This chapter will cover some important points about glorification, which is the final installment of our great salvation.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:16-25 (NASB) 

Christians have a confident expectation, which is the definition of hope, that our salvation is not limited to what we experience here on earth. At present, we are very much “under construction;” so, if we are not happy with what we see in ourselves and other believers, we should never give up. The best is yet to come.

By way of review, however, it is important to remember that our salvation is threefold. It pertains to past, present, and future, with reference to the spirit, soul, and body. The chart below provides a quick overview of what we have covered so far in the previous lessons. I include transformation as a subset of redemption. Because we have been forgiven, justified, and reconciled to the Father, we are capable of being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit as we cling to God’s promises in the Bible. Whereas the works of propitiation, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justification were accomplished at the cross in the past, transformation requires our partnership in the process and are a combination of believing in what Christ already accomplished and yielding to the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives. It is a daily process rather than something accomplished “once for all.”

Glorification, however, is completely in the future, even though God reckons it to already be done.

We have already covered the past and present aspects of our salvation, which refer to our spirits and souls. This chapter  further examines the salvation of our bodies, which is still in the future. We will use the opening passage above as our text.

• The first point we will make is that we will be glorified “with Him,” which means we will have no glory that is inherent in ourselves. Ours will be a reflected glory. Just as the moon’s light reflects the sun’s, our glory will reflect the Son’s.
• Secondly, glorification is linked with suffering. This is not something we like to dwell upon, but it is true. Christians are called to suffer with Christ. Of course, we do not share in his atoning work on the cross, but we do share in the suffering associated with His rejection and persecution. As we identify ourselves with Him through our witness here on earth, we will partake of His sufferings. Paul wrote: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT) God promises that these sufferings will be directly compensated in glory. We do not earn glory, however, because it is only by grace that any of us can share in Christ’s sufferings with faith and joy.
• Thirdly, the glory that awaits us is far superior to anything we can imagine here on earth. Once again, Paul wrote: “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) It takes faith to embrace suffering and discipline here on earth for the sake of God’s kingdom in order to receive a better reward in heaven. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. ²⁷ It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT) Only those who have properly evaluated the exchange rate will pay the cost.
• Fourthly, all of creation will be affected by the glorification of God’s people. Our glorification will take place in concurrence with Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth. Not only will we believers be transformed, but God will finish the salvation of His universe, too! This will be a “God thing” that will bring Him immense pleasure and glory.
• Fifthly, in the present time, we must endure contradiction by faith. From Scripture we know what is to come, as least in part, but we must live in a sin-filled world in bodies that are still subject to decay and with souls that are conflicted by the battle of “flesh” and spirit. It takes faith and perseverance to endure. God’s grace, however, is sufficient, as we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) 

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Questions for Further Study and Discussion

• Can you think of a reason that suffering and glory are linked?
• Why do you think our glorification is linked to the renewal of the entire creation?
• Does the hope of the resurrection motivate you to serve Christ?