Chico Alliance Church
August 19, 2001
Pastor David Welch
“Destined for Glory”
Romans 5:2
Review
I. Receive the gift of God’s righteousness by faith 1-5
A. God proves every man needs His righteousness 1-3
B. God explains and illustrates His way to righteousness 3:21-4:25
C. Justification results in multiple benefits 5:1-21
1. Benefits of justification highlighted 5:1-11
Therefore, having been justified by faith let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have obtained our introduction (access) into this grace in which we stand and let us exult in hope of the glory of God.
a) Let us have (enjoy) peace with God
Through Christ we have been granted introduction or access into a grace or blessing in which we presently “stand”. It is a grace in which God, on the basis of our faith, established us and in which we STILL stand!
b) Let us exult in hope of the glory of God
Whereas verse one focused on our present peace with God and the urging to fully experience the full ramifications of it and the first part of verse two looked to the past establishment of our standing before God that continues into the present, the last part of verse two looks to our future blessing – the glory of God. In the same way that verse one may be interpreted declarative or suggestive. So the verb used in the last part of verse two may also be interpreted either way.
“We exult in hope of the glory of God.” (declarative)
“Let us exult in hope of the glory of God.” (suggestive)
Whatever interpretation you embrace does not alter three powerful points emphasized here.
The focus on exultation.
The emphasis on our ultimate hope.
The anticipation of the glory of God.
Exult
Paul either declares the reality of those who exult in hope of the glory of God as a result of justification or Paul urges all believers, including himself, to exult in hope of the glory having already experienced the blessing of justification and the wonder of peace with God.
The term “exult” means to boast or verbalize something with confident and enthusiastic fervor. It describes the natural response when we accomplish something or witness something for which we feel a great sense of accomplishment or have great interest.
My father/mother…
My wife/husband…
My son/daughter…
I finally finished…
My grandchildren…
You get the idea.
Here, the optimistic outburst has to do with our hope or confident expectation of the glory of God.
“Hope”
“hope” reflects the “desire of some good with expectation of obtaining it.” The emphasis is on the confident expectation. We often use this term in relation to a desire or which for something to happen. “I hope so!” “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” “I hope I don’t run out of gas.”
“I hope to see you soon.”
The New Testament use of the word communicates a higher concept of “hope” by weighing in more heavily on the idea of a confident expectation of future good in spite of present grief. Biblical hope transcends a mere desire or wish that something might happen.
The effectiveness of hope has to with the object or outcome of our hope, just like the effectiveness of faith has to do with its object. Hope in government? Hope for people to change? Hope for prosperity, comfort and ease? The more powerful the object of our hope the stronger our confidence. Of course Biblical hope focuses on God as the object of hope.
We hope in God. We expectantly wait for God to bring about the good He has promised. Faith and hope are very close cousins. We choose to believe in the promise of God and endure today because of our confidence (hope) that God will bring about good tomorrow.
One could legitimately substitute the word confidence in place of hope.
“Let us exult in confidence and full expectation of one day truly reflecting the glory of God.”
The New Testament is full of hope. It is one of the crown jewels of Christianity – faith, hope and love along with peace. We will deal more fully with the wonder of hope later when we bump into it in chapter 8. This passage is actually a wonderful summary of a number of truths expanded upon later.
Hope is just one of them. God’s promise (hope) was such a striking reality to Paul that he was able to face trials and eventually death because of it.
"And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Acts 26:6-7
If the resurrection of Christ and the promise of God had been a mere myth, this would have been the opportunity to drop it and save his neck.
Paul lost his head clinging to the hope conveyed in the Gospel.
Jesus confidently faced death and suffering because of His hope in the Father.
’I saw the Lord always in my presence;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
’Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope;
Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
’You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ Acts 2:25-28
Here, Paul urges believers to confidently and enthusiastically declare (exult) their confident expectation (hope) of one day fully and perfectly reflecting the glory of God.
“Let us exult in hope of the glory of God.”
Not only has justification resulted in peace with God in the present based on our past justification and introduction into new relationship but also inspires a confident expectation to actually become like Christ in the future and once again fully reflect the glory of the Creator as He originally intended.
“Glory”
The term translated “glory” needs further exploration. The term itself comes from the word to think or recognize. It came to describe that which causes one to think highly or recognize admirable attributes. It is that which captures attention by its superior function. Glory always attaches to something. Everything emanates a glory. Glory describes that which draws us to recognize admirable qualities in a person, event or object.
A glorious performance
A glorious triple play
A glorious sunset or sunrise
A glorious full moon
A glorious personality
A glorious flower arrangement
When something or someone demonstrates excellence, beauty or efficiency or exhibits rare ability or character it elicits a response from those who recognize it. Man’s glory is fleeting and often based on faulty thinking or misguided opinion. Since God is perfect and the source of all that is inherently good he radiates the ultimate glory. Like fire radiates both heat and light to those nearby, the character of God radiates glory. The glory of Jesus grabbed attention his whole life and even in death. The disciples were indelibly marked by what they saw.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
John never forgot the experience on the mountain with James and Peter when the glory of the perfect Christ broke through the barriers of his flesh and lit up the mountain. Jesus radiated an identical glory as the Father – glory as of the only begotten of the father. The grace and truth that characterized everything he did radiated something never observed to that degree in man’s experience.
Just as the heavens continually tell of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands (Psa 19:1), so Jesus radiated the very nature of God to those who had a mind to look. The person, purpose and power of God radiate a glow or awe-inspiring quality that in turn inspires response from those who recognize it. God’s glory surpasses everything and sets Him apart from all that is not God. The Scriptures continually exalt Him above all the earth. God’s glory surpasses even the sun in its brilliance.
And the city (the New Jerusalem) has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Rev. 21:23
God’s glory at times manifested in fire and a cloud of smoke.
And it came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. Exodus 16:10
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Rev. 15:8
And the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. Exodus 24:16-17
Moses had a frightening encounter with God’s glory. Exodus 33:18-23
This most intimate encounter with God affected even his physical body.
And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. Exodus 34:29
Solomon encountered the glory of the Lord filling the newly dedicated temple. 2 Chron. 7:1-3
The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everything says, "Glory!" Psalm 29:9
The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Psalm 113:4
And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3
Everything points to God, including man. God chose to impart his glory into his creation.
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! Psalm 8:4-5
Yet man chose to sever his relationship with God and pollute the glory that comes from intimate connection with God.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Rom1:22-23
God was willing to share with those who would acknowledge the source of their glory and reflect it back to the source but refused to give let man claim ultimate credit.
"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. Isa 42:8
God graphically illustrated just how serious He is about failing to attribute ultimate glory to Him in the early days of the church.
On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:21-23
Restored relationship with God restores the reflection of God’s glory.
Jesus hinted at the restoration of glory in His prayer in John 17.
"The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one John 17:22-24
It is the glory of a righteous life a life full of grace and truth. Jesus promised every believer this taste of divine glory. Every believer has the hope of the glory of God. The same glory we just reviewed is every believer’s destiny. Paul urges us to declare with enthusiasm our hope, our confident expectation of becoming like Jesus and fully reflect the glory of our most glorious God.
It is our destiny.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 1 John 3:1-2
Therefore since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Col. 3:1-4
All creation groans in anticipation of the revealing of the sons of God in glory.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:18-25
Even our bodies will experience glorification along with out souls. Spirit has been renewed
Soul is being renewed. Bodies will be renewed.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philip. 3:20-21
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Cor. 4:16-18
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:28-30
Progressive glorification
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:9-18
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Cor. 4:1-10
God calls us to reflect the glory of God by reflecting the nature of Jesus.
Christ living in us provides the basis of our hope to again reflect the glory of God.
to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27
We have settled for mediocrity when God called us to glory not only at His coming but here and now in increasing intensity as we look to Jesus.
Application
What does the Scripture urge us to do in light of this most monumental hope and destiny?
How does our eternal destiny affect our everyday existence?
1. Fix your hope on the future glory
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13-16
2. Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews, John, Paul, Peter, James. Nearly every New Testament writer calls us to focus on Jesus. If we will be like him because we shall see him more clearly at His coming, then it stands to reason, the more clearly we perceive Him now, the more we will be like Him now. Basically it all has to do with a focus on the one we want to be like. You become like what you look at. The Bible directs us to focus on Jesus, the originator and finisher of our new life. By looking at him, we begin to become like him. We experience transformation with every encounter of His glory building one upon the other until we become like the one we hang out with and pursue. If we never encounter his glory, we will never experience the resulting transformation. Paul told the Colossians (3:1-4) “Since you have been raised up with Christ seek eternal things, set you mind on eternal things.”
3. Continually expose and lay aside every sin and encumbrance
And everyone who has this hope (being like Jesus) fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:3
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile life inherited from your ancestors but with precious blood as of a 1amb blameless and spotless the blood of Christ. I Pet 1
Being like Christ at times seems a hopeless pursuit. Paul will review in the next verse the divine process whereby the seemingly hopeless destiny of developing the character of Christ gives way to hope. The whole world will one day recognize the glory of those who embrace Jesus today. Even creation expectantly awaits the revelation of the sons of God in glory. It is our destiny. It is not only our destiny but should be our ultimate delight to actually be like the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We have no glory in ourselves. Like the moon, which can only reflect the glory of the sun, we must be in a position to reflect the brilliance of the one who crated us and destined us for the glory of God.
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. Psalm 3:3
Let us exult in hope of one day fully reflecting the unsurpassable glory of God.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus so that we may not have to wait until His return to experience what it means to reflect that glory.
Next week we will look at the process God uses to transform us and develop character in us now that intensifies our hope of eventually reflecting God’s eternal glory.
Blessing and Benediction
May you fully grasp the wonder of the hope of your calling!
May you find inexpressible joy in realizing your ultimate destiny!
May you find the motivation to be holy in all your behavior as true sons and daughters of God!
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
2 Thes. 2:16-17
