Would you turn to Romans chapter
eight, and this is going to be the last look at the golden chain
of salvation. Let's begin reading in 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. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that you would be in our midst, that we would have your presence that we would hear your gospel
in the power of your spirit, and that we might be enabled
to worship thee. Forgive us of our sins for Christ's
sake, and Lord, we so much desire your presence that you would
speak. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Notice the last phrase of verse
30. Then he also glorified. Not then he will glorify. This is not a prophetic statement.
Then he also glorified. Now every other religion other
than the gospel is reaching for something that the believer already
possesses, glorification. Hindu, you go through the process
of reincarnation. And you finally reach the state
of Nirvana at some point, the state of perfect happiness, where
you no longer have to go through this process of reincarnation.
I think of the Muslim, the reward given to the martyr, the 72 virgins,
that's what he's looking for. Some future state of perfection. But in this passage of scripture,
We read where the believer is already glorified. That's what it says, already
glorified. Whom he justified, then he also
glorified. Now understand, if I am foreknown,
I'm glorified. If I am predestinated, I'm glorified. If I am called, I am glorified. I can just think of somebody
sitting here looking at me and saying, you don't look very glorified.
I realize that. But the Bible says every believer
is glorified. If I am justified, I am glorified. Now, we are stuck in time, I
realize that. We are in space. We're in time, a sequence of
events. But God is not bound to time
as we are. He is eternal. And every believer,
without exception, is glorified. This is not prophetic. This is
the way it is right now. I am glorified. Now the first
question that comes to my mind is what is meant by being glorified? I thought about this as much
as I could, and to be glorified is to be sinless. It's to be perfectly conformed
to the image of Christ, which is being sinless. And that is conformity to the
image of his son. Now, we don't have glorified
bodies yet. One day we will, but not yet. We have this treasure in earthen
vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not
of us. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. Now, there
are three things that I want to bring out about this thing
of being glorified because the Bible says we are. It doesn't
say we will be. It says, we are. And there's
three things I want to bring out about this thing of the believer
being already glorified. And here's the first thing, how
complete, how full, how finished our salvation is. Now, you can't go beyond being
glorified, can you? How complete, how full, how finished
our salvation is. Now, I've heard people talk about
salvation, and they say, I'm a work in progress. You ever
heard that? I'm a work in progress. And I
understand somebody using that in the sense that we want to
grow more, don't we? We want to grow in grace and the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But listen to this. I'm
not a work in progress. I'm a finished work. Colossians
chapter 2, verses 9 and 10 says, In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete. Finished. Full. You can't get any more loved.
You can't get any more justified. You can't get any more accepted.
You can't become more perfect. You are complete. Glorified. You can use that word
just as easily. You are glorified in Him. Now turn with me for a moment
to Colossians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1 verse 12. Paul says, giving thanks unto
the Father which hath made us meet. Not will make us meet,
hath made us meet, fitting right now, hath made us meet to be
partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. You know,
right now there's a big group in heaven called the saints in
light. Oh, how glorious this is. The
saints in light, in the light of God. the God of glory, without
sin, beholding the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, the saints
in light, more happy, but not more secure, are the glorified
saints in heaven, because right now I am fit to be there. I don't need anything in order
for me to be there. Anybody in here believe that?
I don't need anything right now to make me able to be in heaven. I am glorified. Now, how? Because 1 John 4, verse 17 says,
as he is. so are we in this world right
now. As he is, how is he? Well, he's glorified, isn't he?
He said, the glory which thou has given me, I have given them. John chapter 17. Whatever glory
that is, He's already given every single one of His people. And
every single one of His people are glorified. How is He? He's perfectly lovely
to the Father. He's perfectly accepted with
the Father. He's altogether righteous. He's
altogether glorious, as He is. So are we in this world right
now. I repeat, I repeat, I'm not a
work in progress. I can only hope somebody is innocently
saying that when they make a statement like that. Boy, there's no such
thing as anybody saying anything innocently. I shouldn't even
say that. But the point I'm making is, I am complete. I am already
glorified in Him. And this shows us how complete
this salvation is. I'm already glorified. There
isn't anything to reach for. There isn't anything to want
to attain to. According to the Bible, I am already glorified
in him. Every believer right now, present
tense, is glorified. Ephesians 2.6 says that we're
seated in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus. I'm sitting up
there right now, in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why
if somebody says, I'm assured for heaven as if I was already
there, foolishness. I'm already there in Christ Jesus. Now that is how complete this
salvation is. Think about how ridiculous the
thought of some kind of judgment for believers where they're gonna
be getting some kind of higher reward for the things that they've
done. That's stupid. That's all I can call that. I'm
glorified in Christ Jesus. You can't add to that. You can't
increase that. I am glorified in Christ Jesus. Now that's what the Bible says,
isn't it? It's what the Bible says. It's not what I say. It's
what the Bible says. Whom he did foreknow, them he
also did predestinate. Whom he predestinated, them he
also called. Whom he called, them he also
justified. Whom he justified, them he also
glorified. Now, here's the second thing. Number one, how complete, how
complete the salvation of every believer is. But here's the second
thing. I can't see this. I cannot see this. I can't look at myself and say,
yep. Can't look at you and say, yeah, I see, you're glorified.
This is not something that can be seen. And what this speaks
of is the power of the sinful nature
that every believer still possesses. You're glorified and such is
the wickedness of your sinful, fleshly nature that you cannot
see this. Anybody here see that you're
glorified? Can you look within yourself, look within what's
going on in your heart and say, yep, I must be glorified? No,
you do not see that at all. You still possess this sinful
nature. Now, what I want to do right
now is ask this question, is that scriptural? What I'm saying,
is it scriptural that yes, you are glorified? You really are.
This is not prophetic. It's what you are right now.
Everything you have, that's everything that's needed for you to be in
heaven with the saints in light, you possess right now, but you
cannot see this. Now, is this a scriptural sentiment? Well, turn with me to 1 John
1. Now, when I talk about myself
having a glorified, I'm glorified. When I look at myself, all I see is sin. Nothing else. All I see within
myself is sin. Now, here's the question. Is
something wrong with me? Yeah, same thing that's wrong
with you. Same thing. Now, let's see if
this is a scriptural sentiment. Verse eight. If we say, 1 John 1, verse eight,
if we say that we have presently no sin. Now there the word sin
is a noun. It's not talking about an action.
It's talking about your nature. Right now, present tense. If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves. We've lied to ourselves and believed
the lie we told ourselves. And the truth is not in us. We don't have any credibility
whatsoever. We are liars. If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. You can't trust
that person who makes that claim. Don't believe anything they say.
Verse 10, if we say we have not sinned,
Now there the word is a verb. Okay, I'm preaching the gospel. If I say with regard to my preaching
of the gospel, I've not sinned. Wrong. Because everything I do
is sin. Because I did it. That's what
makes it sin. Everything I do, without exception,
I didn't sin, I didn't sin there. Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Now, my motive was right there.
No, it wasn't. Well, at least in that particular
thing, I didn't sin. That's a lie, you did too. Now,
that's what God's word says. So with regard to saying all
I do is sin, well, that's what the Bible says. Turn with me
to Romans 7. Now I'm saying I'm glorified,
and at the very same time, I'm saying all I do is sin. Romans
chapter 7, verse 14. We know that the law is spiritual,
but I used to be carnal. I used to be sold under sin. I didn't read that right, did
I? He said, I am, present tense, carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow
not. I don't approve of it. For what
I would, that do I not. But what I hate, That do I, if
then I do that which I would not, I consent under the law
that it's good. Now then it's no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me,
that is in my flesh, dwelleth what? No good thing. For to will is present with me,
I would never sin again, but how to perform that which is
good, I find not. For the good that I would, I
do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that
which I would not, it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me, I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil. That's a powerful word, isn't
it? Evil is present with me, it's
right there with me. For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that
I used to be before God saved me. Oh, wretched man that I present
tense am. Now that's testimony of scripture.
I trust what the Bible says more than any man's claims. Oh, wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself
serve the law of God as a glorified individual, but with the flesh,
the law of sin as a sinner. Now that's talking about the
two separate, distinct natures, the one you were born with, the
evil nature, and the one you were given when you were born
again, the new nature, the holy nature. Now, I believe I'm glorified. I believe I am. I do not see
that I am. Now, here's the third thing I
want us to see. Number one, we're glorified. I mean, that's how complete this
salvation is. Number two, I can't see it. Number
three, we walk by faith and not by sight. Now, I don't think
there's anything that's clearer than that, the only way I know
I'm glorified is by faith, by faith in the Son of God, by faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm walking by faith, what God
says in his word, not by what I see. We walk by faith and not
by sight. Do I see? I am presently glorified. No. Do I believe I'm presently
glorified? Yes. We walk by faith and not
by sight. Now let's wrap this up, these
five golden links, with this. What, verse 31, what Shall we then say to these things? What things? 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 say to these things?
If God before us If God be for us in foreknowledge, if God be
for us in predestination, if God be for us in calling, if
God be for us in justifying us, if God be for us in glorifying
us, who can be against us? Can't you feel the triumph of
Paul when he says this? If God be for us, who can be against us? Somebody
says, well, I'm against you. You know, well, okay. Had a lot
of people against me in the past. It's all right. God's for me.
Who can be against me? Well, you condemn yourself, that's
okay, God for me. Who can be against me? This is the heritage of every
single believer without exception. Look what he goes on to say,
verse 31, if God be for us, who can be against us? There's nothing
to intimidate us. Verse 32, he that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not,
what could possibly prevent him from freely giving us all things? There's nothing you can do to
mess this up. If I could mess it up, I would. I'm sure of that.
But he's already spared not his own son. What would possibly
prevent him from freely giving us all things? Verse 33, who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? There's nothing to lay to my
charge. Well, you ought to be condemned.
For what? There's nothing to condemn me for. Christ put away
my sin. I have no sin. There's nothing,
listen to me, there's nothing that can be brought to the charge
of the believer. Verse 34, who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. That's
the only answer that's needed. It's Christ that died. What else needs to be said? Yea,
rather that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. And remember, didn't
you think of Christ making intercession for his people? It's not like,
well, I sinned again, committed the same sin again for the millionth
time. He says, well, forgive him again.
That's not the way Christ's intercession works. He sits in the throne
before His Father. That's all that's needed, His
presence as my Redeemer. It's not like He's saying, oh,
let Him get by with it again. No. His hands and feet say, there's
no condemnation. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? It cannot happen. Now what a
beautiful thing this golden chain let down from heaven is. Whom
he did foreknow, it begins with God's foreknowledge. He also
did predestinate. You know, it amazes me that somebody
claims to believe the Bible and doesn't glory in predestination. That's who God is. You can't
believe in God and not believe in predestination. It's impossible.
Well, you can believe in the existence of God, but you can't
believe the God of the Bible and not believe predestination.
That's who He is. Whom he did foreknow, them 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. This is what happens
in time. He called us by his gospel. Moreover, whom he did call, them
he also did justify. Make to be without guilt. and
whom he justified, them he also glorified. I hope when we read
this passage of scripture, we'll never look at it and say, well,
I got that down. I understand that. I got that. No. Be amazed
in thankfulness at this glorious golden chain of salvation let
down from heaven and brought back up into heaven. in the ultimate,
complete, final, already glorified state of every believer. I love this passage of scripture.