Glorification: Our Final Hope
The journey of salvation, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, is a magnificent tapestry woven by the hand of God, culminating in a glorious climax known as glorification. This final stage of God's redemptive work is not merely an abstract theological concept but the blessed and certain hope of every true believer in Christ Jesus. It is the ultimate expression of God's love and power, transforming us fully into the likeness of His Son, forever free from the presence and power of sin, and eternally in His presence.
The Apostle Paul succinctly outlines the divine order of salvation in Romans 8:30:
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Here we see a golden chain of grace: predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Justification deals with our legal standing before God, sanctification with our progressive transformation in this life, and glorification with our final, perfect conformity to Christ in both body and spirit in the life to come. It is the consummation of our salvation, the ultimate rescue from the Fall's devastating effects.
The Nature of Glorification: Perfect Transformation
Glorification encompasses a complete and perfect transformation of the believer, affecting both our bodies and our spirits. It is the culmination of God's work of making us like Christ.
The Glorified BodyOur present bodies, though fearfully and wonderfully made, are subject to decay, sickness, and death. They are "natural bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:44). However, at the resurrection, believers will receive new, glorified bodies, fashioned after Christ's own glorious body. Paul describes this radical change:
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
These new bodies will be incorruptible, immortal, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. They will be perfectly suited for eternity, free from the limitations and frailties of our earthly existence. This transformation is explicitly linked to Christ's power:
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
This means our bodies will be perfect instruments for worship, service, and fellowship with God, never again subject to the curse of sin.
The Glorified SpiritWhile our bodies await resurrection, our spirits, upon death, are immediately made perfect in holiness and enter into the presence of the Lord. The book of Hebrews speaks of "the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23). In glorification, our souls and spirits will be utterly free from the presence, power, and even the inclination to sin. We will be perfectly holy, perfectly righteous, and perfectly conformed to the moral image of Christ.
Furthermore, glorification involves a perfect knowledge and understanding. What we now see "through a glass, darkly," we shall then see "face to face." What we know "in part," we shall then "know even as also we are known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). This means an unhindered, full, and direct apprehension of God's truth and His very being. The Apostle John states it plainly:
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
To be "like him" means to share in His moral perfection, His holiness, His righteousness, and even His glorious appearance, as far as created beings can. This is the pinnacle of salvation: full conformity to Christ.
The Agent and Timing of Glorification
Glorification is entirely a work of God. It is God who "glorified" those He justified (Romans 8:30). The Father purposes it, the Son secures it through His death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit is the seal and earnest of it.
God's Sovereign WorkJust as God initiated our salvation, He also brings it to its glorious conclusion. It is not something we achieve by our own effort but a divine gift and accomplishment. Christ Himself prayed for our glorification:
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
The Holy Spirit serves as a down payment, a guarantee of our future inheritance, including our glorification:
The Timing: A Future CertaintyIn whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
While the spiritual aspect of glorification (perfect holiness of the soul) begins at death for the believer ("absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" - 2 Corinthians 5:8), the full and final glorification, including the resurrection of the body, awaits the return of Christ. This is when the "redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23) will occur.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This event, often referred to as the Rapture, signifies the bodily glorification of all believers, both those who have died and those who are alive at His coming. It is the glorious unveiling of God's completed work in His people.
The Benefits and Blessings of Glorification
The blessings that flow from glorification are immense and eternal. They represent the ultimate triumph of God's grace over sin and death.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Glorification: Our Blessed Hope
Glorification is rightly called our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). It is not a wishful thought but a certain expectation, guaranteed by the immutable promises of God and the finished work of Christ. The resurrection of Christ is the undeniable proof and firstfruits of our own future glorification.
This hope serves as a powerful anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19), especially in a world filled with trials, suffering, and uncertainty. It provides comfort in affliction, knowing that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). This glorious future also motivates us to live holy lives now:
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Knowing what we shall become, and whose we are, spurs us on to greater devotion and sanctification. We are to live with an eternal perspective, setting our affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2).
Conclusion
Glorification is the magnificent crescendo of God's redemptive plan, the final chapter in the story of our salvation. It assures us that God will complete the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). It is the promise of eternal life, perfect holiness, and unhindered fellowship with our Creator and Redeemer. For the believer, it is the ultimate fulfillment of every longing, the end of all tears, and the beginning of an eternity of joy and worship in the presence of the Lord.
Let us, therefore, fix our gaze upon this glorious hope. Let it comfort us in our sorrows, strengthen us in our weaknesses, and empower us to live lives worthy of the calling we have received. Our final hope is not merely to escape hell, but to be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, to dwell in His glory, and to share in His eternal reign. To God be all the glory for this unspeakable gift!