1276. Glorification

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. His intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything so he established daily chapel services. Today, that tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform. Today on The Daily Platform, we're continuing a study series entitled Our Great Salvation, which is a study of the doctrine of salvation or soteriology. Today's speaker is Dr. Sam Horn, and he'll be concluding the series preaching on the topic glorification.

Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University, will introduce him. We're looking forward to this morning's final message by Dr. Sam Horn, and I hope that these messages that we have had this semester on our theme of Our Great Salvation have been helpful, have been informative, and have been inspiring to you personally. I think this morning you're going to be blessed as Dr. Horn brings to us one of the greatest truths for us as believers, and that is not only are we saved from the penalty of our sins, but inherited for all believers is the promise of living in a glorified state with the Lord forever.

Here's the best news we have that everything's going to get better, and where you are right now in your life, physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, all of us are going to experience a perfection in a glorified state. So Dr. Horn, you come and lift our hearts up to the Lord today. I'm going to ask you to take your Bible this morning, and I'm going to ask you to find two texts that we are going to be in a good bit this morning. I'm going to ask you to find, first of all, Romans chapter eight, and we're going to that great soteriological passage in verses 29 and 30, and then we're going to spend a good bit of time in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 42. I'm so thankful that we sang complete in thee as the last hymn this morning, because that hymn really summarizes everything that we have been talking about this semester when we come to the idea of the theme, our great salvation.

It's kind of hard to believe that we've already been through the entire series. I remember just a few weeks ago it seemed standing here and talking about the theme in our first sermon in the series and reminding us from the writer of Hebrews that the scriptures tell us that this is a worthy theme to consider, that we really ought to give close attention, that we should take heed so that we don't unintentionally drift away from so great a salvation. And we have had a whole semester of wonderful preaching that has done just that. We started off with Dr. McGonigal, who spoke to us about the grace and mercy that is in the gospel when he preached while we are yet sinners. Then Dr. Hankins spoke to us on the atonement, followed by Dr. Ormiston, and you'll remember these as you sort of trace the series in your mind. Dr. Ormiston spoke to us on the matter of conversion and belief in a message entitled repent and believe the good news.

Dr. Newton followed him with a message on regeneration and the necessity of the new birth. We were encouraged by the beauty of our union with Christ by Dr. Stikes when he preached Christ in you the hope of glory. And then Dr. Cook spoke to us about justification in a message entitled a righteousness not our own and spoke to us of the legal standing and the personal standing that we have because of justification before the Lord. And then Dr. Hand navigated the difficult topic of election and divine calling in his message from Romans 9. Dr. Oberlin spoke to us on the topic of ongoing salvation in the process of our sanctification.

And then last week, Dr. Talbert encouraged us with the promise that God has made to preserve us in our salvation and exhorted us, reminded us of our need to persevere in that faith as an evidence of this in his message on preservation and perseverance. Which brings us to the final topic in the series and that is the topic of glorification. I spent some time chatting with different students about this message and just simply saying to them or asking from them, so what would you like to hear in a message on glorification? Because there's so many different texts that talk about it. There's so many different ways that theologians approach this. I wanted to find out from the student body what would be a good way for us to talk about this incredible topic.

And here's what I found out. Most of us know that glorification has something to do with our salvation. In fact, we're very convinced of that from Romans chapter 8. We're very convinced of the fact that it has to do with our salvation and we're pretty sure that it comes at the end of our earthly life and that it has something to do with the resurrection. But beyond that, it's something that's fairly fuzzy in our thinking.

And the problem with fuzzy thinking on a topic of this magnitude is that it results in a loss of focus in how we live our life and what we choose to live them for. So this morning what I thought I would do in our message is I would just take four basic questions that we need to think about and answer when it comes to the idea of glorification. And I think the answer to these four basic questions will sort of blow away the fog, clear up the fuzziness, and bring us into a place where this particular aspect of glorification can function the way it's supposed to function in our life. So let's begin with the first question.

And the first question is the most obvious question. What is it? When we think about glorification, what is it? And so I'm going to give you a definition, probably the standard definition, that I could find in the different places where I went to look for this. This is a definition that comes out of Wayne Grudem's systematic theology. And I think if we start with the definition, it will sort of set the stage for the other three questions that follow. So let me read you the definition, all right?

And I'll put it up on the screen so that we have it before us. And I'll comment along the way as we look at the different parts of the definition. So here's the first part of the definition. Glorification is the final step in the application of redemption. And you can see that in Romans chapter 8 verse 29 and verse 30.

So look at your Bible for a moment. For whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of a son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. And then we continue in this process.

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. So this is the final stage. It is the end goal. It is the end game for God when it comes to the matter of giving us our salvation. Whatever glorification is, when we have it, we will possess fully, perfectly, completely, fully applied our salvation. So that's the first part of the definition.

Let me throw another piece of the definition up. This will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers who have died and reunites them with their souls. So this talks about when glorification happens. The glorification that we're talking about here is not just what happens to you when you die. It's what happens to your body when Jesus returns. And here's what it involves. It involves a physical resurrection of the body of every believer who has died.

And that resurrection will involve a reuniting with the soul, the inner man of that person. And then here's the third part of the definition. And by the way, you can see that text in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which is probably the single greatest text that gives the explanation of glorification in our New Testament.

Third part of the definition is this. It changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and notice what Paul says in verse 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. Look at verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep. Paul's saying we're not all going to die, but we will all be changed. So this is a process or rather this is something that God does for all believers. It has to do with their body and it involves a physical transformation and it ends this way.

Let me give you the last part of the definition. After all of this is done, thereby giving all believers at the same time, when Christ returns, resurrection bodies just like His. And let me have you turn over quickly to Philippians chapter three, because I think we actually need to see this in our Bibles. In Philippians chapter three, verse 20, Paul says, our conversation is in heaven.

Our citizenship, our life is in heaven. From whence also we look for the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we are waiting for Him to appear.

This is exactly what Grudem has been talking about. And when He appears, verse 21, 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. And the implications of Philippians three, verse 20 are immense.

You are destined to receive a body that looks just like the Lord's and is fully capable to do all that the Lord does in subduing all of creation unto Himself. So that's what it is. When we think about this definition in our mind, that's what glorification is. Which brings us into the second question. Why is it important? Why should we be concerned about something that is coming at the end of our life when we are busy and facing all of the pressures and the trials and the sufferings of this life? Why does something at the end of our life need to matter so much in the middle of our life? And I'm going to give you four reasons from the text that I think we want to think about.

Here's the first. Whatever glorification is, as we have looked at it in this definition, it is intended to be the end of the story. And by end, I don't mean like the end, there is no more story. It is intended to be the destiny. It's intended to be where this is all going. And here's what Peter had to say about the end of all of this, the destination of all of this. In 1 Peter chapter five, verse 10, Peter tells us that the God of all grace has called us, he has summoned us to his own eternal glory. And I want to make sure that we understand what Peter has in mind when he says that the God of all grace has called us, has summoned us to his eternal glory. It's not saying only that we have been summoned to be with God in heaven. We have been actually summoned to participate in something that God has and it's glory.

Glory is not just a theological concept. What Peter is talking about here in 1 Peter 5, 10 is a physical manifestation of something. It's a physical manifestation of beauty, of strength, of honor, of splendor.

Think of something that is bright and brilliant and blazing light. It's what Moses saw when God passed by. It's what Isaiah saw. It's what Ezekiel saw. It's what Peter, James and John saw when they saw Jesus in that moment of transfiguration. So whatever this glory is that you have been summoned to participate in, it will affect you physically and it will be visible to others. Daniel has a very interesting comment about this in the 12th chapter of his prophecy. In Daniel chapter 12 verse 3, he talks about righteous people being raised up on the last day and they are going to shine and then he has this comparison. I want you to know what they're going to shine like.

They're going to shine like the stars. Now I don't know all that that involves but it is much more than most of us are thinking about when it comes to our glorification. So it is the intended end to the story. It is the goal of the story that you would share in what this glory is that God possesses and you know 1 John chapter 3 makes it very clear that this really is what is going to happen to us in verse 2. John confirms that when we see him and the idea there is when he appears, when he returns, we will be like him.

So there is coming a day for the intended end of the story that we've been talking about all semester long that you are physically going to look very different than you look right now. And it is God's design. And then secondly it is the inevitable consequence of salvation. Look back at Romans chapter 8 verse 29-30 and it's very clear that all of these events that God is talking about are activities that he himself is committed to do for us. He is the one who calls us. He is the one who chooses us. He is the one who justifies us. And he is the one who is going to glorify this or glorify us. This is the inevitable consequence of salvation.

And then here's the third reason that this is important. It's the visible evidence. It's the visible validation of our salvation. Go back in your mind to that text we just looked at in Philippians chapter 3 verse 20 and 21. One of the most incredible teachings of the scripture when it comes to our salvation is that it is designed to bring us into the presence of God so that we can be with God forever. And the visible evidence that people who were the way Paul describes them in Ephesians dead in their trespasses and sins have been made righteous and have been established with Christ at the right hand of the Father.

The visible evidence of this will be in your body. And then there is one final reason that this is important. It is the essential component of salvation.

Would you turn back one more time to Philippians chapter 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and I want you to notice a statement that Paul makes in verse 50. He says this, Now I say, brethren, that flesh and blood, that's talking about your physical body, cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit in corruption. And the point he's making is this, that where you are going, where God intends for you to dwell, the realm and the dimension in which you are going to spend eternity is a dimension that your present body is not physically constituted to bear. A little bit earlier in the passage, he's used the illustration of certain kinds of bodies being uniquely suited to certain kinds of contexts. Your body is not constituted to thrive in the ocean.

It's not constituted to thrive on the surface of the moon. There are all kinds of adjustments and protections and provisions that we have to make to even think about spending even a little bit of time in those realms. And what Paul is saying here is that the realm in which you are destined for is a realm in which your current physical body is not able to bear.

It has to be reconstituted so that it can thrive in that realm. So when you are resurrected on that day, you aren't just going to get a reanimated body that you currently have right now. Think of Lazarus. When Lazarus was resurrected, he came out of that grave in the same mortal body they put in that grave.

That is not what Paul is talking about here. When you take your body at death and you bury it, when it rises up on that day, it is going to be completely reconstituted so that you are at home, not just on this earth, but in the entire universe. So that brings us to the third question. What will this really be like?

And the answer to that question is this. Paul says, I want to talk to you about a mystery in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51. I want to talk to you about a mystery and he proceeds to tell us that what is going to happen on that resurrection day is going to involve an instantaneous and complete transformation that results in perfect, permanent perfection of your soul, morally and spiritually.

And by the way, that's already going on. Paul says our inner man is being renewed day by day. 1 Corinthians or 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 talks about as we look into the word of God, we are progressing from glory to glory. But there's something that is happening to our outer man. Our outer man is decaying day by day. And so in essence Paul is talking about the fact that on that day, this decaying body is actually going to be resurrected and it's going to look like this.

Look at verse 42. It's going to be imperishable. It will be unaffected by time or age. It will be glorious.

It will be full of splendor and majesty. When people see you, there will be a moment of jaw-dropping amazement at your beauty. Think of what you looked at in the mirror this morning when you got up.

Maybe you don't want to think about that. Think about all the things about your body that you don't like. Think about everything that is true about your body that you wish were different. Think about the things that you do like about your body. And here's the point.

On your best day, you aren't going to look anything like what you're going to look like on that day. When Christ brings you forth, the beauty and the splendor and the majesty that will be yours physically and visibly will cause the entire universe to drop its jaw in wonder. This is your destiny. It's imperishable. It's glorious. It's powerful.

Think about everything you wish you could do with your body that you can't do now and you will be designed with the strength and the capacity to do it. And then Paul makes an interesting statement in verse 44. It's spiritual and don't get the idea there that he's talking about immaterial. He's actually talking about a physical reality, but they will be of a very different order. And then Paul starts talking about two kinds of physical bodies in verses 47 and 49. He talks about one kind of body that is sort of patterned after the first Adam who came out of the dust. And then he starts talking about another kind of body that is patterned after the man who came from heaven.

And obviously he's talking about Jesus. You know, when you think about aging, let me just say it this way. When I think about aging, the prospects are very, very painful. I want to show you a picture that may bring this into reality. This is a picture that someone in my office found of me at this stage. You know, 30 years ago, I looked very different than this. I'm not real happy about that. You know, when you stop and think about where you're going to be 30 years from now, girls, you better pay real close attention to what that guy looks like because it could be super deceptive. I'm so glad my wife has a very, very bad vision problem.

It's been very helpful to our marriage. But you know what's even worse? Thinking about what this is going to turn into 30 years from now.

There is a Philistine who works in my office who actually put this picture in an aging app. And this is what it looks like. And it ain't pretty. I was at the doctor the other day and my wife goes with me because she is the chief tattletale in our family in all matters medical. And they were taking my blood pressure and they had to take it three times and average it. And I'm thinking this is going to get worse.

And this is not bad. And I mean, you know, I have a little bit of Hispanic. I'm half Hispanic. So Hispanics tend to age differently. Some people age stately beautifully. You know, they have beautiful white hair. They have regal bearing. You know, Hispanic people, we don't age very well. Our hair stands straight up.

Our nose and our ears, they spread and they sprout. That's basically what happens to us. So this is best case scenario. Let me show you worst case scenario.

Okay? This is worst case scenario. My son saw this. He said, dad, don't worry.

We'll take care of you. You know, think about the prospect. Would you want to spend eternity in a body that was just reanimated? I mean, this is the beauty of what glorification is.

Let's get that picture off there quick. This is the beauty of what Paul's talking about. He is talking about the fact that that is not your destiny. That's not where this is going. Where it is going is this. You are going to come forth. And when you come forth, you are going to come forth in a body that radiates glory. And it is going to be the visible validation of everything that you have believed in.

So let's end very quickly with how this ought to shape our life. I mean, Paul says at the end of chapter 15, therefore, my beloved brethren, in light of this, don't lose heart. Look at verse 58. Be steadfast. Don't lose heart. Don't give ground.

Be unmovable. And then he says this, live your life fully for the gospel. Don't be afraid to give everything that you have in this life for the work of the Lord. Always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And you know why it's not in vain? Because there are solid joys and lasting treasures that are very real, but your physical eyes are not constituted to see them.

But they're there. And when you are glorified in that moment, you will see what Paul meant when he said this momentary light affliction is nothing compared to the eternal weight of the glory that God has prepared for you. So glorification is your future. It isn't just a theological idea.

It is your possession. You were destined for this. You were made for more. Father, thank you for this teaching from your texts and your scriptures that reminds us and encourages us and exhorts us. Lord, help us to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work that you put before us for the sake of the gospel in light of what you have prepared that I have not seen and ears not heard. And we thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. You've been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Sam Horn, seminary professor at Bob Jones University. This concludes our series titled Our Great Salvation, which was a study of the doctrine of soteriology. Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow for more chapel messages from the Bob Jones University Chapel Platform.