Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. Welcome to the seventh session
of our eight-part series of studies on the topic, What is Salvation? Now, we've been studying what
I call the four realms of salvation. First, there was the eternal
realm of salvation, which refers to the origin and cause of salvation. Secondly, the legal realm of
salvation, which is the ground of salvation. Thirdly is the
spiritual realm of salvation. That's the fruit of salvation,
applied and experienced and known in the new birth, in the preservation
and the perseverance of God's people by His power and grace.
And now, fourthly, the final realm, the glorified realm of
salvation. That's the fruit of salvation
that believers experience when they are finally glorified. The
salvation that is completed and perfected. Now I've always reminded
you as you study these four realms they can be distinguished but
they cannot be separated as if you could be the subject of one
realm without the other. All four realms are necessary
in the complete salvation of a sinner. All four realms are
of the Lord as salvation is of the Lord. All four realms are
founded upon and centered around the Lord Jesus Christ as the
salvation of His people. And all four realms are of God's
free and sovereign grace conditioned on the Lord Jesus Christ and
not on the sinner. We need to understand that any
salvation that is conditioned on the sinner in any way, to
any degree, at any stage, is doomed to failure. Now in this
lesson, we're going to study what the Bible teaches concerning
the glorified realm of salvation. In the introduction of this series,
I stated how in the New Testament, the verb to save appears virtually
in every possible tense of the Greek language, how there is
a sense in which the people of God have been saved, past tense,
how the people of God are being saved, present tense, and how
the people of God will be saved, this future tense of salvation. And that's what the glorified
realm of salvation is all about. It's the glorified realm of salvation
when the truly saved will be glorified in the consummation
of all things at the second coming of Christ. In the book of Romans,
the apostle Paul instructed the people of God, true believers,
to be obedient citizens of the world while living in, or of
the government while living in this world. And he wrote in Romans
13 and verse 11, he said, and that knowing the time that now
it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed. When Paul wrote, our salvation
is nearer than when we believed, he meant that their complete
deliverance from this evil world, from the presence, influence,
and contamination of remaining sin of the flesh, meaning their
final glorification in heaven, was nearer in time than when
they first came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer's
final glory in heaven is due to the sovereign grace, mercy,
and power of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not due to
the believer's faith or works, even their perseverance. It's
true that those who are saved will believe, will be obedient
in the obedience of grace and love and gratitude, and they
will persevere. But true believers, because of
the grace of God in Christ, will bear the fruit of good works,
obedience, and perseverance in the faith, not to earn or merit
or attain final glory in heaven, but all because of God's grace
in Christ Jesus who has earned, merited, and attained final glory
in heaven for his people. You see, Christ is the surety
of salvation at every realm. And just as the spiritual realm
of salvation is the fruit of Christ's death on the cross,
the merits of His righteousness alone, the glorified realm is
also the fruit of His death, His righteousness imputed, charged,
and accounted. Now to understand something of
the glorified realm of salvation, we must first understand what
every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ can say of himself
based on what is written in God's Word. You see, this is the authority
of God's Word and not just feeling or opinion. This knowledge comes
as believers are taught of God and convinced by the Holy Spirit
as our salvation is in Christ. And first of all, listen to this,
every true believer knows he or she has been fully and finally
saved from the penalty of sin. In the book of Romans chapter
eight and verse one, Paul writes, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. You see, every true believer
has the assurance of having been justified before God in Christ. The true child of God has been
fully cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. And
he stands before God in Christ's righteousness imputed. And this
speaks only of the believer's legal standing before God in
Christ now. I stated this in the last lesson,
but it bears repeating. Though there is still, while
on this earth, much sin in me as a believer, and done by me,
yet God cannot and will not charge me with sin or condemn me for
it. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
the world to destroy, to purge, to remove and take away all the
sins of His people, and He's done it. The second thing that
every true believer knows from God's Word is that every true
believer has been fully and finally saved from the power of sin in
this way, in being delivered from spiritual death, darkness,
and unbelief. Over in the book of Colossians,
chapter 1, beginning at verse 12, The Apostle Paul speaking
of this salvation and giving thanks unto the Father which
hath made us meet or qualified to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. In verse 13 he describes it,
who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear son. While here on this earth,
true believers have not been delivered from the power of sinning
as it pertains to the remaining influence and contamination of
the flesh. And that's why every true believer
here on earth is engaged in a spiritual warfare, which is called the
warfare of the Spirit against the flesh. Paul describes this
in Galatians chapter 5 verse 16. He says this I say then walk
in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
You see true believers still have the lust of the flesh in
them and he says in verse 17 for the flesh lusteth against
the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary
one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you
would." Now you cannot do the things that you would in the
sense of being perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, perfectly
holy and righteous in every way because the flesh contaminates
us. But also we can't go the full
swing of sinful flesh. because the spirit of God and
the new heart and the new spirit within us keeps us from going
that route too. Remaining sin within true believers
is still powerful enough to keep them from fulfilling their God-given
desire to be perfectly conformed to Christ in character, attitude,
and conduct. It can be said, however, that
a true believer is no longer spiritually dead, as he's been
quickened, made alive by the Spirit. He's born spiritually
dead, dead in trespasses, but he's been resurrected from the
dead spiritually. True believers are no longer
deceived by Satan so as to be in the darkness of sin that keeps
them from seeing the glory of God in Christ. In other words,
true believers are no longer in a state of unbelief as they've
been brought by the Holy Spirit to faith in Christ and true repentance. Though they still have unbelief
within them, that's a struggle, they're not in a state of unbelief. The third thing that every true
believer knows is that while in this life No true believer
has been saved from the remaining presence, influence, and contamination
of sin, that is, the flesh. Now, I've already mentioned this,
I know, but I want to emphasize it because it's so important
for God's people to understand this about themselves. And the
Apostle Paul wrote of this in the book of Philippians, chapter
three, and verse 11, as he begins in verse 11. And he says, if
by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Now that resurrection of the dead is final glory. That's the
glorified realm of salvation. And he says in verse 12, not
as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.
That is, completed in final glory. But I follow after, if that I
may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus. He says in verse 13, brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." If we are
to understand salvation as revealed in the Bible, we who are saved
must maintain the distinction of what we are legally in Christ. You see, in Christ I am holy,
perfectly righteous and perfect. based on the merits of his obedience
unto death imputed to me. His righteousness imputed. And
that's distinguished from what I am within myself morally. I'm born again by the Spirit. I'm quickened by the Spirit.
I'm converted by the Spirit. I have a new heart, a new spirit,
new knowledge, new motives, new goals. the grace of God within,
the word of God within, but still I'm influenced and contaminated
with sin, the flesh, in all that I think, say, and do. Now Paul
expressed this over in Romans chapter seven. He says in verse
18, he says, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth
no good thing. For to will is present with me.
That is, to will to do what God wants me to do, what God commands
me to do. But how to perform that which
is good, I find not. He's talking about perfection.
For the good that I would, I do not. I want to be perfectly conformed
to Christ, but I can't. But the evil which I would not,
that I do. I have a desire not to sin. But that evil is what I do. I cannot in myself claim righteousness
because I always fall short. I am righteous in Christ. That's
no fiction. That's a reality. I'm right now
completing Him. But in myself, I have a long
way to go. And we have to understand that
this is no insult or affront against the blessed and perfect
work of the Holy Spirit in us. What God the Holy Spirit does
within God's people in the new birth is a perfect work. And
it's a miraculous change within them, a powerful change, a real
change. But as that work expresses itself
through God's people, as sinners saved by grace, through their
minds, their affections, their wills, their hearts, it's contaminated
by the remaining influences of the flesh so that they cannot
do what they desire, which is to be perfectly conformed to
the image of Christ, perfectly righteous in Him in every way.
Some people promote the notion that when a person is born again
by the Spirit, part of that person is holy, righteous, and perfect
so that it cannot be contaminated with sin, and then another part
of that person remains nothing but sin. Now such notions like
that serve only to confuse people and promote religious pride and
self-righteousness. Listen, A true believer knows
that even as a born-again person, even with a new heart, even with
a new spirit and new life within, even with a new will and new
desires and new motives and goals, his best efforts, for example,
to love Christ and to love the brethren, his best attempts to
obey the Lord still fall short of the perfection of righteousness
and holiness and must be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb
of God. Not only are our persons accepted
before God in Christ, even our works, which are the fruit of
God's grace, accepted in the blood of Christ. The fourth thing
that every true believer knows is this, by the grace of God
in Christ Jesus, all true believers have this security and assurance
of being finally glorified in heaven and being made perfectly
holy and righteous within themselves. You see, the glorified realm
is that realm of existence into which the Lord will bring all
His elect people, all who have been justified and redeemed by
the blood of Christ, all who have been born again by the Holy
Spirit and preserved by the grace of God. They'll spend eternity
with Jesus Christ in the new heavens and the new earth. It's
a state of complete holiness and blessedness with no presence,
influence, or even contamination of sin. No hindrances of the
flesh. The Bible calls it immortality
in the eternal bliss of perfect conformity to Christ with no
hint of sin and no possibility of death. It is the resurrection
of our bodies, not our spirits, because our spirits don't die.
The glorified realm of salvation will take place in the experience
of God's people when Christ returns to gather His people, His Church,
God's elect, unto Himself and to judge the sinful world in
righteousness. The spirits of believers who
have died before this time will be ushered directly into the
presence of God to dwell with Christ. And as the Lord Jesus
told the thief on the cross, Verily I say unto thee, Today
thou shalt be with me in paradise. Luke 23, 43. Those who are now
in the presence of the Lord have experienced the separation of
body and spirit, but have not yet received their glorified
bodies and will not until the second coming of Christ. When
this happens, there will be a great transformation. The Apostle Paul
described it in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51. He writes, Behold, I show 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 trump, for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. and we shall be
changed, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality. He wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter
5 and verse 1, he wrote in verse 1, for we know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God and a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed,
we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle,
this fleshly tabernacle, do groan, being burdened. Not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that immortality might
be swallowed up of life. Now Paul is speaking there of
the time when the spirits of believers will be again united
with new spiritual bodies so that they will no longer be without
a spiritual body but able to live throughout eternity in the
form God created them to enjoy. The new body is yet future, though
each deceased saint is now in the presence of the Lord. Now
this is what we who are in Christ are waiting for. And it's well
worth it, for it's an, Peter said, it's an inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled, which fades not away, reserved in the heavens for us. First Peter 1.4. And we have
a good ground for this hope, a good hope through grace. First
of all, the purpose and glory of God ensure the final glory
of all his people as God is faithful to fulfill all that he promised. In Romans 8 and verse 29, it
says, 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. In verse 30, 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. All of that's past tense and
yet it hasn't happened yet in the experience of believers in
the realm of final glory but it's sure to happen. And then
in Philippians 1 and verse 6, Paul writes about God's work.
He says, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you, that's the new birth, will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ. That's final glory at his second
coming. In the book of Jude, Jude closes
with this, in verse 24, now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling and to present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior
be glory now, both now and forever and ever. Amen. Now also the
redemptive work of Christ and the righteousness that He worked
out and which is imputed to His people is the ground of the final
glory of all His people. Just as sin results or demands
death, righteousness results in or demands life eternal. Over in the book of John chapter
14, the Lord in speaking to His disciples and seeking to comfort
them, in verse 1 He says, 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. And then He said, I go to prepare
a place for you. That's his death, burial, resurrection,
and his ascension under glory. And he says, and if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto
myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Over in the
book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul wrote in
verse 55, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Some people
suggest that to be so sure of your eternal well-being is a
proud presumption. Yet the true believer is not
dissuaded by such false humility, for their hope lies not in themselves,
but in Christ, who cannot and did not fail to save his people. For those who imagine that salvation
is in some way or to some degree conditioned on the sinner, their
assurance would be mere presumption. Now, thirdly, the resurrection
of Christ himself as the first fruits of his people guarantees
the final glory of all his people. Now, I'm going to read a longer
passage out of 1 Corinthians 15, but you follow along, beginning
at verse 12, where the Apostle Paul writes, Now, if Christ be
preached that he rose from the dead, how say some of you that
there be no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea,
and we are found false witnesses of God, because we've testified
of God, that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so
be that the dead rise not. And then in verse 16, for if
the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ
be not raised, your faith is vain. You're yet in your sins. Then they also which are falling
asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. And then
down in verse 20 of the same chapter, he says, but now is
Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them
that slept. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, that's all whom Adam represented, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive. That's all whom Christ represented.
But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits, and
afterward they that are Christ belong to him at his coming."
You see, Paul's entire argument in all those scriptures is based
upon the inseparable union between Christ and all those for whom
he lived and died and rose again. They live because he lives. Fourthly,
the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is the earnest
of the final glory of all his people. Now an earnest is like
a down payment that guarantees the full and final payment. Christ
paid the full and final redemption price for the whole salvation
of his people. But as to our experience and
enjoyment of that salvation, it doesn't come all at once.
It comes first in the new birth. and then in the preserving grace
of God, and finally in our glorification with Christ in the new heavens
and the new earth. The gift and power of the Holy
Spirit in the new birth and His ever-abiding presence in our
lives is the believer's life is the earnest of final glory.
Over in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 5, Paul writes, now He that hath
wrought or worked us for the self-same thing as God, who also
hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. The Spirit of
God is the earnest. Now there are many questions
raised by people concerning final glory. For example, what is heaven
going to be like? What are we who go to heaven
going to be like? We find that the Bible does not
always answer these questions and more questions to the satisfaction
of our curiosity. We find descriptions of heaven,
the new earth, the new Jerusalem as having streets paved with
gold, walls of precious stones. Is this literal or symbolic?
I know that final glory in the new heavens and the new earth
will be a state of perfection for God's people, totally without
the presence, influence, and contamination of sin. And I know
that heaven, whatever it will be like, is to be with Christ
forever and ever. We will continue our study of
the glorified realm of salvation next week in our final lesson
in this series, What is Salvation? I hope this portion of our study
has been helpful to your understanding. If you'd like a free copy of
today's program, listen to the announcer. He'll give you the
information you need to order. Simply request Lesson 7 of the
series entitled, What is Salvation? And in addition, the entire eight-part
study is available in an attractive package set along with a complimentary
book of the same title, What is Salvation? Until next time,
may the Lord reveal Himself to you. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
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of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
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today and may the Lord be with you.