Order of Salvation 9. Glorification

The final study in our series on the order of salvation or order of salutis. So far we've looked at election from before the foundation of the world. We looked at the gospel call, how God calls us to himself and sends forth the good news of the gospel. We looked at regeneration. the work the Spirit does in bringing us to life inwardly and causing us to be born again. We looked at conversion, how we respond to the offer of the gospel and repentance and faith. We talked about justification, where God declares us righteous in His sight on the basis of Christ's righteousness. We looked at adoption, where we are adopted into the family of God. And then last week we talked about sanctification. this process of growing in holiness and Christ-likeness throughout our Christian life. And now tonight, as our final lesson, we'll be looking at glorification. So as we begin, I want to turn it over to you and ask, so what is glorification? Does anyone want to venture a definition or maybe key aspects of that that come to mind? What do you think it is? Okay, what do you mean by theosis? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So there's a partaking of the divine nature. I mean, that's a biblical phrase. So there's sort of a wrong way to interpret that, you know, sort of like Mormons or something, but it is, yeah, there's a sense in which, yeah, we through Christ are, Like him, there's a partaking of the divine nature in some sense. Good, other thoughts on glorification? Well, to piggyback on what Kerwin said, and John talks about when we see him, we'll be able to see him face to face because we'll be like him. Yeah. Other passages talk about this terrestrial shall have to be put off so that the celestial will have to be a mortal body and then will never again experience it herself. Okay, good. In conjunction with what everyone else has said, I tend to view glorification as the culmination of sanctification. Yeah, in fact, as I did a little research to see, you know, how are different people defining this? So, what's been said actually is reflected in kind of the two main veins. So, gotquestions.org, I find that generally helpful website. They define glorification as God's final removal of sin from the life of the saints in the eternal state. Right, so they're really focusing in sort of completion of our sanctification. We don't have any more sin. But then on the other hand, Wayne Grudem, he essentially equates glorification with receiving a resurrection body. So in his systematic theology, Grudem says, glorification is the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own. Okay, so we sort of have two different emphases here. Now, just to be clear, I think, you know, everybody here is going to agree on some basic points chronologically. So, sanctification is this process of growing in holiness that happens throughout our Christian life. Well, then we die. and our body stays on earth and rots, but our spirit immediately goes to be with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.8 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. This is called the intermediate state. Well, then Christ returns and believers will be physically resurrected and live with Him in the new heavens and the new earth. And now, at this point, you might be thinking, but what about believers who are alive when Christ returns? Well, Scripture actually addresses that pretty directly. So, for example, in 1 Thessalonians 4.15, Paul says, For this we declare to you by word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep, that is, died. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." So the dead are raised up, But then the living, it's not that we die, but we are raised up to be with Christ, to greet him as he comes in the air. And in 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and following, it says, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, so we're not all gonna die, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we, that is those of us who are still living, shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable and this mortal body must put on immortality. Okay, so in other words, those who are still alive when Christ comes back will still receive a resurrection body. They just won't have to die first. It'll just be this sort of instant transformation and the twinkling of an eye. So chronologically, I think that's pretty clear. There's not really disagreement there. But the question is still, so how exactly do we want to define How should we think about that term theologically and biblically? So let's take just a few moments to look at some verses that might help us clarify, like how does scripture use this word? So one key passage is Romans 8, 28 through 30. You can turn there if you have a Bible. But what Paul writes there is, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. Now what does this tell us about glorification? Okay, yeah. Yeah, predestination and glorification, those are inseparable. They go together. Great. Right. So if predestination is for this plan, this purpose, this great work of redemption, well, glorification is the final realization and fulfillment of it. And, what does it say we were predestined for? So, there's this process that culminates in glorification. But if you look in verse 29, what does he say we were predestined for? Right. So if the goal or the purpose of predestination is so that we would become conformed to the image of Christ, And then predestination leads to calling, leads to justification, leads to glorification. Well, the implication is, what is glorification all about? It's about the final realization of our conformity to the image of Christ. I think that these verses sort of give us a pretty clear way of what is glorification all about. When I, this grand work of redemption, It's all about being conformed to the image of Christ when that comes to its full realization and completion. So, if that's what glorification is all about, well, what does it mean to be conformed to the image of Christ? What exactly does that involve? Any input there? Robert? Yeah, it has to include moral purification, right? We cannot say that we are like Christ if we still have sin. Just real quick, a key verse there, 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18, and we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. So here we see this progressive sanctification that's described in terms of glorification. So that's a key part of our glorification is the finishing of being transformed into Christ's image in the sense of morally purified. Robert? It's like first stage, we're saved from the penalty of sin. Okay. Sanctification, we're saved from the power of sin. Because we left the state where we couldn't help but sin. Right. Right. If we choose, it's still a fight and we're still going to fall miserably on our face. Yeah. Glorification, we're saved from the absolute presence of sin. It won't even be named among us. Right. Yeah, well said. So, first, conformity to the image of Christ, it's moral purification. Is there anything else associated with being fully conformed to the image of Christ? Katie? I guess, like, being like Him, both in His death and resurrection. So, like, our bodies are being raised from the dead. Yeah. Yeah, our physical bodily resurrection is actually a key part of being conformed to the image of Christ. Now, one passage that lays this out really clearly is 1 Corinthians 15, verses 40 through 49. So it's kind of a long section. I'm going to read it. There's details in there that we're not going to talk about tonight. I will preach on that sometime soon, and we'll look at all the nuance. But just notice how Paul is going to connect our future resurrection with being conformed to the image of Christ. He says, there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind and the glory of the earthly is of another. There's one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star and glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable. What is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust. And as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. So you see all this talk about the resurrection body, and then he ties it up to say there's the Adam and there's Christ. He is the new Adam. And in bearing his image, we will bear a body like his. So that's a key part of it. And what that tells us is that even when we die and our soul goes to be with the Lord and we no longer have any more sin, yet that isn't glorification yet. That's leading to it, but that is not when we can truly say glorification has occurred because we don't have a resurrection body yet. Our full conformity to the image of Christ isn't yet complete. In fact, Paul even describes that as being naked. In 2 Corinthians 5, picking up in verse 2, he says, for in this tent, he's talking about our current body, in this tent we groan. longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. If indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. We shouldn't be yearning to be free from the body altogether, but we should be yearning to be more fully clothed by having the glorified body that Christ has won for us. So, glorification is about the final completion of our conformity to the image of Christ, which includes both our moral perfection and our bodily resurrection. But is there anything else? Is there any other component to glorification? So we get to be in his presence, we're accepted before him. Good? Yeah, so we're acknowledged by Christ, we get to be in his presence, and then we're even described as reigning with him. There's a status to it. In earlier in Romans chapter 8, it talks about glorification again. So verse 16 and 17, it says, the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. So here it's talking about our glorification as we are glorified with Christ. We share in His glory. And just as Christ was humiliated in suffering and death, but then glorified in his resurrection and ascension, we will similarly suffer in this life, but subsequently share in glory. And it doesn't mean that we are glorified in exactly the same way Jesus is. Revelation 5, Jesus alone is the Lamb who was slain. He is the one the angels bow down before in worship. but we are glorified with them. I think here in the sense of we're fellow heirs with Christ. And, and so we enjoy this status, this, this preeminent position where we are heirs with the King. In fact, we will reign with Christ. Uh, and, and there will be this outward recognition that we really are the children of God. And this is where this actually ties back a bit to the resurrection of our bodies. Because in this life, you know, while verse 16 says, you know, the spirit is already bearing witness with our spirit that we're children of God. Well, that's not universally and sort of outwardly recognized. Our bodies are not befitting of children of God. And that's why he goes on in verse 19, he says, the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. And then verse 23, he says that we also groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. It's saying that the full realization and revelation of who we are as God's children, that's yet to come. And it comes with our bodily resurrection, when we receive a glorified body like him. In fact, there's a very similar idea in 1 John 3, verses 1 and 2. That's where John writes, see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And when we think about what he's saying there, it's kind of like, okay, Jesus comes in his incarnation. The world doesn't recognize him. He is still fully God, but he has laid aside his divine glory. And he's unrecognized. Well, in a similar way, we're God's children now. But what we shall be has not yet appeared. The world doesn't know us just like it didn't know Christ. But the day is coming when we will experience a transfiguration of our own. when the true reality of who we are as God's children will be made clear and visible. And we will receive the position and the recognition and the place before God that he has saved us for. And then in our glorification, that will be visibly made clear. So what then is glorification? Well, here's my attempt at a definition. Glorification is when we're physically resurrected and perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, and we begin to reign with Christ in the new creation. So it's when we're physically resurrected and perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, and we begin to reign with Christ in the new creation. Now in the time we have left, I'd like us to think about some application of this. So how might this doctrine of glorification apply to our lives? Robert? It can help us take our minds off of the meager suffering of today. Yeah. The snapshot of what we have now. Right. Yeah, Romans 8, 17. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. I mean, glorification should be a wonderful source of strength in the midst of trials. Anytime we are ever tempted to think maybe it's not worth it. Well, the more we start meditating on glorification, the more we're like, there's no comparison. The worst trial in the world is not even worth comparing with this weight of glory that is going to be revealed in and to us. Great, other applications of this doctrine? Katie? I think it gives us hope and sanctification, too, that the human being at the origin is the one who's going to bring it to completion. So wherever we're at when we die, Right. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's so encouraging because our sanctification can, I mean, our progress is so often so painfully slow, you know, and it's like two steps forward, one step back. And, you know, this, this ups and downs and, and, and it's easy to get discouraged there. And so how helpful it is to read a verse like Romans 8 30, those who meet predestined, he also calls. And whom he called, he also justified. And whom he justified, he also glorified. This is, we are secure in Christ. This isn't sort of in doubt. This is promised to us. This is won by what Christ has done on the cross. So what an encouragement as we sort of struggle along in our sanctification. Other applications. How might this doctrine affect the way we think about our physical bodies even now? Nate? It might help us to see that God made our bodies even initially to reflect Him and His glory and it's so important to Him that when we resurrect that we embody Him. And so, yeah, to think about stewarding Yeah, I mean just to think that from the very beginning when God made man and woman in his image He created us as embodied Creatures like that that was always his intention that we would reflect him by living in physical bodies So he cares deeply for the body and even the physical body we now have will be raised up. It will be redeemed. Notice the language in Romans 8, 23, the redemption of our bodies. He's not just going to discard, get rid of this body. He is going to raise it to life. He is going to redeem it and make it new and restored. And so, the logic of Scripture is that therefore, our bodies have great value and importance. We shouldn't think, well, I'm going to die one day, so the way I treat my body is just unimportant. We're told to glorify God in our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6, the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power, right? That's why he says flee sexual immorality, because your body is gonna be raised up just like Jesus's. And he concludes that by saying, so glorify God in your body. Our bodies have value. We should be good stewards of them. That's why our church covenant says that we will be good stewards of our bodies, not abusing ourselves through addiction or excess. But on the other hand, I think it also tells us that we should not idolize our physical bodies. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 2, for in this tent, that is in our current body, we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. There's this sense of, but this body is wasting away. This body is not what it should be. And so I shouldn't be like the culture in idolizing health and youth and beauty. I should realize that this is an earthly tent that's in one sense temporary because I'm waiting for my heavenly dwelling. I'm waiting for the day when this body is raised up and transformed to be like Christ's body. And then one other question is maybe about application. How should glorification affect the way we think about seeking honor? in our lives. Should we ever seek, is honor something that should be sought? What do you think? Honor or glory, praise, recognition. Should we seek those things? yeah I mean the whole doctrine is holding out to this that this hope of of glory Yeah, listen, let me just remind you briefly of a parable Jesus told. This is in Luke chapter 14, and he sees people coming to this feast or something, and they're trying to pick the place of honor. And Jesus says to them, when you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, don't sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you, you both, will come and say to you, you need to move down lower. He says, but interestingly, he says this, well, you should go pick the lowest spot, because then the person will come and say, why don't you move up higher? So he's actually appealing to this motivation that we should be seeking honor, but he's kind of saying, don't do it the wrong way, do it by lowering yourself. And he then concludes that by saying, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. and he who humbles himself will be exalted. And so I think it's important that we realize that this doctrine of glorification sort of reminds us that God intends to glorify and bestow honor on those who are his people. That itself is not the problem. The problem is when we start seeking the honor and glory that comes from man. When we try to exalt ourselves, that's where scripture says don't do that. But scripture actually encourages us to seek true honor and true glory that comes from God by choosing the path of humility and trusting God to be the one who exalts us. So hopefully that's just clarifying as we think about that point. Well, we're at time. As we close, I just want to kind of just give one final application point, which is that I think this doctrine should fill us with hope and eager excitement for the future. This should be a reason that we, even in the darkest of days, not only persevere through trial, but just have this overwhelming joy that we will be with Christ, that this whole work of redemption will come to a glorious fulfillment in the end. So we should praise God for that. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this time to study this great doctrine of glorification. Lord, we are overwhelmed because of how unworthy we are, and yet to think that you have intended to save us and even to glorify us together with Christ. Lord, we pray that in view of that, you would strengthen us to live for your glory. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.