He Glorified!

Romans 8: 30c

In this great eighth chapter of Romans is set before us the plan of salvation in its progress
and in its consummation.
Its commencement is laid in the eternal purpose of God, and its consummation in the
eternal glory of the children of God.
We are told that He will glorified those whom He hath justified.
In this verse, glorification is spoken of as having already taken place because what God has
determined to do may be said to be already done.
"He calls those things that be not as though they were."

Glorification has its foundation in the work of Christ.
Glorification is part of the redeeming action of God.
Christ is the foundation of our redemption, therefore He is the foundation of our glorification.

The Old and New Testaments teach:
1. That God is a God of glory.
2. That Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory.
3. That God intends to share His glory with his children in the form of their glorification.
4. That our present salvation, already begun, is a process which shall terminate in glory.

So God has purposed to complete and end His salvation with glory.
The finished work of creation was good, but the completed work of redemption shall be glorious.

Let's consider why Paul moves directly from justification to glorification without saying anything
about the Christian's present experience of sanctification under the power of the Holy Spirit.
One has suggested that it could be partly because the coming glory has been in the forefront
of Paul's mind.
But even more it may be because the difference between sanctification and glory
is one of degree only, not one of kind.

Sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Christ here and now.
(cf. 2 Corinthians 3: 18; Colossians 3: 10)
Glory is perfect conformity to the image of Christ there and then and forever.
Sanctification is glory begun; glory is sanctification completed.
So, Paul looks forward to the completion of the work -- a completion guaranteed
by its inception: "Whom He justified, them He also glorified."

So, that which has begun here is to be brought to consummation in eternity.
Only then will we, as children of God, share fully in the glory of God.
So, Paul sees God's whole work complete -- complete from eternity to eternity.
He sees all "these" from the first saint to the last, from God's purpose in Christ
before time began to the glory of these saints when time shall be no more.

With regard to the word, glorified, Denny declares: "The tense of glorified is amazing.
It is the most daring anticipation of faith that even the New Testament contains."

So, in the divine foreknowledge our glorification is already seen as an event accomplished.
Even the future glory of believers is a present reality in the mind and purpose of God.
And we are already experiencing some foregleams of that glory.
So, glorification is listed here in Romans 8: 30 as the final and concluding act of redemption.
Glorification is itself called salvation in Hebrews 9: 28; 1 Peter 1: 5; Romans 13:11.
This is the great theme of Romans 8: 18-25.
Glorification is complete conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

Our glorification is bestowed upon us as Christians when we enter into our full inheritance
in Jesus Christ.
Read 1 John 3: 1-3: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

"After the toil and the heat of the day,
After my troubles are past,
After the sorrows are taken away,
I shall see Jesus at last."

Our inheritance in Christ is both present and future, and therefore, its fullness is part
of our glorification.
Because God has purposed to bless us in Christ, the fullness of this blessing is
our glorification.
God has purposed to give us all things. (Romans 8: 32)
God has purposed to make all things of the future peculiarly ours. (1 Corinthians 3: 22)
God has purposed to restore all things. (Acts 3: 21)
God has purposed to sum all things up in Christ. (Ephesians 1: 10)

Final glorification is described in God's word as a endless life, and as a new quality
of life, and as a new relationship with God.
So, glory is a state of perfect peace.
"Therefore, being justified, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Glory is a state of rest.
"We, which have believed, do enter into rest."
Glory is a state of safety when sin is pardoned and we are secure in Christ.
Glory is a state of nearness to God.
"He hath made us nigh by the blood of His Son."
Glory is a never ending communion with Christ.

So, we have learned from God's Word that the process of glorification is not complete
until we enter into that glorious existence within that heavenly city prepared for you and me.
It will be a glorious life in a place prepared for us, and will be a place of perfect fellowship
with Jesus Christ. (John 14: 2-3)

"There's a holy and beautiful city,
Whose builder and ruler is God;
John saw it descending from heaven,
When Patmos, in exile, he trod;
It's high massive wall is of Jasper,
The city itself is pure gold;
And when my frail tent here is folded,
Mine eyes shall its glory behold."

It will be a glorious life in the eternal love of Christ. (Romans 8: 38-39)
This great passage of Scripture about sin, redemption, justification, and sanctification
begins in Romans 1: 16 and comes to its dramatic climax in Romans 8: 37-38.

It will be a glorious life in the fullness of the blessing of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is both present and future.
The Book of Revelation has some wonderful passages concerning the glorious existence
of the glorified saints.

Revelation 2: 7: "To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life
which is in the of paradise of God."
The paradise of God is the New Jerusalem, which represents an environment of perfection
created by the divine power of God.
And to eat of the tree of life means to enter into all the possibilities of a complete
and glorious life.

Revelation 2: 10: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
Glorification is an entering into the fullness of immortal life, signified in this verse
by the crown of life.

And in Revelation 7: 15-17 there are listed nine remarkable blessings of the glorious life
of these He glorified:
1. They are before the throne of God.
2. They serve God continually.
3. They shall be sheltered by the presence of God.
4. They shall hunger no more.
5. They shall thirst no more.
6. They shall not be struck by the sun nor any scorching heat.
7. The Lamb will be their Shepherd.
8. He will guide them to springs of living water.
9. God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.

"God shall wipe away all tears;
There's no death, no pain, nor fears;
And they count not time by years,
For there is 'no night there.' "

Like a loving Father, God shall wipe each tear from our eyes with the eternal consolations
of glory itself.
Never again shall anything happened to us that shall cause us to cry.
We shall be eternally delighted with the joys of an everlasting glorification.
All things are made new!
And the great and glorious announcement will resound throughout eternity:
"There shall be no more death!"
There shall only be the glorious triumph of life forever.

Only Glory By and by!

"There may be tears to shed as we travel home,
There may be weary hours, dreary days and lone
But ther'll be no more heartaches around the heavenly throne,
Only glory, wondrous glory by and by.

There may be disappointments we must sweetly bear,
There may be anxious moments, doubts and deep despair,
But ther'll be glory waiting for us over there,
Only glory, wondrous glory by and by.

Then, travel with patience -- Jesus holds thy hand;
Someday we'll know the mysteries hard to understand,
And then as conquerors enter that fair, promised land
And the glory, wondrous glory by and by.

Only Glory by and by, Only Glory by and by
Every heartache gone forever --
Only glory by and by."

Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White