Salvation and Glorification

No Devotional on Friday, April 20th.  Will resume Monday, April 24th.

Chuckle: A man wrote a letter to the IRS: “I have been unable to sleep knowing that I have cheated on my income tax. I understand my taxable income and have enclosed a check for two hundred dollars. If I still can’t sleep, I will send the rest.”

Quote: "Our salvation is something to sing and shout about. It is available to every person who will accept in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ." -- New International Version Study Bible, page 1685.

"And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in his glory" (Colossians 3:4 NLT).

Previously, we have seen the gift of eternal salvation entails several wonderful aspects that we need to understand. Our salvation experience includes our spiritual new birth (REGENERATION); our being set apart holy unto God for His service (SANCTIFICATION); and God's forgiveness, acquittal of our sins and being declared righteous in His sight (JUSTIFICATION). Today, let's think about the exciting culmination of our salvation experience when we reign with Christ in the final and eternal state of the redeemed in heaven; GLORIFICATION.

Let's start this study with some words concerning Jesus and our relationship to God through Him. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed (had faith) in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children . . . born of God" (John 1:12-13 NIV. Please take special note of the phrase, "children of God." We are told elsewhere in Scripture that because we are children of God we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ to the kingdom of God.

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:16-17 NIV). If our salvation is genuine, our lives should reflect continuing faithfulness to Him, including a willingness to suffer if need be. When Christ comes again in all His glory, the ultimate fulfillment of our salvation will take place as we reign with Him in our heavenly home now being prepared for us. "I (Jesus) am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am" (John 14:2-3 NIV).

Here's how our final glorification will unfold when Christ returns. "But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, . . . the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed (glorified) bodies. And we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NLT).

"First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words" (1 Thess. 4:16-18 NLT). PRAISE!!

Love, Jerry & Dotse