The Glory of Christ in Us
The glory of Christ in us is an abiding presence that convicts and convinces us, exceeding the fading glory of the Old Testament.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the transformative power of Christ's glory within believers, drawing parallels between Moses' encounter with God and the present-day experience of Christians. He highlights how Moses' face shone with God's glory after being in His presence, yet this glory was temporary, foreshadowing the eternal glory available to believers today. Wilkerson encourages Christians to seek this abiding presence of the Lord, which surpasses the fading glory of the Old Covenant, and serves as a powerful testimony to the world. The sermon calls for a deeper surrender to God, allowing His glory to shine through us and impact those around us.
Text
"[Moses] said, 'Please, show me Your glory.' Then He said, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.' ... 'So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen'" (Exodus 33:18-19, 22-23).
The Holy Spirit took Moses, a servant of God who was wholly surrendered to his will, and drew him to a mountaintop to speak to him face to face. When Moses descended from the mountain to address the children of Israel, his face so reflected the glory of the Lord that it glowed. "When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:30). Paul describes it this way: "The children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance" (2 Corinthians 3:7).
The glory on the face of Moses faded after a while because it was only a type of the spiritual glory to come. And what happened to Moses is not to be compared with what the Holy Spirit wants to do today. "For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious" (2 Corinthians 3:9-11). In other words, if the fading glory in the face of Moses had such convicting power, how much more will the present glory of Christ in his servants be a testimony -- by the Spirit -- to convict and convince.
There is a glory which will never fade available today to servants of Christ --so lift your head to him and receive this abiding presence of the Lord.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Glory of God in the Old Testament
- A. Moses' request for God's glory in Exodus 33
- B. God's response to Moses' request
- II. The Glory of God in the New Testament
- A. The Holy Spirit's work in Moses' life
- B. The reflection of God's glory in Moses' face
- III. The Fading Glory
- A. The glory on Moses' face faded over time
- B. The ministry of righteousness exceeds the ministry of condemnation
- IV. The Abiding Presence of God
- A. The glory available to servants of Christ today
- B. Receiving the abiding presence of the Lord
Key Quotes
“There is a glory which will never fade available today to servants of Christ --so lift your head to him and receive this abiding presence of the Lord.” — David Wilkerson
“For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.” — David Wilkerson
“If the fading glory in the face of Moses had such convicting power, how much more will the present glory of Christ in his servants be a testimony -- by the Spirit -- to convict and convince.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We can experience the glory of God by lifting our heads to Him and receiving His abiding presence.
- The glory of God convicts and convinces us by its convicting power, which is greater than the fading glory in the face of Moses.
- We should seek to be servants of Christ, who can experience the abiding presence of God.