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The Completion of Salvation · Reformed Thinking

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What really lies ahead for believers in Christ?
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I mean, what's the ultimate goal of our salvation?
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And can we be certain we'll reach it?
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It's something many people wonder about.
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It really is. These are big questions about
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our future in faith. Welcome to Reformed thinking.
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Today we're opening up, well, a treasure chest of insight,
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really, considering the end goals of faith.
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We're diving into two crucial doctrines that shed light on the
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completion of salvation for every believer.
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That's right. We're going to look at
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perseverance first, which is all about how God enables believers
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to continue in faith, and then we'll shift our focus to
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glorification, that astounding perfection that awaits us.
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Our mission for you in this deep dive.
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By the end, we hope you'll grasp the divine certainty God offers
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for our eternal walk, understand the magnificent future God has
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planned for us, and feel a strength and hope in what's to
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come. So let's unpack this.
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Sounds good. You know, the completion of our
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Christian experience both here and now and into eternity.
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It really does revolve around these two core ideas.
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We're talking about the believer being kept by God's steady
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grace, you know, and and able to successfully handle trials and
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temptations, staying true to the Lord right up until their very
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last breath. That's perseverance.
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And then there's the life beyond, which isn't just like a
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continuation of how things are now, but a complete perfection
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of it. Every limitation we feel, every
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stain of sin, every struggle, it'll all be gone.
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That's glorification. So let's start with
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perseverance. This doctrine gets right to a
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fundamental question, doesn't it, For anyone who's put their
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faith in Christ. If someone genuinely comes to
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faith, if they're regenerated, given new spiritual life,
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justified, declared righteous, adopted into God's family,
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united with Christ, will they always stay in that
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relationship? Yeah.
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Will a person who truly becomes a Christian always remain 1?
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And if the answer is yes, well, what's the basis for that claim?
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It seems extraordinary. It really does, and this point
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has huge practical significance for how we actually live out our
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faith day-to-day. Well, absolutely.
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Just imagine the the psychological and spiritual
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effect if the security of your salvation was always in doubt.
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Believers might live with this constant nagging anxiety, always
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wondering, have I done enough? Am I good enough?
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Could I somehow mess this up and lose everything?
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That kind of insecurity could easily pull focus from what
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we're supposed to be doing right.
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Loving God, loving our neighbor, serving, sharing the gospel.
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Definitely. But then think about the other
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side of the coin. If salvation was absolutely
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secure, just sort of a passive preservation no matter what we
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did, well, that could risk leading to a kind of spiritual
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laziness, couldn't it? Yeah, you might think, well, if
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I can't lose it, why put in the effort to be holy?
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It could lead to a careless attitude towards living a
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Christian life. So understand what Scripture
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actually teaches about the security of the believer isn't
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just some academic exercise, it really shapes our daily walk.
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It's quite interesting though that both the Calvinist and
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Armenian views, even with their big differences on this specific
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doctrine, they actually share some foundational common ground.
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That's true, both sides agree. God is mighty, totally faithful,
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and completely capable of keeping His promises.
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And both usually agree that salvation isn't earned or kept
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by human works. It's a gift of grace.
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Right. And they both acknowledge the
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Holy Spirit is actively working in all believers.
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There's also agreement that the salvation God provides is
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complete in its provision. It's a full rescue package.
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And crucially, both positions affirm that believers can know
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right now that they possess salvation.
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Neither side wants people living in constant doubt.
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OK, so those common points are pretty fundamental.
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God is sovereign. Salvation is by grace.
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The Spirit works in US. Yes, they form a kind of shared
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bedrock, but it's how they understand the believers lasting
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relationship with that salvation where the paths really diverge.
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So let's turn our focus now to the Calvinist view on
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perseverance. How is that typically stated?
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Well, it's usually stated with real clarity and conviction.
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The idea is those whom God has truly accepted, eventually
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called and set apart by His Spirit cannot totally or finally
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fall away from a state of grace. OK, cannot totally or finally
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fall away. Right.
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Instead, they will certainly persist to the very end and
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without fail be eternally saved. And this view is seen as fitting
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tightly with the doctrine of election correct?
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Yes, it's understood to align perfectly.
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If God sovereignly chooses individuals for eternal life
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before time began, then it seems logical that their salvation
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must be certain. Because if they could lose that
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salvation, it would imply God's choice didn't fully achieve its
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aim, that his purpose could somehow be, well, frustrated.
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That's the argument. If God unconditionally chooses
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people for eternal life and his Spirit then effectively applies
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redemption to them, meaning it always achieves its intended
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result, then the conclusion seems unavoidable.
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These chosen people will be saved and will stay saved.
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It ensures God's will is always accomplished.
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And this isn't just argued from theological consistency, is it?
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There's quite a bit of biblical support cited for the
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indestructible nature of the salvation God gives.
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Oh yes. Take first Peter 1 verses 3 to 5
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for example. Peter talks about believers
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receiving a new birth into a living hope and an inheritance
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that can never perish, spoil or fade.
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An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
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That's striking language. It is, and he adds it's kept in
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heaven for us, and we are shielded by God's ability
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through faith until that final salvation is revealed.
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When Peter calls this inheritance imperishable,
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undefiled and unfading, he's not just using poetic words.
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He's drawing a contrast, maybe with earthly things.
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Exactly. He's drawing a sharp contrast
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with earthly inheritances that always decay or get corrupted or
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can be lost or stolen. The key insight here is the
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inherent nature of this divine gift.
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It's fundamentally different. It's secured not by our shaky
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grip, but by God's own steady character and his strength.
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That's a comforting thought. And the persistence and sheer
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strength of Divine Love offer more support.
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Think about Romans 8 verses 31 to 39, especially those last
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couple verses 38 and 39. Where Paul lists all those
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things that can't separate us from God's love.
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Yes, with that breathtaking certainty, neither death nor
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life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
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future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth or anything
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else in all creation can separate us from God's love in
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Christ Jesus our Lord. It's an incredible list.
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And it's not just about God's initial acceptance.
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It points to his continuous activity in the believer's life.
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Christ doesn't just give us eternal life and then say, OK,
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good luck keeping it. He actively maintains the
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relationship. That thought really does bring a
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lot of comfort. Philippians 1.6 echoes this too
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right? Saying God, who began a good
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work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of
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Christ Jesus. Precisely.
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It highlights God's ongoing dedication to perfecting what He
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started in us. It stresses His faithfulness and
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seeing His work through all the way to the end.
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It goes deeper too, doesn't it? Thinking about Christ's role
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now. Yes, Hebrews 7.25 tells us that
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Christ makes intercession for us constantly.
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He's always praying for us, and since Jesus himself said the
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Father always hears his prayers, these continuous intercessions
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for believers are effective. So we have an advocate in heaven
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constantly praying for our perseverance.
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We do, and it's not just Christ. Romans 8.26 adds that the Holy
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Spirit also intercedes for believers, even when we don't
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know how or what to pray for ourselves.
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So there's this constant, potent divine prayer support system
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holding us up. Wow.
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So beyond divine intercession, there's also the assurance of
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God's help in overcoming obstacles, isn't there?
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Yes, his provision. Romans 14.4 says God enables His
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servants to stand firm even when facing judgement.
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At 1st Corinthians 10.13 gives that very clear promise.
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The one about temptation. That's the one.
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No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to
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mankind, and God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted
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beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted, He will
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also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
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So that passage assures us divine help is always there, not
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just to avoid temptation, but to actually cope with it and endure
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through it. Right.
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These are active provisions that enable us to persist.
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But for many holding the Calvinist view, the greatest
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encouragement comes from the direct promises of the Lord
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Himself about his keeping work. Like John chapter 10.
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John 10/22, 7:30 is a bedrock passage.
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Jesus declares My sheep listen to my voice.
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I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and
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they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of
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my hand. My Father who has given them to
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me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my
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Father's hand. I and the Father are one.
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And that phrase they shall never perish.
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You mentioned the Greek there is particularly strong.
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It is. It uses what's called a double
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negative in Greek, who may It's not just a simple no, it's the
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strongest possible way to negate something in Greek.
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It effectively says absolutely, under no circumstances will they
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ever perish. It leaves zero room for doubt
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about the security of his sheep. That's incredibly definite, and
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Paul seems to echo that conviction.
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See Kennedy 1.12. He does.
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He expresses his personal confidence.
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I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to
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guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
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It speaks to Paul's own robust confidence in God's ability to
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keep his own safe. Many who hold this view also
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connected to other core doctrines, right to kind of
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bolster the argument for perseverance.
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That's right. Take the doctrine of union with
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Christ. If believers are truly joined
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with Christ, like branches to a vine, and his life genuinely
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flows through them, as John 15 suggests, then that connection
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is seen as unbreakable. The thinking being it's
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impossible for a real believer to be sort of cut off from
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Christ's body. That would frustrate God's
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purpose. That's the idea, and the
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doctrine of the new birth or regeneration is another one.
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First, John 3.9 says no one who is born of God will continue to
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sin because God's seed remains in him.
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They cannot go on sinning because they have been born of
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God. Meaning the Holy Spirit imparts
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a new nature. Yes, and the reasoning goes if
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salvation could be lost then regeneration would have to be
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reversible somehow, which is considered impossible.
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Eternal life is, well, eternal by definition.
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Can spiritual death happen to someone?
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The Holy Spirit lives in someone already give an eternal life.
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For those holding this few, it's seen as an absolute
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impossibility. And finally, the idea of
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assurance of salvation also supports perseverance.
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It does seem to passings like Hebrews 6.1110.222, Peter 1.10,
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and especially first John 5.13 which is explicitly I write
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these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
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so that you may know that you have eternal life.
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They all point to the ability of believers to have a firm
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conviction about their salvation.
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So the very possibility of having that deep, lasting
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assurance suggests that salvation must be secure.
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Why would God offer that kind of certainty if it could just be
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taken away? That's the question posed.
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It seems inconsistent. OK, that presents a really
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strong case for the certainty of salvation.
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But if that's the whole picture, why do so many other passages
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seem to warn people against falling away?
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This is where the Armenian viewpoint comes in, offering a
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significant counter argument. It's really necessary.
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We grapple with their scriptural basis too.
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Absolutely. Absolutely.
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The core statement of the Armenian view on perseverance is
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basically that it is possible for believers to fall away from
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their faith and as a result lose their salvation.
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And this perspective relies heavily on Scripture passages
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that seem to set conditions for salvation, and also on observed
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experiences of people who appear to abandon their faith.
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That's right, Armenians often point to various biblical
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warnings against apostasy, arguing these warnings wouldn't
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make sense if a genuine believer simply couldn't fall away.
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Like in Matthew 24. Yes, Matthew 24.314 Jesus warned
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his disciples about being LED astray and specifically stated
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that the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
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For Armenians, this implies that not persisting could lead to
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losing salvation. The warning feels like a real
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possibility. And Paul in Colossians one also
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seems to suggest condition verses 2123 where he says
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reconciliation applies if you continue in your faith
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established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in
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the gospel. That if is seen as a genuine
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condition, and 1st Corinthians 10.12 is another one.
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So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't
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fall. It's presented as a direct
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caution against overconfidence, implying a real potential for
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spiritual collapse. The writer to the Hebrews seems
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particularly focused on this danger, too.
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Very much so. Hebrews 2.1 says we must pay the
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most careful attention so that we do not drift away.
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And Hebrews 3.1 to the 14 warns, See to it that none of you has a
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sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
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Armenians find it hard to understand why such serious
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cautions would be given if a believer, once saved, simply
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cannot fall away. For them, these warnings
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highlight a real spiritual danger.
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Armenians also point to verses that directly exhort believers
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to continue in faith, suggesting that ongoing effort from the
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believer is needed for salvation to be fully realized.
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Right. Hebrews 6.1112, for instance,
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encourages believers to show this same diligence to the very
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end so that what you hope for may be fully realized, and tells
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them not to become lazy. This is understood to show that
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continued effort and diligence are required.
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And Pauls own words in First Corinthians 9.27 where he talks
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about disciplining his body. Yes, where he says he makes it
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his slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself
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will not be disqualified for the prize.
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Armenians see this as evidence that even Paul, an apostle,
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thought it was possible he could lose salvation if he stopped his
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act of spiritual striving. It suggests a real need for
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continued personal effort and watchfulness.
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OK, so warnings and exhortations are key points, but a central
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part of the Armenian argument comes from passages they
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interpret as directly teaching that people do fall away, right?
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Like Hebrew 6. Hebrew 6.4 to 6 is definitely a
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pivotal passage for the Armenian view.
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It describes people who have once been enlightened, who have
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tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared the Holy Spirit, who
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have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of
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the coming age, and yet have fallen away.
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And the passage then says it's impossible to be brought back to
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repentance. Right.
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Armenians generally interpret this as describing genuinely
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saved people who experience these deep spiritual realities,
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then willfully turned away and are now beyond recovery.
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It seems like very clear description of losing salvation.
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And Hebrews 10.2627 is another one often cited.
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Yes, it states that if we deliberately keep on sinning
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after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no
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sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of
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judgement. Our minions see these as clear
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statements about people who had a genuine experience of
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salvation but then willfully left it through persistent sin.
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They argue these individuals can't regain it and face only
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judgement. They find it difficult to square
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these strong statements with a doctrine of absolute
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perseverance. Beyond these teaching passages,
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Armenians also look at specific examples in the Bible.
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Individuals, they believe we're true believers but then fell
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away. King Saul is a primary example
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from the Old Testament. Chosen, anointed king, received
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the spirit that then became disobedient, was rejected by God
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and had a tragic end, even resorting to witchcraft and
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dying in battle. And in the New Testament, Judas
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Iscarios often brought up. Yes, Armenians often find it
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unlikely that Jesus would choose an unbeliever as one of the 12
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intimate disciples or that he misjudged Judas character.
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So, they conclude Judas probably was a believer when chosen and
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initially walked with Christ, but then betrayed him and ended
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his life tragically without repentance, showing permanent
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apostasy. Are there other New Testament
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figures mentioned? Several Ananias and Sapphira in
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Acts 5 struck dead after lying to the Holy Spirit.
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Imanias and Alexander and First Timothy one who suffered
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shipwrecked with in regard to their faith.
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How many is in Philetus in Second Timothy 2 whose teachings
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spread like gangrene, and Demas in Second Timothy 4 who
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apparently love this present world and deserted Paul?
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So the Armenian view is that these look like clear examples
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of true believers who left the faith.
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Yes, they often argue that only a most contrived line of
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reasoning, as one source puts it, can explain away the clear
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impression that these were genuine believers who later
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abandoned their faith. They might also point to
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historical or even contemporary examples of people who seem
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truly regenerate but later renounce Christianity.
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And finally, Armenians raise a practical objection regarding
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human freedom. That's a significant point for
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them. They argue that if salvation is
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absolutely certain and believers cannot choose apostasy, then are
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they really free moral agents? Scripture seems to depict humans
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as free, constantly urging them to choose God to obey, holding
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them accountable, all implying a real capacity for choice,
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including potentially the choice to turn away.
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OK. So we have two distinct
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positions, both making arguments from Scripture, both wrestling
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with real concerns. One side stresses God's
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sovereign ability and faithfulness, the other
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highlights human responsibility and the reality of those
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warnings. Is there a way to sort of
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reconcile these seemingly opposing views?
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Let's look at a proposed resolution now, OK?
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This resolution often starts by putting John 10.2730 and Hebrews
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6.4 to 6 right next to each other, since they're arguably
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the strongest text for each side.
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We already touched on John 10 with Jesus's incredibly strong
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statement using that double negative.
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Right. My sheep shall never perish.
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No one will snatch them out of my hand.
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Using that emphatic Greek war, categorically ruling out even
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the slightest chance of his sheep falling away from Jesus
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own lips, it seems to firmly establish that true believers
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simply will not perish. That's a powerful absolute
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declaration of security. So how then does this resolution
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approach Hebrews 6.4 to 6, which seems to describe genuinely
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saved people falling away permanently?
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Well, Hebrew Sheep is definitely a challenging passage.
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It does vividly describe individuals who experienced
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these amazing spiritual realities, enlightened, tasted,
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shared in the Holy Spirit, and then have fallen away.
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But the key to understanding it for many who seek this
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resolution lies in verse 9. Verse 9.
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What does that say? Verse 9 pivotally states, though
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we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of
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better things, in your case things that have to do with
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salvation. The writer seems to distinguish
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between the hypothetical warning he just gave and the actual
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reality for his readers, the true believers.
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So the implication is. The implication drawn is this
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while genuine believers can fall away, meaning it's a logical
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possibility rooted in their freedom, they aren't puppets.
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They will not fall away in a final, irreversible sense.
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God's grace actively works to prevent them from truly
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committing apostasy. So God's prevention doesn't
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remove the option to fall, but makes it certain they will
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freely choose not to. That's the idea and the warnings
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themselves. They're understood not as proof
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that people do fall away permanently, but as one of the
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very means God uses to ensure his people endure.
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They are instruments of grace. That distinction can but will
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not seems pretty central to this resolution.
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It suggests God upholds us, but in a way that respects our will.
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It is central, and it means the warnings and commands in
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Scripture, which Armenians rightly point to, aren't signs
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that salvation can be lost. Instead, they are the very tools
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God uses to make sure the saved person won't fall away.
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So they function as maybe motivational tools, prompting
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believers to stay true. Exactly like a parent warning a
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child about the dangers of running into a busy St.
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The warning isn't given because the parent thinks the child will
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run out or wants them to. It's given precisely to prevent
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it, enabling the child to freely choose safety.
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That makes sense. It puts the focus on
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perseverance, active spirit, empowered choosing and striving
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rather than just passive preservation.
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Right. It's not a security that should
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lead to complacency, but one that fuels diligent obedience
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knowing God is working through these means.
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OK, So what about those specific examples of alleged apostasy?
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Peter's denial? King Saul.
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Judas. How does this framework handle
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those? Well, when you look closely,
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these cases often seem less conclusive as proof that
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genuinely regenerated believers lost salvation permanently.
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Peter's denial, for example, is usually seen as backsliding.
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Meaning a temporary failure, not a permanent departure.
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Yes, a moment of profound weakness under extreme pressure,
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not a settled, willful rejection of Christ.
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His bitter tears and quick return, later affirmed by
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Christ, set him apart from someone truly apostate.
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And King Saul, you mentioned he was under the old covenant.
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Right. His situation is harder to use
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as a direct parallel for a New Covenant believer.
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The way the Spirit worked was different than coming upon
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people for tasks. Rather than the permanent
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indwelling and new birth described later, his story seems
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more about a leader failing his divinely appointed role than
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necessarily losing personal salvation in the New Covenant
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sense. What about Judas?
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He was one of the. The scriptural accounts actually
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suggest Judas might never have been truly regenerate to begin
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with, despite being outwardly close to Jesus.
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Jesus called him a devil early on in John 6.70, indicating an
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underlying spiritual reality. And his theft was noted too,
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wasn't it showing a lack of fruit?
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Yes, John 12.6 mentions his thievery true believers.
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Scripture indicates bear fruit, reflecting a changed heart.
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The parable of the sower also speaks of seed falling on rocky
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ground, people who receive the Word with joy but have no root
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and fall away when trouble comes.
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This suggests they were never truly rooted in Christ.
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When the others Hymenaeus, Alexander, Felitus, Dimas.
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For them, the sources generally argue, there just isn't enough
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information to definitively say they were true believers who
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then lost their salvation. They might have been
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superficially involved, intellectual adherence perhaps,
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or outwardly religious but lacking real spiritual life.
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For maybe believers under discipline or backsliding.
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That's also possible. The Bible does warn about false
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prophets and people who seem genuine but don't have that
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enduring fruit. Endurance in faith is often
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presented as a mark of true belief, so many of these
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supposed cases are reinterpreted not as genuine believers losing
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salvation, but as people who were never truly saved or were
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experiencing temporary spiritual weakness or discipline.
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So if this resolution holds, the practical implications for
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believers seem pretty significant.
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It means we can rest secure, knowing our salvation is
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permanent, that nothing can separate us from God's love.
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Yes. It removes that deep fear of
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falling away and losing everything.
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It brings immense joy and gets rid of that gnawing anxiety
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about potentially forfeiting eternal life.
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But it doesn't lead to carelessness.
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No, not at all. This understanding allows no
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room for spiritual laziness. Quite the opposite.
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Genuine faith always produces the fruit of the Spirit, and our
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assurance of salvation comes precisely because the Holy
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Spirit gives ongoing evidence of His work in our lives.
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It's a security that motivates active obedience and worship.
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It doesn't lead to spiritual apathy.
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It's not a license to sin, but an engine for holiness, knowing
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God is working in you and upholding you to the very end.
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That really does clarify a long standing theological discussion
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and brings a real sense of peace.
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OK, let's shift gears now to the second doctrine.
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In our deep dive glorification. This is the pinnacle, the
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perfection that awaits believers.
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How do we define this? What does it really mean for us?
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Glorification is defined as the final, the culminating stage in
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the whole process of salvation. It represents the ultimate
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perfecting of the Christian life, where all our current
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limitations, spiritual, moral, even physical, will be
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completely removed. And this doctrine overlaps a lot
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with eschatology, the study of last things.
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It does, significantly. It looks beyond our present life
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to the world to come, and because of that, it's an
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incredibly rich source of practical meaning for us today.
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It provides immense encouragement and really
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strengthens the hope we have as believers.
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So it's about becoming everything God originally
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intended for us to be, reaching our full potential in Christ.
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Precisely its ultimate purpose is that believers will become
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everything God has designed them to be.
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We'll overcome all present and completeness, suffering the
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effects of sin, all with a certain absolute hope of future
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perfection and wholeness. And you mentioned it's
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multidimensional, not just one thing.
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Right. It's not narrow.
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It includes perfecting our spiritual nature that starts at
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death when our spirit goes to be with the Lord.
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It includes perfecting our bodies that happens at the
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resurrection when they're made into glorious eternal forms.
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And it even extends to the transformation and renewal of
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the entire creation, providing a perfect home for glorified
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humanity. Before we dive into the details
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of our glorification, maybe we should clarify the meaning of
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glory itself. Theologically speaking, what did
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it mean in the Old Testament? For instance, the Hebrew word
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kabod. Yes, Kabod in the Old Testament
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often refers to something you could perceive.
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Splendor, wealth, majesty, pomp. When it's applied to God, it
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signifies the greatness of his whole nature.
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It portrays Him as the King of glory, attended by his heavenly
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hosts, marked by infinite splendor and radiant beauty like
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we see in Psalm 24. It's God's visible, weighty
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manifestation of His inherent excellence.
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OK. And in the New Testament, the
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Greek word doxa. Doxa carries similar ideas.
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Brightness, splendor, magnificence, renown.
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And this glory is profoundly connected to Jesus Christ.
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We see it especially in His resurrection.
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God glorified him as Acts 3 and first Peter one mentioned.
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Romans 6 also talks about Christ being raised through the glory
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of the Father right it? Does and Philippians 3 mentions
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his glorious resurrection body, body now radiant with divine
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light. And his ascension and 2nd coming
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are also linked to his glory. Absolutely.
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He was taken up in glory, according to First Timothy 3.16.
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He was exalted at God's right hand, as Acts 2 and five show,
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and His return will be the ultimate display of His glory.
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He'll come with ability and great glory, sitting on His
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glorious throne, as Matthew 24 and 25 describe it.
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Titus 2.13 calls this the blessed hope, the appearing of
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the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
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It's the climax where His currently veiled glory bursts
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forth for everyone to see. And both testaments consistently
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present this future display of God's glory as the believers
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ultimate hope and goal, don't they?
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Stressing how much greater it is than any present suffering.
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They do. Psalm 73.24 speaks of God
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guiding us and then taking us into glory afterward, suggesting
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it's our final destination. And Paul in Romans 8.18 makes
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that direct comparison. Yes, saying our present
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sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that
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will be revealed in US. It just diminishes the weight of
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current troubles when you see what's coming.
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And 2nd Corinthians 4.17 adds that our light and momentary
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troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
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them all. Reframing suffering is actually
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productive. Exactly.
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It reframes suffering not as pointless, but as a temporary
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means to an immeasurable eternal good.
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Peter also links present suffering with future glory in
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First Peter 5, urging elders to care for the flock so they'll
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receive a crown of glory that will never fade away.
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This perspective fundamentally changes how we view hardship.
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It becomes a path toward a greater end, a glorious future
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that makes sense of our present difficulties.
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OK, so let's. Break down the specific aspects
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of the believer's glorification. How does it wrap up our
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salvation acting as the final stage and our inheritance?
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Right. Glorification is the
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culmination, the magnificent completion.
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It's consistently called an inheritance 1, guaranteed by the
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Holy Spirit as Ephesians One and first Peter One explain.
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That same inheritance Peter described as imperishable,
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undefiled and unfading. That's the one.
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A living hope kept in heaven for us and shielded by God's
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faithfulness until we fully receive it.
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Plus, Romans 5.910 assures us we'll be saved from God's wrath
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at the judgement through Christ's reconciliation.
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This guarantees a positive, vindicated outcome for us at the
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end. And it involves a full, final
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public vindication, a declaration of our justified
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status. Precisely.
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Glorification involves a public, unmistakable manifestation of
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the justification that happened when we first believed.
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That future judgement acts as a final, open declaration of our
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righteous status before everyone, the whole cosmos.
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Romans 8 again, right? Who will bring any charge
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against God's elect? It is God who justifies that.
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Powerful rhetorical question. Who then is the one who condemns
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no one? Christ Jesus who died, is at the
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right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
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Matthew 25 also paints that picture of final separation and
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affirmation. Christians can look forward to
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the last judgment with confidence, not fear, knowing
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the result will be their complete, joyful vindication.
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And what about morally and spiritually?
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Will we truly be free from the struggle with sin then?
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Absolutely. Believers will experience a
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glorious completion of the moral and spiritual growth that
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started at regeneration and continued through sanctification
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passages like Colossians 1.2, Ephesians 1.4, Jude 24, First
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Corinthians 1.8, Philippians 1.911, they all talk about
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believers being presented wholly, without blemish, free
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from accusation, pure, blameless before God.
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And this includes being free from temptation itself.
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Yes, this perfection includes the absolute removal of
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temptation and the very presence of sin.
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The source of evil will be conclusively dealt with and
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confined, as Revelation 20 suggests.
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Just imagine living without even the slightest inclination
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towards sin, perfectly aligned with God's holy character.
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That's the moral triumph of glorification.
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And our knowledge, which feels so partial now, will that become
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complete? Yes, our current fragmented
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understanding will be replaced by a vastly fuller
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comprehension. First Corinthians 13.12
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describes it beautifully, moving from seeing only a reflection,
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as in a mirror, dim, indirect, to seeing face to face, a
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direct, unmediated encounter with reality.
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A knowing fully, even as we are fully known.
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Exactly, and His increased perfect knowledge comes from
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directly seeing the Lord Himself.
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As first John 3.2 says, when He appears, we shall be like Him,
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for we shall see Him as He is. Our minds will be perfectly
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attuned to truth, our understanding expanded beyond
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anything we can grasp now. This is all incredibly
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encouraging, especially the spiritual and moral aspects.
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But what about our physical bodies?
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How does glorification affect them?
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This is a really crucial part, and it happens specifically at
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the resurrection of believers. When Christ returns, everyone
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who has died in the Lord plus believer still alive then will
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undergo A radical change. Philippians 3 talks about this,
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doesn't it? Our lowly bodies being changed.
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Yes, Philippians 3.122 one says. Our lowly bodies, our current
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fragile mortal ones, will be changed to be like His glorious
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body. The Greek word is semaphon,
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meaning similar in form and nature to Christ's own
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resurrected body. So our future body will be
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eternal, A heavenly dwelling. Yes.
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Second Corinthians 5 describes it as a heavenly dwelling, not
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made by human hands, coming directly from God.
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What is mortal will be swallowed up by life, totally infused with
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God's eternal vitality. And 1st Corinthians 15 gives
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even more detail about the kind of body it will be, right
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contrasting it with our current one.
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It does. Paul draws for powerful contrast
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there. First, our present body is
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perishable, subject to disease, decay, death.
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The resurrection body will be incorruptible, totally immune to
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all that. OK, perishable becomes
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incorruptible. What?
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Else Second, the present body is sown in dishonor, referring to
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its frailties, the shame of sin. The resurrection body will be
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glorious, radiant with divine beauty and honor.
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Dishonor to glory. Got it. 3rd The prison body is
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weak, easily tired, limited. The resurrection body will be
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powerful, capable of divine service without limitations.
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Weakness to strength. And 4th the present body is
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physical. The Greek is psychicon referring
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to its natural soul dominated existence.
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The resurrection body will be spiritual pneumaticon, not
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meaning non physical, but meaning empowered and directed
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by the Spirit, perfectly suited to our new spiritual nature,
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fully animated by the Holy Spirit.
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Perishable, dishonorable, weak, natural, becomes incorruptible,
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glorious, strong, spiritual, and this amazing change happens
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instantly. Instantly, First Corinthians
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15.51 to 52 is explicit. In a flash, in the twinkling of
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an eye at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable
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and living believers will be changed right then, caught up to
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meet the Lord. The glorification of the body
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isn't a slow process. It's a sudden, dramatic,
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complete remaking at the end. Wow.
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And finally, how does our glorification connect to the
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rest of creation, the world around us?
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Glorification also includes the grand renewal of the entire
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creation. Romans 8.1825 explains how
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creation itself was affected by human sin.
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Subjected to frustration, Paul says creation is groaning in
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anticipation. Waiting for liberation.
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Exactly. Romans 8.21 says creation will
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be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
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freedom and glory of the children of God.
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It shares in our ultimate liberation.
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This leads to a new heaven and a new earth, the new Jerusalem
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descending a perfect unmarred environment for glorified
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humanity, a place completely filled with God's glory.
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As Revelation 21 describes, our final home will be a perfect
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setting, free from sin's curse, where God's glory is everywhere.
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That paints such a magnificent, all-encompassing and really
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uplifting picture. So with all these aspects of
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glorification considered, how do these doctrines, perseverance
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and especially glorification give hope and encouragement and
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joy to believers right now, especially when facing
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suffering? Well, believers often groan and
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suffer in this life, as Paul says, precisely because we sense
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our incompleteness, the lingering effects of sin, the
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pain of mortality, the frustrations of this fallen
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world. Glorification promises with
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absolute divine certainty that something far better lies ahead.
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It assures us we will be everything that God has intended
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us to be. Yes, completely freed from all
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present and completeness and suffering, with an absolute hope
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of future perfection and wholeness.
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And this certainty really changes how we look at suffering
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now, doesn't it? It does, absolutely.
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The Bible consistently holds up this future display of God's
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glory as our ultimate hope and goal, stressing how much greater
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it is than any present troubles. Paul's words are so clear.
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Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory
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that will be revealed in US. Romans 8.1 weigh.
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And our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
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eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
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Second Corinthians 4.17, right? This view doesn't deny
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suffering, but it recasts it as a temporary means to an
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immeasurably greater eternal It fosters a resilient hope for a
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glory that totally surpasses all present difficulties and gives
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meaning to every trial. The certain prospect of perfect
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completeness and fulfillment spiritually, morally, physically
34:48
environmental police, plus the unhindered immediate presence of
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God's glory that brings an immense settled joy that can
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sustain us through anything. What a strong and reassuring
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vision of our future. It reminds me of that verse from
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James M Gray's poem, Complete in the No work of mine may take.
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Dear Lord, the place of dine Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
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and I am now complete in Thee. Yeah, justified, O blessed
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thought, and sanctified salvation wrought.
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Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and glorified I too shall
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be. That's a wonderful summation,
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isn't it? Covering the whole scope from
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justification right through to that final glory.
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So we've seen how perseverance assures our walk of faith,
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holding us up through every challenge, and how glorification
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guarantees our future perfection in Christ.
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These two doctrines together paint a beautiful, complete
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picture of God's full and eternal rescue plan for you.
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They really do. And perhaps as you go from here,
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you could consider this How might living with the secure
35:46
hope of glorification affect your daily joy and your courage
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when you face trials? How might knowing your perfect
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future in Christ fundamentally reshape how you view today's
35:55
difficulties? That's a great thought to ponder
35:57
as you continue your own walk of faith.
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This has been reformed thinking. We trust this deep dive into
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perseverance and glorification has been a meaningful one for
36:05
you. Join us again next time for
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another deep dive into a topic that helps you become well
36:10
informed.