Glorification
Introduction
So far in our study of soteriology, we began with the various ways in which God saved
people—from human enemies, from disasters, from diseases, from physical death, and then
perhaps most importantly, from God’s own wrath which was justly deserved by people due to
their ungodly or unjust attitudes or actions. By experiencing spiritual death on the cross—the
withdrawal of God’s presence and fellowship—Jesus Christ made provision for propitiating
God’s anger against those who were ungodly or unjust. Those who trust in the death of Christ for
the forgiveness of their sins have their relationship with God restored, have been baptized by the
Holy Spirit and so are sealed into Christ and have been born again as children of God by
receiving a new nature, and have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom
of light. But in terms of eternity, all of this is but the sharpened point of a very large needle, the
needle of glorification.
In the book of Romans, the Apostle moved from the discussion of sanctification—the process
of allowing God to control more and more of our body and soul—to the discussion of
sanctification in Romans 8.18. But he introduced a bridge to the theme of glorification in
Romans 8.16-17:
The Spirit himself witnesses together with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs: on the one hand, heirs of God, and on the other, heirs
with Christ, if we suffer with Him in order that we might be glorified with Him.
Four words in this sentence begin with the prefix sym-/syn-: the verb “to bear witness
together” (summarturéô; συμμαρτυρέω), the noun “an heir with” (sunklerónomos;
συγκληρονόμος), the verb “to suffer with” (sympáschô; συμπάσχω) and and the word “to be
glorified with” (sundoxázõ; συνδοξάζω). All begin with either the prefix syn-, as in our word
“synthetic,” or the prefix sym-, as in our word “symphony,” but in any case, the have the idea of
something being together. One of these words, “to witness together,” refers to the action of the
Holy Spirit in the lives of all Christians, but the remaining three are specifically refer to
something with relation to Christ. We will be heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him, so that we
might be glorified with him.
The idea of heirship here is directly related to the Jewish practice. All legitimate children of a
man where legally his heirs, and had the right to receive a one portion of the inheritance. But the
first born son received special privileges. If there were twelve sons, as in the case of Jacob, the
inheritance was divided into thirteen portions, and the oldest son received a double portion. The
oldest son also received the birthright—the right to become the patriarch of the family—and the
blessing. As God’s children, we are heirs of God. In 1 Peter 1.3-4, we read:
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his
great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 into an inheritance imperishable and
undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you
We can find a detailed list of blessings which are made available to us in Christ in Ephesians 1.311.
Jesus, however, if the first born, the heir of all creation (Col 1.12-18), the King of kings and
Lord of Lords, and He will be the ruler of all nations. As such, He is our older brother, or as we
read in Romans 8.29, “He is the firstborn among many brothers.” And our older brother is so
gracious and kind, that He has promised to us that if we are willing to share in His sufferings, He
will allow us to also share in His inheritance, specifically, we will share with Him in His glory.
We see this idea expressed in Matthew 19.27-28:
27 Then Peter answered and* said to him, “Behold, we have left everything and
followed you. What then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly
I say to you that in the renewal of the world, when the Son of Man sits on his
glorious throne, you who have followed me—you also will sit on twelve thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Notice that, in the context of “having left everything to follow Jesus,” He promised to the
Apostles that they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Also notice
that he said, “When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne.” Christ’s glory is His reigning
over all the earth, and the Apostles with share in his glory by reigning with him.
We see a similar statement in 2 Timothy 2:
10
Because of this, I endure all things for the sake of the chosen, in order that they
also may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying
is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we
endure, we will also reign with him.
This promise of reigning with Christ was not just given to the apostles to the Jews. It is extended
to all Christians who are willing do endure suffering. In Revelation 21.24, in a verse referring not
to the Millennial Kingdom, but to the conditions on the New Earth, the Apostle John wrote,
“And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it.”
Our older brother is so gracious, that He has promised to divide his inheritance as the
firstborn and share his glory with everyone who is willing to suffer for Him. If we share in His
sufferings, we will share in His glory.
The mention of sharing in Christ’s glory through suffering provided the bridge for the
Apostle to move into a consideration of the next phase of salvation: that of glorification. We read
in Romans 8.18-21:
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 of its own will, 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.
There is a very interesting change between verses nineteen and twenty-one. In verse nineteen, the
word for “sons” is from the word “huios,” the word for a mature son, a Christian who has learned
to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in Romans 8.14, and is sharing in the sufferings of
Christ in Romans 8.. But in verse twenty-one, we read about the glory of the children of God,
and the word here for children is the word “teknon,” a reference to any and everyone who has
been born again. Every Christian, regardless of their maturity or sharing in the sufferings of
Christ, will in some way also experience glory.
What we have in Romans 8.18-27 is a discourse on suffering. If suffering is the result of the
fall, but we have been redeemed, then why are we still suffering? Paul’s answer begins with a
declaration about suffering and creation. Because of Adam’s sin, this earth is groaning. And
because you and I live in the fallen conditions of this earth, we too are groaning. The resurrection
hasn’t happened yet. You are still living in the body you received from your father Adam, which
is subject to the effects of the fall. But be encouraged! Look at Romans 9.26: “And in the same
way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the
Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Because we live in a fallen
world which groans under the effects of the Fall, we too will groan! Our bodies are susceptible to
disease, our children die in childhood, aging still racks our bodies with pain and suffering, but do
not lose hope! We do not groan alone! The very Holy Spirit of God enters into our sufferings and
bears our prayers to God, with groanings to deep to be uttered! The world groans. We groan.
And the very Spirit of God groans together with us! In our darkest moments, when our pain is so
great that we cannot even form the words to pray, the Comforter comes along beside us, and
enters into our prayers with groanings too deep to be uttered, conveying our prayers before God,
but in accordance with the Will of God.
Paul’s declaration about the will of God in the context of our willingness to suffer brings
Paul to a wonderful declaration which has nevertheless been abused by many. God causes all
things to work together for the good of those who love God. Jesus informed us in John chapters
thirteen through fifteen that those who love God are those who keep his commandments to love
one another as Christ has loved us, and to walk by faith in Christ. The disobedient Christian who
does not love God, who does no love their brothers as Christ loves, who does not walk by faith in
the power of God, is running the risk of being cut off as a branch, tossed aside to dry and be
burned. This language is an echo of Ezekiel 19, where God cut off the princes of Judah from
their places of authority, and they were carried off to Babylon to suffer in exile. In the same way,
Jesus was warning His apostles that their position of authority as apostles did not give them a
carte blanche to live as they pleased. Like the princes of Judah, if they did not walk in obedience
to Christ, they were running the risk of losing their position as Apostles, and suffering under the
disciplining hand of God.
Moses: Exodus 34.29-35
Daniel 12
Jesus Christ:
Matthew 17.1-3
Revelation 1:13-16
Revelation 3:18
1 Corinthians 15:35