Our Salvation: Glorification

Father, in eternity past, You established a plan for our salvation. “And those whom You predestined, You also called, and those whom You called, You also justified, and those whom You justified, You also glorified. Glorification is the final step in Your plan. Glorification is the resurrection of our bodies to eternal glory.

In justification we are declared righteous, but not made righteous. You declare us righteous on the basis of what Christ did, not on the basis of any good thing that is in us. It is the sanctifying work of Your Holy Spirit by which we are continually made more and more righteous. But that process will be incomplete as long as we are in these mortal bodies.

At death, Father, You complete our sanctification, and so remove all of our sins from our hearts and make us perfectly holy. But even though our sanctification is complete at death, our salvation is not yet complete because we are still without our resurrection bodies. Paul, said, “ for in this tent (our present bodies) we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.” Oh, Lord, this is a truth of Your Word that is often ignored. Many, erroneously believe that our bodies are like prisons, and thus death is a great blessing to liberate us from these prisons so that we can continue living forever as disembodied spirits… naked as Paul says. No! Father, Your Word teaches the resurrection of the body. It teaches the bodily resurrection of Jesus and it teaches the bodily resurrection of believers. As John says, …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.” Then our salvation will be fully applied to us, and we will live forever in the new heavens and new earth as glorified saints, enjoying all of the benefits of salvation that Christ won for us… enjoying our eternal inheritance as His co-heirs.

Your Word, Father, tells us, “we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies…” …our resurrection, our glorification. Father, we know what it is to long for something we are hoping for. How much more so should we long for our glorification.

Oh brothers and sisters, on the day of our glorification we will join the angels as we fall on our faces before the throne and worship God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever.” Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, Was blind, but now I see.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we first begun.

Oh, Heavenly Father, what love, what grace, what a plan…chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined, called, regenerated, justified, adopted, sanctified, glorified.

Amen! My friends, amen.