God's Salvation (6)

[Romans 8:29-30]

Look at Romans 8:29-30: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Today, we will reflect on the last, fifth stage of salvation: God’s salvation of those whom He has glorified.

The verb "He glorified" is in the past tense (referring to something that has already been done). However, we have not yet been glorified. So, why does God say that He has already glorified us? The author of Romans, the Apostle Paul, used the past tense because he was fully confident that God would surely and completely bring about this glorification. Because God will definitely and abundantly complete all five stages of salvation, the Apostle Paul, with the assurance of salvation, used past tense verbs to describe these stages of salvation: "those whom He foreknew, those whom He predestined, those whom He called, those whom He justified, and those whom He glorified."

What does "glorified" mean? When we all go to heaven, we will all be glorified. Let us think about what glorification means in the context of the Bible, especially from the perspective of Romans, in four aspects:

First, glorification refers to salvation.
Look at Romans 5:10: "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Before we believed in Jesus, we were enemies of God, but the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to this world, delivering Him to death as an atoning sacrifice. As a result, we were reconciled to God. As those who have been reconciled, that is, justified (declared righteous), we will receive salvation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In other words, we will be glorified in the future. The phrase "we will be glorified" refers to the fact that, just as Christ was resurrected, we will be resurrected as well.

Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Since Christ became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, that is, the saints who have died in Christ (the justified ones), all who have fallen asleep in the Lord will also rise (be resurrected).

Second, glorification refers to inheriting a heavenly inheritance.
Look at Romans 8:17: "And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Those who have been justified (declared righteous) are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." To be glorified means to become an heir. This is not about inheriting earthly things but about inheriting heavenly things (an inheritance in God's Kingdom), and this is what makes glorification truly glorious.

Third, glorification refers to the resurrection of the body.
Look at Romans 8:10-11: "But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
We, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), have already been made alive by the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead (the first resurrection). The indwelling Holy Spirit will also give life to our mortal bodies. When Jesus returns, our dead bodies will be resurrected (the second resurrection). To be glorified means the resurrection of this body (flesh).

Finally, Fourth, glorification refers to our being seated in heaven with Christ Jesus.
Look at Ephesians 2:5-6: "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
We, who were spiritually dead because of our trespasses and sins, were made alive together with Christ [this refers to the regeneration of our souls, not our bodies]. Moreover, we were raised up together (this refers to the resurrection of our bodies) and made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. From God’s perspective, this has already been accomplished, but from our perspective, it will occur when Jesus returns.
Look at Romans 8:34: "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."
The resurrected Christ is at the right hand of God. We too will be seated with Christ Jesus in the heavens (Ephesians 2:6).
So, where will we be seated in heaven?
Look at Revelation 3:21: "To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
We will sit with the Lord on His throne in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. How glorious is this glorification!

The five steps of God’s salvation are entirely by God’s grace.
Look at the first step: The salvation of those whom God foreknew (Romans 8:29), that is, those whom God loved, is entirely by God’s grace. It was not because we did good works deserving of God’s love, and that is why He saved us. In other words, even though we had no merit or condition that made us worthy of love in God’s eyes, God, because He is love (1 John 4:8, 16), loved us first (1 John 4:19), and that is why He saved us. This is entirely the grace of God.

Look at the second step: The salvation of those whom God predestined, that is, those whom God chose before the foundation of the world, is also entirely by God’s grace. The fact that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) does not mean that we had anything that made us worthy of being chosen (faith, good works, etc.). It was because the God of love loved us first and chose us to save us. Because we were chosen, we were saved, and this is also entirely by God’s grace.

Third Step: The salvation of those whom God has called, that is, those whom God has effectively called, is also entirely by God's grace.
Look at 2 Timothy 1:9: "Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began."
God's calling is certainly not based on our works (not by our good deeds or merits). It is according to His will and the grace He gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Fourth Step: The salvation of those whom God has justified is also entirely by God's grace.
Look at Romans 3:24: "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
We have been justified "freely by His grace" (justification), which is an act completely by God's grace.

Fifth Step: The salvation of those whom God has glorified is also entirely by God's grace.
We have been saved by God's grace (Ephesians 2:5). The fact that we will inherit the heavenly inheritance is also by God's grace (Romans 4:16). The fact that we will sit with Christ on the Lord's throne is also by God's great grace (Ephesians 2:6-7).
God has made us "His workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10) to show in the coming ages the "incomparable riches of His grace" (Ephesians 2:7).

So why does God glorify us by His grace?
Look at Ephesians 2:9: "Not of works, lest anyone should boast."
The purpose is to prevent anyone from boasting. We have not reached glorification by our efforts, good works, or actions, but entirely by God's grace. Therefore, we have nothing to boast about in ourselves and can only boast in Jesus Christ.
Thus, we should serve the Lord with gratitude, humbly and without seeking recognition.
Look at 1 Corinthians 15:57: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."