GLORIFICATION
The word glorification is a form of the word glorify. We know that we are to glorify God. That is, we are to make much of him. We are to honor, display and proclaim His worth and excellence. The Greek word for this is doxazo. So when scripture refers to God glorifying us, does it mean the same thing? Is God worshipping us? Of course not. The word doxazo has several possible meanings.
Doxazo can mean:
1. to think, suppose, be of opinion
2. to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate
3. to honour, do honour to, hold in honour
4. to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour
a. to impart glory to something, render it excellent
b. to make renowned, render illustrious
(1). to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged
In order to choose the proper definition (1-4) we must let the context determine the meaning. In Romans 8:28-30 we see the word glorified used at the very end .
Romans 8:28-30 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Notice a couple of things. God predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son. In other words, God predetermined that His children would be transformed to look like Christ. If you observe the path that God has predetermined for us, it will end in us looking like Christ, who is glorious.
In verse 30 we see Paul laying out the order of salvation. He predestines us to look like Christ. In order to achieve this result He must call us to turn from sin and turn to Christ. Having turned from sin to faith in Christ, God justifies us or pronounces us righteous because of the righteousness of Christ. Although Paul does not mention it here, there is another thing that God does for us inbetween justification and glorification. God sanctifies us. That is, He is making us experientially, day-to-day, more like Christ. One day He will glorify us.
Glorification then is the end result of all that God does for us in salvation. It is when we are fully conformed to the image of His Son. His predestination of us will finally come to the destination--which is glorification. Simply put it is when God adorns us with our new bodies that will live eternally. He will clothe us with the splendor of Christ. He will remove all our desires to sin. He will render us excellent. This is something that God does for us. This is one of the great gifts of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 describes this further.
1 Corinthians 15:50-55 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
When Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead, this transformatin will take place. Believers who have died will be raised and glorified as well as those of us that are alive and waiting for Messiah to return.
Does this truth have any practical application for our lives? Indeed it does. It leads us to greater love for God and His future goodness to us. It also guards us from being decieved by false teachers who claim that Christ has already come the second time. If you still feel pain, still have sinful desires in your body, still get tired, then be assured that Christ has not come. Because when He comes He will glorify the Father's children.
We serve a great God. That He would glorify us one day is simply amazing to ponder. There is no god like our God!
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