, magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace, and majesty belonging to God. It defines glory as, “kingly majesty,” which belongs to Him as supreme ruler, and Him being the majesty. It includes the absolute perfection of the Deity belonging to Christ, and the kingly majesty of the Messiah, as well as, the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty, the most glorious condition, and the most exalted state. He has made us in this image, which is His image. His plan is to see us in His image and to give us His blessing.
We have the image of His glory. This verse, Luke 2:14, describes the glory not only as, ‘glory’ to Him, but also ‘glory’ of Him. He has declared that He offers this glory to us as goodwill and peace. His glory is His blessing.
Glory is described as the “condition with God the Father in heaven, to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth.” It is His “glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised” to us. We as Christians have this now and when Jesus returns. He has freely given to us His goodwill and peace.
It is His plan we not trust in men or even ourselves, but that we have faith in the promise of His goodwill and peace. This is His glory and pleasure for us, to us, and from us.
The word peace, “eirēnē”, means to invoke the blessing. In Colossians 3:15, it says,
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
Peace, “eirēnē”, is the blessing being invoked upon us and is the Messiah’s peace through His work of salvation. It has been given through His overcoming resurrection. It is the blessing that is ours by the faith of the Son of God. He wants us to have this faith in His work. Our faith in Him, His word, and His work, is our ticket to His grand performance.
In Colossians 3:15, it says, “Let the peace of God…” This reveals an action on our part. The word ‘let’ here means to be an umpire, decide, determine, rule, direct and control. Our faith in His invoked blessing umpires, rules, and directs, as we decide to determine our faith in His promise of goodwill and peace.
Here are five points of His glory, goodwill, blessing, and peace.
Point #1:
God’s peace brings you His entitlement without prejudice. The Lord has entitled you with His goodwill, blessing, prosperity, and peace. With the Lord, it doesn’t matter what nation you are from, what color you are, whether you are rich or poor, male or female, young or old. He has given the entitlement of His blessing to all mankind who receives by faith His gift.
His blessing is invoked to those who believe and receive Him. All men are equal, created by Him, and are entitled equally to His blessing. The word entitlement means to have a right to something. Through the faith of Jesus, His cross, and His resurrection, we are entitled to the blessing.
He has made a way for all to have everything pertaining to His goodness. We are not to think ourselves more entitled than others. We are to see ourselves in His blessing. The word peace, on the contrary is the exemption of strife, prejudice, and war. It is the blessing of unity. His peace brings equal opportunity of faith. His peace brings harmony and safety. It makes all things prosperous in our lives. His peace is defined as felicity. Felicity, being “happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, rapture, bliss, delight, cheer, cheerfulness.” We have the joy of His blessing. We have the joy of His peace.
Point #2:
God’s peace rules in you. Colossians 3:15 has the same word as ‘let’ found in Luke 2:14. Again it means umpires, decides, determines, rules, directs, and controls. As His peace is defined in invoking the blessing to you, this blessing dominates your life and rules in your heart. The blessing umpires and calls the plays. The blessing determines and directs your life. This includes peace that causes all things in your life to come forth, have His existence, and having His performed miracles. It is peace that makes things happen; peace that is finished in you. As He has declared peace towards man, He has declared this as His blessing to rule in your lives.
Point #3.
God’s peace calls you. Collossians 3:15 says to let this peace rule in your hearts “to the which also ye are called”. His invoked blessing is calling aloud and utters His voice towards you. His blessing is inviting you and calling you by name. You bare the name of peace. You bare the blessing, and this blessing salutes you. When Jesus rose from the dead, Mary recognized the risen Saviour when He called her by name. (John 20:16) His blessing calls you by name. Jesus is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14) As He came, He revealed the blessing to mankind and performed miracles. He still calls each of us by name. He still performs the miracles of His goodness. He reveals personally to you, His individual, personal peace towards you. His blessing is calling you by name.
Point #4.
God’s peace encompasses you. Colossians 3:15 says, “ye are called in one body…” This word ‘in’ (G1722 Strongs) means to be encompassed and declares it is in the ‘one body’ of Jesus Himself. You are clearly encompassed by Him. The blessing that He is invoking, encompasses you.
Mary is a beautiful example of this (Luke 1:38). The same word ‘in’ is used with Mary as the angel came to her about bearing the Messiah. As you read you find that it wasn’t just about Mary carrying the Saviour, it was about the Lord encompassing Mary. The Lord was invoking His blessing on her and surrounding her with Himself as she carried the word within. When she gave birth to the Saviour, He continued to grace her with glory and encompass her and the world with His presence. Mary said, ‘be it done unto me according to the word.” By her faith, she saw a performance of His word in her life. (Luke 1:44)
“And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
In Matthew 1:23, it clearly shows us again this word ‘in’. (G1722)
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child “en”, (G1722) and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
As she carried the child within her, she was encompassed by God Himself. This is the very promise He gave her, “they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” God was with Mary inside and out.
Point #5:
God’s peace brings you favor. Colossians 3:15, tells us that we are called in Him and to ‘be ye thankful’. This word ‘thankful’ here means to ‘be” well favored and also to be giving favor. This is defining thankfulness as in giving favor and receiving favor.
Luke 1:28 shows us the invoked blessing given to Mary as she believed Him at His word. We who believe have this same blessing, this same promise, this same glory. The Lord is no respecter of persons, (ref). He is with us as He promised. His peace and goodwill towards us shows us that within the blessing is His favor.
“Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Luke 1:28
We are highly favored and blessed of God as we receive Jesus and His promises. Trusting Him outside of ourselves, men, politics, philosophy, and law is where we find His goodwill and peace.
God’s goodwill to bless us and bring to us His blessing, is what brings Him glory. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him with their faith. (Hebrews 11:6) His goodwill and peace towards us is His plan to bring to us His invoked blessing. It came through the Saviour, found in a manger as the angels decreed His blessing towards men. Now, we can truly declare, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards, me, my family, and my children! Let it be done to us Lord, according to Your word!” Merry Christmas!
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