The Journey of Salvation Pt 3: Glorification
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. - 1 Corinthians 15:20
In this, our last article on the Journey of Salvation series, we will discuss the final piece of our salvation, glorification. Having already examined the doctrine of justification, where we are declared innocent of sin, and sanctification, where we grow in the likeness and image of Christ, we now come to the final stop of glorification, where we are made new (Philippians 1:6), and all of His creation is made new (Revelation 21:1-4). I want to spend this article looking at each of these new creations since these are what we can expect in the eternal glory of Christ’s presence.
A Glorified Body
Scripture promises us a glorified body. What is this and why does this matter? Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “Death is just a part of life.” In a sense, this is true, since we all have to face it, yet despite what we may say, deep down we know that death is not natural. Nearly every religion and tribal people of the world throughout all of history has had some concept of life after death, even if they were/are incorrect. Simply put, we know there is something beyond this life, and there is. If we are in Christ what awaits us is eternal life, but in order to inherit this eternal life, we need to be something more than we are now.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” In essence, what Paul is saying is that we die because Adam, as our head, brought death into this world through his sin. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, it was made this way with our sin. Sin separates us from God and causes us to be cursed. We age, we get sick, we get hungry and thirsty, all because our bodies are subjected to weakness as a result of sin’s corruption. This sort of a body, in the state it is in, cannot be eternal, as Paul says, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). The body has to be made new; uncorrupted and incorruptible. It can no longer be subjected to the weakness it is now.
Christ’s post-resurrection body was unaffected by sin. He would never age, He would never get sick and most importantly, He would never die. Those in Christ will, upon His return, enter into an infinitely better state of life, and like Christ, we will not age, get sick, or die, because our body will be made eternally glorious. His own resurrection from the dead guarantees this. As Paul stated above, Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (died). In 15:23 he goes on to explain, “But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.” What Paul tells us is quite encouraging for this reason: Christ’s resurrection is a promise and seal of our future hope. We will be as Christ is. This is extraordinarily good news, friends, because it is the completion of our salvation to the glory of God.
What Will Those Bodies Be Like?
In 15:49 Paul says something interesting, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” What will we look like and be like? Our conception of eternal life is a bit, well, odd. For some, there is this idea of being in the clouds, naked, maybe looking like fat babies playing harps. For others, it is strictly spiritual. We will exist in a disembodied state forever, the old body forever destroyed. From Paul’s words in the whole of 1 Corinthians 15 and specifically, in v. 49, we can conclude that this will not be the case in the eternal state. Our bodies will be physical, just as Christ’s was after His resurrection. They will show no sign of decay or corruption, either. I have been asked if old people who die are old in heaven and if young people who die are young in heaven. Here it is important to remember that aging is a sign of decay. When we “show our age,” we both look and feel like we’re shutting down. We grunt when we get up from a chair, we limp for no good reason, and we take way more pills than we ever expected. I recently turned 41, and I am beginning to feel every one of those years. I have gray hair in my beard, I have wrinkles in my skin, I’m weaker than I was in my younger years, and my spinal column is turning to dust. Simply put, I look old, feel, and act old.
If age is a sign of decay, why would my glorified body look old in heaven? Why would I show signs of corruption on a body that is uncorrupted and incorruptible? I won’t. Wayne Grudem (1994, 831) elaborates on Paul’s words in v. 49 stating, “It is appropriate to think that our resurrection bodies will have no sign of aging but will have the characteristics of youthful but mature manhood or womanhood forever…Our resurrection bodies will show the fulfillment of God’s perfect wisdom in creating us as human beings who are the pinnacle of His creation and the appropriate bearers of His likeness and image.” So, the children who have tragically passed too soon in our reckoning will have the appearance of mature yet youthful adulthood in the eternal state. Those aged saints who have lived long lives on the earth will have the appearance of mature yet youthful adulthood in the eternal state. For an aging, physically hurting guy like me, that sounds pretty fantastic.
Additionally, we will bear the same resemblance in eternity that we have now. When Jesus appeared to upwards of 500 people after His resurrection, He was recognizable. With the exception of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Jesus hid His identity from them on purpose) those who saw Jesus knew it was Jesus. They didn’t think it was Him, they didn’t mistake Him for someone else, they knew it was their Lord and Savior. While there may be differences due to the glorious nature of our new bodies, we will recognize one another in glory.
All Things New
Not only was humanity cursed as a result of the Fall, but all of creation was subjected to the futility of sin’s curse. Animals are divided into predator and prey. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and wildfires happen. Famine and drought rob people of what they need to survive. This is all the result of sin’s curse on the earth. An eternal body is wonderful, but even if we don’t need food, water, etc., and we cannot be killed by a natural disaster, this doesn’t seem like a pleasant place to spend eternity. Creation groans (Rom. 8:19) for the renewal that will come from Christ, and to the glory of God, it will get exactly that.
Revelation 21:1-2, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” So, a new heaven and earth, and a new capital city. I don’t have time in this writing to go in-depth with this, but I may tackle it in a future article. For now, let’s broadly examine what this means.
Heaven and earth will be joined together in the new creation. From John’s words, I hold that they will not be separate, but will be one and the same, and we will have unmitigated access to the fullness of it. God’s glory and presence will fill it, and we will be in that presence wherever we go within this new creation. The New Jerusalem should be viewed as a sort of capital city. While some hold that the New Jerusalem is where we will spend eternity, I would disagree, but I concede that it is possible, and this is an open debate that can be had with grace and civility. But since we have a new heaven and new earth in addition to this capital, these can be viewed as distinct locales that all of God’s people will be able to access, and who will do physical activity in them. For example, there will be a wedding feast (Revelation 19:6-9) where we will eat. Why do we have to eat? We don’t have to; we will do it for the joy of doing it. Jesus didn’t have to eat, but He did. (Luke 24:42-43). We will serve and worship God before His throne (Revelation 7:15).
So, it is important that we know that this will not be a state of mind, nor is it simply an allegory, nor will it only be spiritual, but we will dwell in a literal, physical location with God in a literal, physical body for eternity. As evidence of this, the New Jerusalem had physically recognizable characteristics and measurable dimensions (Revelation 21:9-27). If the eternal state isn’t a literal and physical place, why bother to describe it in detail? As it has been described to us in the Scriptures, so can we expect it to be.
When Will This Happen?
One last piece to this. All of this happens when the Lord Jesus returns. If and when we die prior to the Lord’s imminent return, we will certainly go to be with Him in spirit, since to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Until the time of Christ’s return, we will remain in that spiritual state of joy and bliss, unburdened by the concerns of this life. Upon His return, however, Christ will physically raise both the dead in Him as well as the dead who rejected Him. Those in Him will enter into the physical, eternal state Scripture has described, and those who rejected Him will be raised into a physical body to be cast out of His presence into the Lake of Fire. Just as we who are in Christ will be eternally and physically at peace and rest, those outside of Christ will be eternally and physically punished and tormented.
Summary
Glory is what awaits those in Christ. Upon His imminent and assured return, Christ will make all things new and in His perfect image. This will include both His people and the place they will dwell in. These perfect bodies will be uncorrupted by sin and will be incorruptible, never to decay, age, die, or anything associated with the curse of sin. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a promise of this, as He is the firstfruits, or the first type, of new life to come, and we who are in Him can certainly expect to bask in His glory for time unending. This is the ultimate hope of the people of God, that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion on the Day of Christ, and that will be a day without equal in terms of victory, joy, peace, and rest. This is the hope that causes all of God’s people to echo the words of the apostle John, who was given a glimpse into this, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” May we await this day with patient endurance to the glory of God the Father who has saved us in Christ, and may He hasten His return.
Soli Deo Gloria
Grudem, Wayne. 1994. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. 1st ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
