Introduction
Glorification is the ultimate manifestation of God’s grace, where believers are transformed into the image of Christ. This final phase of salvation is where faith becomes sight, and believers experience the fullness of eternal life. This article aims to unpack the scriptural truths about glorification, providing a comprehensive look at this future hope.
Glorification in the Pauline Epistles
Paul’s epistles provide profound insights into the hope of glorification for believers, anchoring it as a central theme of the Christian faith.
• Romans 8:17-18 (ESV): “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. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Paul establishes a direct link between present sufferings and future glory. Our status as co-heirs with Christ means that just as we share in His sufferings, we will also share in His glorification. This future glorification is presented as so magnificent that it renders current afflictions insignificant by comparison.
• 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV): “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.”
The resurrection, according to Paul, involves a transformation from a perishable, dishonorable, and weak state to one of imperishability, glory, and power. This change is a core aspect of glorification, where our mortal bodies are reconstituted to mirror the glorified, resurrected body of Jesus Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): “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. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Paul speaks of a progressive transformation into the image of Christ. This transformation is both present and ongoing, leading to ultimate glorification. It’s a work of the Holy Spirit, who takes believers from one degree of glory to another, culminating in complete conformity to Christ’s image.
• Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV): “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
This passage reminds believers that their ultimate allegiance and hope lie in heaven. Christ’s return will bring about the transformation of our ‘lowly’ bodies to be like His ‘glorious’ body. It’s a transformation that speaks of the consummate power of Christ who has authority over all creation.
The Nature of Our Glorified Bodies
Scripture reveals that our glorified bodies will be transformed to be like Christ’s resurrected body, free from the limitations of our current physical existence.
• 1 Corinthians 15:49-53 (ESV): “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
In the resurrection, believers will bear the image of the heavenly man, Jesus Christ. This transition from perishable to imperishable is essential to enter the kingdom of God, indicating that our glorified state is not just spiritual but also physical.
• Philippians 3:21 (ESV): “who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
The same divine power that subjects all things to Christ will transform our bodies. This transformation assures us that the limitations and sufferings of our current physical state are temporary and will give way to a body like Christ’s own glorious body.
• 1 John 3:2 (ESV): “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.”
The full extent of our transformation into Christ’s likeness remains a mystery to be revealed at His coming. This future revelation gives believers a profound hope that their glorification will mirror Christ’s own holiness and perfection.
• Luke 24:39 (ESV): “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
After His resurrection, Jesus demonstrates to His disciples that His glorified body is tangible and real. This gives us a glimpse into the nature of the glorified bodies that believers will receive, which will be physical yet not subject to the same conditions as our current bodies.
In the next part, we will explore the connection between present suffering and future glory, and the hope that glorification brings to believers.
Glorification and Suffering
The Bible teaches that present sufferings are not only momentary but are also a pathway to future glory.
• Suffering as a Precursor to Glory: Romans 8:18 (ESV): “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Apostle Paul provides a perspective that frames our present sufferings against the backdrop of the incomparable future glory. This future glory is not only worth the suffering but so surpasses it that the trials of this life pale in comparison. Believers are encouraged to endure, knowing that their sufferings are producing a weight of glory.
• Eternal Perspective on Afflictions: 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV): “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”
Paul continues to contrast our temporary afflictions with eternal glory. The hardships faced now are seen as light and momentary when viewed in light of the eternal glory that awaits believers. This verse reassures that current afflictions are not random but are preparing us for a glorious existence.
• Joy in Trials: 1 Peter 4:13 (ESV): “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
Peter calls believers to a radical response to suffering – to rejoice. Sharing in Christ’s sufferings is a privilege that connects us to Him and assures us that we will also share in His glory. Suffering with Christ is a cause for joy because it leads to a greater revelation of His glory in us.
• Suffering Leads to Hope: Romans 5:2-5 (ESV): “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”
Paul describes a process in which suffering produces a chain reaction that ultimately leads to hope. This hope is not a wishful thought but a confident expectation in the glory of God that will be fully realized in glorification. Believers stand in grace, which sustains them through suffering and nurtures an unshakeable hope.
The Hope of Glorification
Glorification offers believers a living hope that influences their present life and future expectations.
• Christ in You, the Hope of Glory: Colossians 1:27 (ESV): “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Paul reveals a profound mystery that the indwelling Christ is the assurance of future glory for all believers. This hope is described as rich and glorious, a treasure within that transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries. The presence of Christ within believers is the down payment and guarantee of their complete glorification.
• Awaiting Our Blessed Hope: Titus 2:13 (ESV): “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”
Believers live in an expectant waiting for the return of Christ, which is identified as our ‘blessed hope.’ This hope is not simply an event but the very person of Jesus Christ, whose appearing will usher in the fullness of glory. The anticipation of Christ’s return propels believers to live godly lives.
• Called to Glory Through the Gospel: 2 Thessalonians 2:14 (ESV): “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The call of the gospel is a call to glory. Believers are invited not just to escape judgment but to obtain the very glory of Christ. This high calling elevates the purpose of the gospel from salvation to participation in divine glory.
• Restoration After Suffering: 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV): “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Peter assures believers that God will restore and strengthen them after a time of suffering. This restoration is linked to the eternal glory in Christ to which God has called believers. The temporary nature of suffering gives way to a divine strengthening that prepares believers for their eternal state of glory.
In the next and final part, we will place glorification within the broader narrative of salvation and discuss how believers are to live in light of this doctrine.
Glorification and Salvation’s Story
Glorification is the final act in the drama of salvation, a narrative that begins with God’s creation and moves towards the ultimate redemption of all things.
• Predestined for Glorification: Romans 8:29-30 (ESV): “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.”
The process of salvation from foreknowledge to glorification is laid out as a seamless plan. God’s intention from the beginning has been to bring many sons and daughters to glory, making them like His Son. Glorification, therefore, is not an afterthought but the intended outcome of God’s redemptive work.
• Sealed with the Spirit for Glorification: Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV): “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
The Holy Spirit’s role in the believer’s life is as the seal and guarantee of our inheritance, which includes glorification. The Spirit’s presence assures believers that the full realization of salvation’s promise, including glorification, is certain. It’s a divine deposit, ensuring that God will finish the work He began.
• Called Through the Gospel to Glory: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (ESV): “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The call to salvation is intrinsically connected to the call to glory. Believers are sanctified and brought to faith with the end goal of obtaining Christ’s glory. The gospel is thus the means by which God invites us into His grand narrative, leading to our glorification.
• An Inheritance Imperishable: 1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV): “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
Believers are born again into a living hope and an imperishable inheritance. This inheritance includes glorification, which is secure and eternal. It’s a hope that sustains believers through trials, knowing that what awaits them is kept safe by God Himself.
Living in Anticipation of Glorification
The certainty of future glorification impacts how believers live in the present, calling for a life of holiness and active waiting.
• Purifying Hope: 1 John 3:3 (ESV): “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
The hope of being made like Jesus when He returns has a purifying effect on believers. This verse calls believers to live in a manner consistent with the purity of Christ, reflecting the transformative power of this hope.
• Looking Forward to a New Heaven and Earth: 2 Peter 3:11-12 (ESV): “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,”
The anticipation of new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells prompts believers to live in holiness and godliness. Peter urges believers to let the reality of the future shape their current behavior and to live in eager anticipation of God’s promises.
• Eagerly Waiting for Christ’s Revelation: 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 (ESV): “so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Believers are equipped with spiritual gifts as they await Christ’s return, assured that He will sustain them. This waiting is active, characterized by service and the use of God-given gifts, and it carries the promise of being sustained and found guiltless at Christ’s return.
The Eternal Perspective of Glorification
Glorification shapes the believer’s eternal perspective, anchoring their hope and actions in the eternal reality of God’s kingdom.
• Eternal Glory Over Temporal Troubles: 2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV): “As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Paul encourages believers to focus on the eternal realities that are not visible to the naked eye. This eternal perspective helps believers endure current troubles, knowing that they are temporary compared to the eternal glory of glorification. It’s a call to value the eternal over the temporal.
• The Fulfillment of God’s Dwelling With Man: Revelation 21:3-4 (ESV): “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'”
This vision from Revelation describes the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell with His people. In the glorified state, there will be a complete removal of suffering, pain, and death, underscoring the totality of the redemptive work. Glorification is thus seen as the consummation of God’s intimate relationship with humanity.
• Sharing Christ’s Glory: John 17:22 (ESV): “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,”
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus speaks of imparting His glory to His followers, a glory that reflects the unity and love of the Trinity. This shared glory is a critical aspect of glorification, highlighting the deep communion believers will enjoy with God and with one another. It speaks of a unity and intimacy that transcends our current understanding.
• Worthy of the Kingdom: 1 Thessalonians 2:12 (ESV): “we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”
Believers are called to live in a way that reflects their future glorified state and divine calling. This involves living in holiness, integrity, and love, mirroring the character of the God who calls us into His eternal kingdom and glory. It’s a reminder that our current walk with God should be consistent with our glorious destiny.
Conclusion
Glorification is the Christian’s ultimate hope, the final act in the grand narrative of redemption. It transforms our understanding of suffering, shapes our identity in Christ, and redirects our focus towards eternal realities. As believers, we are called to live with this end in mind, allowing the hope of glorification to permeate every aspect of our lives. In glorification, we see the fullness of God’s promise, the completion of our salvation, and the ultimate expression of His love and grace. Let us, therefore, embrace this hope, living as citizens of heaven, and eagerly awaiting the day when we will be fully and finally glorified with Christ.