Forever Clean:
As we approach the Christmas season, it's a perfect time to reflect on the profound gift of salvation and its transformative power in our lives. While we often focus on the immediate impact of accepting Christ, there's a beautiful, ongoing process that extends far beyond our earthly existence. This process, known as glorification, is the final step in God's plan for our redemption.
Imagine a journey with three crucial milestones: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Each represents a different aspect of our spiritual cleansing:
1. Justification: Freedom from the penalty of sin (Past)
2. Sanctification: Freedom from the power of sin (Present)
3. Glorification: Freedom from the presence of sin (Future)
While justification declares us clean instantly and sanctification gradually makes us clean, glorification is the ultimate transformation that makes us forever clean. It's a promise of perfection that awaits every believer upon Christ's return.
The apostle Paul touches on this concept in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52:
"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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."
From this passage, we can glean four essential truths about glorification:
Glorification is Necessary
Our current state, tainted by sin, cannot enter the perfect realm of God's kingdom. Just as we wouldn't expect a fish to be comfortable outside of water, even the most devout believer needs this final transformation to fully dwell in God's presence. This understanding should motivate us to pursue holiness actively, knowing that it's a prerequisite for our eternal home.
Glorification is Guaranteed
For those who have accepted Christ, glorification is not a possibility—it's a promise. Paul emphasizes that "we shall all be changed." This assurance brings immense comfort, knowing that our future perfection is secure in Christ.
Glorification is Immediate
When Christ returns, this transformation will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." There's no waiting period or gradual process; it's an instant metamorphosis that affects all believers simultaneously. This immediacy negates concepts like purgatory and reminds us of the equality all believers will share in their glorified state.
Glorification is Permanent
Once we receive our glorified bodies, there's no turning back. Unlike Adam and Eve in Eden, who fell from perfection, our glorified state will be eternal. We'll finally have unrestricted access to the tree of life, symbolizing our permanent communion with God.
Reflecting on these truths should fill us with hope and joy. It's reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation in "A Christmas Carol." After glimpsing his past, present, and future, Scrooge exclaimed, "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy." If a fictional character could feel such elation over a temporary change, how much more should we rejoice in the promise of eternal perfection?
This doctrine of glorification also carries practical implications for our daily lives:
1. It emphasizes the importance of the body. Heaven isn't a disembodied state but a physical reality with perfected bodies.
2. It reminds us that our loved ones who have passed are in an interimediate state, spiritually with Christ but awaiting their glorified bodies at His return.
3. It underscores the completeness of God's salvation plan, addressing not just our past and present, but securing our eternal future.
As we celebrate Christmas and the birth of our Savior, let's remember that the story doesn't end at the manger or even at the cross. It extends to a future glory that we can scarcely imagine. The baby in the manger came not just to forgive our sins but to ultimately transform us into beings fit for eternal communion with God.
In the words of J.C. Ryle, "We need the work of the Holy Spirit as well as the work of Christ; we need renewal of the heart as well as the atoning blood; we need to be sanctified as well as to be justified." This process, culminating in our glorification, is the full expression of God's love and grace.
As we go about our daily lives, may we live in light of this promised future. Let it motivate us to pursue holiness, knowing that one day it will be our permanent state. Let it comfort us in times of struggle, reminding us that our current trials are temporary. And let it fill us with gratitude for a salvation so complete that it not only addresses our past and empowers our present but secures our eternal future.
This Christmas, as we exchange gifts and celebrate with loved ones, let's take a moment to marvel at the greatest gift of all—a salvation that doesn't just clean us up for a moment but promises to make us forever clean.