Romans chapter eight, and we're
going to read from verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Amen. May the Lord bless to us
this reading from his word. Our title today is Glorified
by God. Last week we were thinking about
the fact that the church, the Lord's people, were justified
by God. And now we are reflecting upon
the fact that the continuation of that is our glorification
and that we are also glorified. Them he also glorified. The principal meaning of glory
in Scripture is honour and majesty and dignity and splendour. And it is truly an amazing thing
that God the Holy Spirit, in this passage, by the hand, by
the writing of the Apostle Paul, should tell sinners like us that
we are glorious. I don't think that there are
many of us who would regard ourselves as being honourable and majestic
and dignified and splendid. And yet, that is what the Holy
Spirit is telling us. These are qualities that God
is pleased to distribute and dispense to his people. Now, glory is essentially the
possession of Jehovah alone. And it is right and proper that
we establish that, that we nail that down right at the very beginning. Any blessedness, any glory, any
privilege that we possess is a derived blessing from the Lord. Glory is the Lord's. It is essentially a possession
of Jehovah alone in his three persons. It characterises all
that God is and all that God does. The Father is glorious,
the Son is glorious, and the Holy Spirit is glorious. The works and ways of the triune
God are glorious. Creation and the universe manifests
the splendour and the wonder of God and his creative power
in its manifold aspects. Only God could produce so much
out of nothing. Providence in all of its diversity
and complexity and immensity displays the glory of God's perfect
will and His ways. the covenant of grace, the plan
of salvation, the work of redemption and reconciliation, the protection
and preservation of the church, so that not one of the Lord's
people shall be lost on that great day. All manifest the glory
of God. And actually, here's just a little
interesting thing that I discovered as I was preparing for our thoughts
today. Isaiah uses the phrase, this
phrase, the glory of the Lord's majesty. He uses it several times,
three times, I think. The glory of the Lord's majesty,
which is like saying the glory of his glory, glory multiplied,
or infinite glory. So that when we are thinking
about God upon the authority of Isaiah's prophecy, we might
think this, that here is our glorious God, glory upon glory,
infinite glory, attaches and belongs to God alone. One of the earliest references
to the glory of God in scripture is in Exodus chapter 33, where
Moses, the Lord's servant, asks the Lord that he might view God's
glory. And the Lord permits this. and he shelters Moses in the
cleft of a rock. And Moses is allowed to view
the Lord's back parts, but not his face. And God says this to
Moses in that moment. It's in verse 19 of Exodus 33.
I will make all my goodness pass before thee. So let's think again. What was it that Moses had asked? He said, show me thy glory. And God said, okay, I will. I will make all my goodness pass
before thee. And I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. I will show mercy on whom I will
show mercy. it's another subject altogether
and another sermon in its own right to unpack that little phrase,
beautiful as it is. But here is what I want us to
understand, the glory of the Lord, which is what Moses asked
for and what God permitted him to see, the glory of the Lord
is his goodness and his grace and his mercy. The glory of the
Lord is to be seen in God's sovereign grace and especially in the person
of the Lord Jesus and in his redemptive work. I will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy on whom I will
show mercy. Later, In the Scriptures, in
the time of Isaiah, Isaiah speaks of a vision given to him in the
year that King Uzziah died. And he relates on that occasion
that he saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted
up. And the seraphim, that is the
burners that stood by him, that stood in his presence, they cry
out, holy, holy, holy, and the whole earth is full of his glory. Now again, there is so much that
could be unpacked in that glimpse of the the glory of God in heaven. But again, it seems clear from
this reference in its context, and especially when it is compared
to the teachings of the apostles, that this is the Lord Jesus Christ
that is being spoken about. That he whom Isaiah saw on this
occasion was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. John tells
us, this is why we know, John tells us these things said Isaiah,
that is Isaiah, when he saw his glory and spake of him. So whether it's to Moses or whether
it's to Isaiah and the prophets, it is here and it is clear that
the glory of the Lord Jesus is that which is in view when we
think about the glory of God. And again, this is reflected
on the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah speak there
to the Lord Jesus and the Lord is transfigured and shines in
glory before them. On another occasion, we discover
that at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the angels
declared his glory. Zacharias declared the glory
of the Lord. Both speak of the glory of God
manifested on earth at the coming of Christ. So that from these
examples, And we might draw also upon the testimony of Paul to
the Colossians where he says, for in him dwelleth all the fullness
or all the glory of the Godhead bodily. We might take from these
examples and from the words of Paul that we can deduce that
while the glory of the Lord Jehovah resides personally in the essence
of the Godhead, that glory can be known by sinners in the person
and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The communication of
the essential glory of God is conveyed to us as fallen creatures
through the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God
with us, Emmanuel. And that's pretty amazing. It
is the way that God has chosen to reveal himself in all of his
glory. The glory of God, though we are
blind by nature, though we are sinful and fallen and corrupt
beings, the glory of God is yet discoverable. And not only so, but here in
Romans chapter eight, Paul is telling us that the plan of God
from eternity has been to bestow his own glory upon those whom
he loved in eternity. But the purpose and end of election
and calling and predestinating grace and justifying mercy and
our union with Christ and us being conformed to his image
within the covenant of peace is the glory of the church, is
the glory of his people, is your glory and mine who believe in
him. And today, what I want to do
is take a few points to help us understand the blessedness
that is contained in this little statement from Paul, them he
also glorified. And if the Lord enables, I would
like us to consider the source of our glory, the nature of our
glory, the promise of our glory, and the implication of our glory. The source, the nature, the promise
and the implication of this glory that we have in Christ. The first
point is this, the source of our glory. The first thing that
we should realise is It is God who glorifies his people. Now we saw this last week, them
he also justified. Or them he justified, them he
also glorified. It's a work of God. Fallen men
and women have no glory of our own. nor can we earn glory by
what we do, because everything about us is spoiled and tarred
and tainted with sin. Now I know that men and women
talk about glory amongst themselves, like a great achievement or something
that's been done maybe in the sporting world or some heroic
activity or whatever it might be and they talk about it in
terms of glory. But really that's a false use
of the word. There is, when we are sinners,
no glory in us and nothing glorious about us. The greatest men in
the greatest empires of earth are corrupt and their bodies
lie in their graves because of their corruption and all of their
achievements are soon forgotten. Even the good works that we do
in the service of the Lord are spoiled with sin, so that any
who imagine that there is a reward of glory in heaven that is equal
to or commensurate with their good works here upon earth are
just plain wrong. Preachers, some preachers, tell
their congregations that they will have more crowns, bigger
thrones, greater preeminence. They'll maybe be closer to the
Lord when they get to heaven than all of those that are behind
them if they give more or do more or sacrifice more. Shame on such preachers. That
is just a manipulative lie. All our glory is by God's free
grace and it all comes to us in Christ. Glory was given to
the Lord Jesus when he fulfilled the terms of the covenant of
grace and when he redeemed the elect from their sins. and all
who are united to Christ as his body, share in his victory and
receive the glory that they possess from Christ. It is his glory
given to us. It is because he as the head
is glorious that his body is glorious in him. And in this
sense, glory, the glory that believers have, has already begun. It's not simply about the glory
we will enter into in the future or the glory we might have in
heaven. In this sense, the glory that Christ obtained at the cross
is our inheritance already. And Paul, therefore, can rightly
use this phrase in its past tense, saying, them he also glorified. Just as we were elect, just as
we were predestinated, just as we were called, just as we were
justified in the eternal purpose of God. So we are glorified in
Christ in the covenant of grace. So that's the source of our glory. What is its nature? What is the
nature of this glory? Well, we've noted that our glory
is derived from the Lord. but it is nevertheless real and
personal. Believers are glorified in Christ
with a glorious purity, a glorious righteousness, a glorious holiness,
and an understanding, though partial still, of glorious things
such as God's glorious plan of grace and redemption. We are
partakers of glorious things. We are understanders. We comprehend glorious things
that have been revealed by God. This is what the Lord showed
to Moses. It is what the Lord showed to
Isaiah. It's what The Lord's people have seen in
the revelations of the Scriptures that when a glimpse was given
of the glory of God, it was the person of Christ and the work
of Christ that was revealed. And to the extent that we have
an understanding of the person of Christ and the work of Christ,
that glory has been revealed to us and in us. All our glory derives from Christ
with whom we are heirs and joint heirs together of the blessings
of God. We are the apple of his eye. We are the beloved of the Lord. We are a peculiar people. That
means we are precious and prized. We are his precious jewels. his purchased possession. And
because we are so valued, he has made us glorious in his sight
and delivered us into the glorious liberty of the children of God
by adoption. That is the possession, that
is the nature of the glory that we have. It is a glory which
is reflected in all of the blessings that God has given us by his
sovereign grace in Christ, even a glorious liberty. He has put
in our hearts the glorious gospel of Christ. He has made us a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that we should
be holy and without blemish. And that is why the psalmist
can say in Psalm 45 verse 13, the king's daughter, that is
the church, is all glorious within. Her clothing is of wrought gold. And in Psalm 87, verse 3, glorious
things are spoken of thee, O city of God, Selah. That is Zion. That is Zion, the city of God,
the church, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Glorious things
are spoken of thee, Zion, O city of God. So that as we have seen,
our glory is not our reward, but Christ's glorious accomplishments
in us and his gifts to us. He was glorified in bearing our
sins on the cross. He was glorified in rising from
the dead. He was glorified in ascending
to heaven and in his being seated at the right hand of God, he
is glorified. which, says Paul, is the church's
portion as well. Because, he tells the Ephesians,
he hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus so that we are glorified too, seated
together with Christ in heavenly places. Christ was glorified
in having all power and authority given to him. He has done the
work, he has received all the glory, and we receive the benefit
of that glory in him. And what benefits they are. Says Paul, all things work together
for our good. If we were to say all things
work together for God's good, that would be understandable
because he is the one to whom all glory is due. He is the one
who is all glorious. But, says Paul, this is the nature
of the glory that God has worked in us that he has made us eligible
that all good should work for us. All things should work for
our good. That's an amazing thing. The
Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit are working together for our
good. The eternal decrees of God are
designed for our good. And that's a glorious thing. All that is created in the realms
of heaven and earth, the purposes of God, the providences of life,
they all work together for our good. but it is all of Christ's love
and grace and mercy towards us, which is why no believer takes
any glory to himself. He knows his elevated and blessed
standing is in and by Jesus Christ. So that with Paul we say, as
in Galatians 6.14, God forbid that I should glory save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified
unto me and I unto the world. The whole world and everything
in it works together for our good. but God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the
church's glory and our present blessings of grace. Our present
blessings of grace. But there's more. These present blessings shall
be inexorably followed by yet more blessings as we move from
the glory of grace in this world to the glory of heaven and the
world to come. Which brings us to my third point,
which is the promise of our future glory. There is yet more glory
to be experienced and enjoyed by the people of God and the
Church of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ has told
us that there is a place to which we shall be taken, a place of
everlasting blessedness for those who are justified and reconciled
to God. Christ calls it his Father's
house. In my Father's house are many
mansions. That's John chapter 14 verse
2. It's called paradise in Luke
23. It's the heavenly Jerusalem of
Galatians 4. It's the kingdom of heaven in
Matthew 25. Peter tells us that it is the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in 2
Peter chapter 1. And he's previously told us in
his first epistle that it is the church's unfading, eternal,
incorruptible inheritance. It's a better country than the
one that we shall leave in order to get there. In that place, the blessed shall
sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We shall be gathered
into Abraham's bosom and we shall reign with Christ. We shall enjoy rest and yet we
shall be eternally employed in the service and joyfully engaged
in the worship of our beloved God, our husband and our saviour. We shall possess life everlasting. We shall possess an eternal weight
of glory. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 17. There will be no suffering there
forevermore. There will be no evil, no wickedness
to interrupt our happiness. And we shall know the fullness
of joy and pleasures forevermore. so that our glorious inheritance
in heaven is not only a state of everlasting blessedness, but
it is also a place prepared for us in which to enjoy these glorious
blessings of God. And this leads me to my final
point, which is the implication of our glory. God has given us
these things. God has given us this information
for it to have an effect and make a change on our perception
and on our attitudes. Our Saviour says in John chapter
14, verses one to three, let not your heart be troubled. Let
not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming
back. to bring his loved ones home
to glory, to the abode of departed saints, to gather his church
and take it to himself. It's called a marriage feast.
We're going to be so brought into that consummation of all
things that it will be the most blessed wonderful thing ever,
beyond our explanation, comprehension, beyond anything that we've ever
thought or asked for. For believers, when we consider
these things, we should recognise that this is the Lord's gift
to us. Perhaps He will come back and
take us soon. Perhaps for you and me, it will
be very soon when the Lord comes to take us. Perhaps he will come
in death. Perhaps he will come and gather
his whole church together and bring in that day of judgment. But for believers, whether it
is in death, it is just a sleep. We are already reckoned to have
died with Christ. We are already reckoned to have
been raised with him to newness of life. And we believe that
we shall also live with him. And when he comes, he shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body. How appropriate Paul's words
are. a glorious body for a glorious
people with their glorious saviour in a glorious place. Let these
truths of glory, glory given to us, glory promised to us,
be an encouragement and a comfort for the tried and tested people
of God. Philippians 1, verse 6 says,
being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Our glorious God, Creator, Sustainer,
Redeemer and Friend, has promised us every blessing and divine
glory. He would have us know these doctrines
and store up these promises that we might rejoice in them now
and nourish our souls upon them now. I'm going to repeat my final
verse twice. It's 2 Corinthians 4, verse 6.
God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, if you
have seen the face of Jesus Christ by faith, you have seen more
than Moses did when he asked to see God's glory in the cleft
of the rock. Moses saw the back parts and
we have seen Christ face to face. In Him you've seen your Saviour. You've seen free and sovereign
mercy at work. And you have been given the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God. May we rejoice in that. Amen.