A Glorification

Romans Chapter eight, and I really we need to read. We need to read the whole chapter. We're going to concentrate on the penultimate paragraph there verses twenty six to thirty, but we need to back up and look at the whole chapter. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, for the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for our sin. He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled world in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life in peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh can not please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If, in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness. If the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ, Jesus from the dead, will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. That's a key. That's a key. Our union with Christ through the spirit is the key to our salvation. It's the key to our perseverance. It's the key to our glorification. Again verse eleven. If the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ, Jesus from the dead, will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. Verse twelve. So, then, brothers, we are debators, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abbah Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children and heirs, heirs of God and fellow errs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. There's our glorification again verse eighteen. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it. In hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together and the pains of childbirth until now and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly, as we wait eagerly for adoption as suns, the redemption of our bodies, again a reference to glorification, for in this hope we were saved. Now, hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Now our text. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit. Because the Spirit intercedes for the sa paints according to the will of God. And we know that those who love God all sorry. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose, for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Will keep the last paragraph for later, But this is a picture of glorification. Will look at a number of aspects of glorification. First, from whence does this glorification arise? Where does it come from? What is its source? And we see that in verses twenty six through twenty eight. Look at it again. Likewise, the Spirit helps in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, But the Spirit himself intercedes for us, with growning too deep for words. He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit. Because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the world of God. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to His purposes, the Spirit interceeds for us. This is God's sovereign work. We see the work of the Father and the work of the Spirit. But we've already seen in the first part of the chapter the work of the Son, in conjunction with the Father and the Spirit, to bring about our salvation, not just our justification, not just our adoption, not just our sanctification, and not just our glorification, but the whole thing, from beginning to end. And we see here the spirit's intercession as an important part of this process. We saw that the mind set on the Spirit versus the mind set on the flesh was portrayed in verses one through eight, but specifically in verses six through eight. Hear it again, for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot last phrase, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You can't do this apart from the Spirit of God. You can't work hard enough, you can't try hard enough, you can't do enough good in the flesh. Apart from the Spirit, you cannot please God. So we require not only the spirit's intercession, but we require the spirit's regeneration, the indwelling power of the Spirit of God in Romans eight nine to eleven, adoption by the Spirit of God in Romans eight twelve to sixteen, and in the preserving work of the Spirit of God. We see here likewise, the spirit helps in our weakness. We don't even know what to pray for like we ought to. Amen. We don't even we don't even have sense enough to know what to pray for, not only how to pray, we don't even know what to pray for, because we don't see everything like the sovereign God does. In many ways, we are like children. You bring children to the table to eat, and if it were left up to them, oh, what their diets would be like, Amen, there are certain things our children would just never eat unless we made them. However, that is because they don't know what we know. They don't understand that these things here that they may not want are absolutely essential to their health. They don't even have sense enough to know what to crave for food. And you and I are the same way when it comes to prayer. We don't even know what to pray for. How many things have you gone through that you would never have asked for, but in the end you praise God that he brought them your way. Amen. The pain of the loss of that first love, Oh how it hurts. You never would have wanted that pain, But now you look back and you say, Lord, thank you. I didn't even know what I didn't know. Amen, somebody, the Spirit intercedes for us. This is essential. Why, because we are on a journey to glorification. This is not about our temporary satisfaction in the here and now. This is about our ultimate conformity to the image of Christ. The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. This is not even This is not even the spirit prompting you to pray the right things. This is the Spirit interceding for you in ways that you cannot comprehend and in ways that you cannot even articulate. It's interesting people you know, go here and they say, well, see this is a reference to praying in tongues. Right, You don't know what you ought to pray for, so you have to pray in tongues so your spirit can pray. This is not your spirit praying. This is God's spirit praying. Amen. The Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit of God intercedes for us with grownings too deep for words. This, Paul, is not saying here that your spirit that your inner man knows things that your outer man doesn't. So you need to turn off your mind and allow your inner man to pray in ways that you're outter making no, No, a thousand times no. That is not what this text is teaching. This text has nothing to do with your spirit praying. This text has everything to do with God's Spirit interceding, because you and your spirit don't have sense enough to even know what to pray for. That is sheer mysticism. Somehow there is a secret part of you that knows what the rest of you doesn't know. That's theological nonsense, that is not biblical truth. The intercession here that is unutterable to you is the intercession of the Spirit of God himself. Here's a newsflash. If your spirit was wise enough to get you to heaven, you would need his spirit to intercede. Amen. We also see not only the spirit's intercession, but the Father's will. This is the Triune God at work to get you from lost to saved, to get you from justified, adopted, sanctified to glorified, to see you through. This is the Father bringing your salvation to pass. There are a couple of other doctrines at work here. One we've already alluded to our union with Christ. We are in Christ, one with Christ, and it's because of that union with Christ that we can look forward to our glorification. Our union with Christ will not be broken. But the second one that is implied here is our perseverance in Christ. We will persevere, we will stay saved. Now there's a way people like to say this, and you can tell what somebody's doctrinal presupposition is by the way that they phrase this. If they believe in the doctrines of grace, if they believe in the sovereignty of God and salvation, if they have a monargistic view of salvation monegism right one person working, they will refer to this doctrine as the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints, the doctrine of perseverance, or the perseverance of the elect God saves us from beginning to end, and none will be lost. Jesus makes this clear. We've been put in his hands and in the Father's hands, and none is greater than the Father. Amen. So we have a double fisted promised. When Jesus saves us, he gives us what kind of life eternal life? Eternal life by definition does not end. If you could possibly lose your salvation, then that would mean Jesus didn't give you eternal life. He gave you the potential for eternal life, but that's not what he said. He says he gave you e turn no life. You cannot believe on the one hand that Jesus gives eternal life and on the other hand that it can be lost. Amen. But if you don't believe in monistic salvation, but you believe in synergistic salvation, God and man working together. God does the majority of it, then you have to do your part. If you believe in the Armenian approach to salvation, you don't talk about the perseverance of the saints. You use phrases like once saved, always saved. Now that phrase is meant to prejudice you. Once saved, always saved goes a little something like this. You walk down the aisle and you pray the prayer. You can live anywhere you want. You're going to heaven. Nobody believes that. Nobody believes that. But there is a difference between saying, once you walk down the aisle and pray the prayer, you're done, and saying those whom God saves, he saves completely. But that's why you need union with Christ. You need to be in Christ repent of your sins, place your faith in Christ. Be one with Christ. I've been crucified with Christ. Amen, in union with Him, in communion with Him. And then the intercession of the Spirit. But look at that according to the Father's will. The next phrase, the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to the will of God. Why don't you know what to pray for? Because you don't know the will of God. How can you know? And if you did know the will of God, you would probably run from it. Amen, Oh don't sit there, And no, no, not me. I'm hardly If God would have told me his will, I would walk to it. No, No, you wouldn't. No, you wouldn't. Jonah go to Nineveh. Amen, somebody Jonah go to NINEVH. No, not me. I would go wherever it get. How many things in your life have you had to go through that you thought would absolutely bring and even after you came through them on the other side, you wanted nothing to do with them while God was healing you from them. You mean to tell me that if He had told you in the beginning this is where you're going and this is what you're going to go through, that you would have gladly said, let's do it. No, No, even Jesus, when he looked at the cross sweat drops of blood, and said, if there is any other way, let this bitter cup pass from me, even Jesus, the son of God himself. Yes, he came to his Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done moment. But remember this is the son of God. You don't know the will of God, and it's good you don't, because you couldn't handle it. You couldn't comprehend it, you couldn't understand it. If the spirit interceedes for you, he interceedes for the saints, and he intersiges according to the will of God. That's how you get there from here. You don't keep yourself. You can't keep yourself like a little child. I love it when them walking with little ones. You know, when you're walking with a little one, they'll tell you they're holding they're holding daddy's hand. Amen, you're walking with a little one in a crowded place, so you're walking with a little one across a busy street. They'll say they're holding daddy's hand. And you'll even tell them hold daddy's hand. But you and I both know you're not trusting them to hold your hand. They're doing the best they can, but you're the one who's doing the holding. Amen, the hand is not big enough to hold yours. You're the one who's doing the holding. Yes, God keeps his saints, but not because we hold on to him, but because He by his spirit holds on to us, so that even when we don't know what to pray, Your prayers can't get you from here to glory, but the intercession of the Spirit of God can and will. He intercedes according to the will of God. That's why we can say we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. By God's grace, it does. We also see the picture here the father's love for and commitment to his son in verse twenty nine. Look at verse twenty nine. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. Do you see that he predestined you not just to be saved. He predestined you to be justified, adopted, sanctified, and glorified. Now shorthand for that is to be conformed to the image of His son, Where does that conformity find its end in glorification, which means that He predestined you for salvation from beginning to end? Because your conformity to the image of Christ doesn't find its fulfillment until glorification, which means that God predestined you to be saved completely. How ridiculous would it be for God to predes you to be justified and then leave it up to you to see whether or not you're going to be adopted, sanctified, and glorified. I believe the best response to this came from John MacArthur. John MacArthur said it best when he said, if you could lose your salvation, you would amen. And if you're honest, you know that, be honest about who you are on the inside when no one is looking. Be honest. We don't even have to go far. Saints. Be honest with how faithful you are to read your Bible. You can't even be faithful to read your Bible every day. You think you can get yourself to heaven. If you can't say amen, you ought to say ouch. If you could lose your salvation you would. However, those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. This is about the This is about the father and the son. This is about the cognitive redemption that we started with in John seventeen. And you know, in John seventeen, Jesus talks about him being glorified and sharing that glory that he has had with the Father from the beginning with us. When we are glorified, he is going to see it through. He's going to see it through. Not only that, but he's the firstborn among many brethren. It's interesting. I've depending on people's language and where they come from, some people when they talk about their children, they'll say, you know, this one is my oldest, right. But I've noticed here that people generally don't say this is my oldest child. So they say, this is my firstborn. You know, firstborn implies something. Firstborn implies that there's others born after. Amen. It makes no sense to be a first born if there's no second. If there's no second, you're not firstborn. You're only born. Amen. Follow with me. Jesus is the first born, which means that the intention was always that there would be others born after. Not only others born after, but he's the first born of many brethren. Not only are there others born after, but there are many born after, myriads upon myriads born after the first born of many brethren. This takes us back to the doctrine of adoption, but not just the doctrine of adoption. Do you think that God is going to adopt his children to abandon them? No, it says, if not only children, but what airs airs? You're only in air at the end, Amen, you don't get your inheritance. Now you get your inheritance in glory, which again points to the guarantee of our glorification. Secondly, not only do we need to understand where this comes from, but we need to understand the hope that glorification brings. Glorification brings the hope of new life in heaven, the hope of new life in heaven, sayings, We're going somewhere, Amen. First Corinthians fifteen fifty one to fifty three. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised. Imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. Amen, hallelujah, Praise the Lord. The doctrine of glorification, it's connected to our hope of heaven. This is not our home. Christ is returning for his bride, and he will take us where he is. This is precious news. Saints. You have a loved one who has preceded you in death. This is good news because for those who have died in Christ, they're not lost. We'll see them again. For those facing death themselves, For those at the end of life. If you've ever been at a bedside when someone has been on that final phase of the journey to glory, there is a huge difference when they are holding on to Christ and their union with Him. For those who are attaining greater years and recognizing that there are more years behind than there are years ahead, Amen, somebody, everybody who's holding onto all this gray. Of course, none of us knows how many years we have. But there comes a time in every person's life, if they live long enough, when they realize that the days are short. The doctrine of glorification gives us hope in those latter days, for those that during injustice, hopelessness, pain and suffering, This doctrine gives us something to hold on to, not only a new life in heaven, but a new body Philippians three twenty one, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. You know you don't have to get too old to recognize that you don't want to spend eternity in this body. Amen, Aches and pains and places that you didn't even know you had. Places decay that time when you can't keep hair on your head or ears to be honest. As we age and our bodies break down. If eternity was just continuing to go on like this, most would opt out of eternity. But that's not our hope. Our hope is that the perishable would put on imperishability, and that our bodies themselves will be changed, will be glorified, not only that, but a new nature one John three to two. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is a new nature. As any of your children ever ask you this question. We began to talk to them about doctrine, and we began to talk about heaven, and all of a sudden they go, Okay, wait a minute. I learned about Adam, and he was in the garden and he was created, perfect and innocent, and then sin came into the world and we fell. And now look at this mess, right, So now when we get to heaven, what's to stop us from doing what Adam did and starting the whole thing all over again. The answer glorification. Adam was innocent but not glorified. Three Latin phrases or four Latin phrases, A number of Latin phrases. I know you didn't come here for a Latin phrase, lesson, but the first one is posts a non percare It's possible for him not to say Adam was created posting no percary. Then after the fall, all of us are non posting, non pricari not able not to sin because we're born in sin and utter under Adam's federal headship. And then we are regenerated and it's posted percary posting non percari, it's possible to say possible not to sin, But in glorification we go to non posse percari, not possible to sin. Our glorified bodies, with our new glorified nature, will be beyond the possibility of sinning because we will be like Christ, in whom there is no sin and can be no sin. We get a new nature. Finally, the difference glorification should make quickly for the sake of time. Number one, conformity to Christ. We see that in Chapter eight, verse twenty nine. Conformity to Christ like a child growing up in a home and learning those ways conforming. If we are truly saved, we will conform to Christ. We will become more and more like Christ. If we have been justified and adopted and are being sanctified, we are becoming more and more like Christ. We are moving toward glorification. There ought to be conformity in us because of this doctrine of glorification. Secondly, confidence in Christ verse thirty. Those whom he predestined, he also called those whom he called. He also justified those, And he justified He also glorified. Our glorification is not a contingency, it's a guarantee. This ought to give us confidence in Christ. God is in charge of our glorification. Our work does not bring it about. That's good news, Saints Amen. Secondly, our glorification is the last link in an ongoing chain. It is part of the overall process of our salvation. So our confidence ought to come from the fact that the God who justifies us, and we know that because we heard the Gospel and believed it and are saved. Amen. The God who adopted us and is sanctifying us. We know that because we are growing in our conformity to Christ. That same one who has done those things that we now see has also promised to do the thing that we cannot see. And we trust him because of the things he's already done. This gives us confidence in Christ. Our glorification also means that nothing can derail us. Remember that part of the text that I said we were going to say for later, that last paragraph in chapter eight. We'll read it. Now, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect It is God who justifies who is to condemn Christ. Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. So you have the Spirit interceding for us within us, the Son interceding for us, seated at the right hand of the Father, who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or danger or sword, as it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. In Christ, Jesus, our Lord, our glorification means nothing can separate us. Nothing can separate us. Ah. But before you say, won't this lead to laziness? Won't this lead to lawlessness, not in those who are saved. First Corinthians fifteen fifteen to fifty eight. Now we read already part of this text, But what about the rest of it? What about the last verse? There's a therefore, when we understand that the trumpet will sound, and those who are dead in Christ will be raised, and those of us who are alive will meet them in it this doctrine of glorification that gives us hope. Does that hope mean that we just live any kind of way. No, because we've been justified and adopted and are being sanctified by the power of God. It makes no sense our glorification and the doctrine of glorification doesn't lead us away from righteousness. Be toward it Verse fifty eight. Therefore, my beloved brothers, therefore because of what therefore, because of our hope that is to come. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain, but love it. This automotivate us toward righteousness, not away from it. Automotivate us toward godliness. And our associations. We looked at the first Peter at the Philippians three passage. But what about back in verse seventeen, at the beginning of the paragraph, Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many of whom I have often told you, and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their God is their belly, their citizenship there and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior. It doesn't lead us to godlessness. It leads us to godly associations, and finally, it leads us to pure lives. We looked at first John three, but let's look at three one through three. So what kind or see? What kind of love the Father has given us? That we should be called children of God? And so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him beloved. We are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is and everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as he is pure. All of the passages that remind us of our hope because of the doctrine of glorification also point to our godliness. That is the only thing that makes sense in light of our glorification. Far from leading to laxness, laziness, godlessness, a proper understanding of the doctrine of salvation leads us, motivates us to godliness, and reminds us that we have everything that we need in order to live in the godliness that has been commanded of us. So the questions again, are you a Christian? The answer most often is yes. Why all of those wrong answers, why why? Why why are you a Christian? There is only one answer, and the answer is because of the person and work of Christ. The answer is because Christ died for sin once for all the just, for the unjust, in order that he might bring us back to God. God made him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Why why am I a Christian? I am a Christian because when I was still lost in my sins, God demonstrated his love for me, and this Christ died for me. I am justified, declared righteous because of the double imputation Christ righteous life that was imputed to me in my sinfulness that was imputed to him. I am adopted and made a child of God because of the love that the Father has for the Son and the Spirit has for the Father and the Son. I have been redeemed and brought into the family of God and adopted, and I am a child and heir. I am being sanctified through the presence and power of the Spirit who intercedes from me with groanings too deep for words, in accordance with the will of God, who is preserving me according to that will. And I will be glorified because the God who predestined me also called me. He justified me so that I might be conformed to the very image of His Son. And that conformity will only find its fullness and its fulfillment and my glorification in heaven, where my union with Him that is real here and now will be consummated there. And then that is the answer to the question why are you a Christian? And no other answer will suffice answer that has you and your actions or your religious ceremonies, or your this or your that as its source is the wrong answer and deprives Christ of his rightful glory. We are saved through the person and work of Jesus Christ, through none other and through nothing else Christ and Christ alone. Let's pray, Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Oh, how we are humbled by your mercy and kindness toward us. How we are humbled by the salvation that you give through the person and work of your son. God, How we are humbled by the way that you preserve us and keep us. Grant by your grace that we might live in hope, hope in the person and work of Christ. Father. I pray for those under the sound of my voice who have come into this room trusting in anything other than the finished work of Christ. Grant that their eyes might be opened, their heart of flesh might be changed to our their heartes stone might be changed to our heart of flesh, that they might be made alive with Christ and united with Him through repentance and faith. Grant this we pray for Christ's sake and in his name. Amen. And if you have come into this place trusting in anything other,