Glorification
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached May 10, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
What is the end result of salvation? Sadly, many Christians never look at the wealth of teaching that Scripture gives about the great scope of salvation, for Christ did not come simply to save people from punishment but Jesus Christ came to make all things new. He came to save bodies and souls from death. Glorification is the completion of all that Christ has begun in His people. This shows that Christianity is not only concerned with the spiritual realm of creation but also the physical, for God will not rest until He has made all things new through Christ Jesus and redeemed all His people fully. But only those who believe in Jesus will receive the gift of glorification. Only those who repent and forsake their sins will become inheritors in the new heavens and the new earth. The Bible is clear that there is no salvation outside of Christ and there is no hope apart from His work. This sermon on John 1:16 confronts all with the reality of their sin and the need to be made new in Christ Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on John 1:16 which states "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." This verse summarizes what it means to be a Christian - to receive grace upon grace from Christ.
- Simply believing certain things about Christ does not make one a Christian. One must receive from Christ's fullness. There is a difference between intellectual belief and truly receiving Christ.
- In Christ there is an eternal fullness. He had to come to earth, die, rise, and ascend to heaven before we could receive this fullness.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 states that Christ has become our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The sermon focuses on "redemption" which refers to glorification.
- Glorification means entire spiritual sanctification - being made perfectly holy and free from sin. We are being changed from glory to glory by the Spirit.
- Glorification also refers to the redemption of our bodies. Our current bodies are subject to corruption but will be made incorruptible. They will be transformed to be like Christ's glorious body.
- We do not currently see God face to face, but then we will have perfect knowledge of Him. We will see Him as He is.
- Those who have died will appear with Christ when He returns. We will share in the glory of His eternal kingdom.
- We will judge the world and angels. We will be restored to the position of dominion over creation that God originally gave humanity.
- The pure in heart will see God. We will have access to the tree of life and eternal life.
- We are being prepared in this life for the glory to come through righteousness and sanctification. Glorification is the ultimate end.
Sermon Q&A
What Is Meant by Glorification in Christian Theology According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the ultimate goal of salvation?
According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones, glorification is the ultimate goal of salvation. He explains it as "the end of salvation. It is the terminus, if you like, of salvation. It is the final object of salvation." He describes how salvation progresses through wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, ultimately culminating in glorification. Lloyd-Jones sees this as the complete fulfillment of our redemption, where believers will be perfected and transformed to be like Christ.
How does Lloyd-Jones differentiate between sanctification and glorification?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that sanctification is an ongoing process in this life, while glorification is the completed state in eternity. He states, "our sanctification is proceeding. We are not yet perfect. There is no such thing as entire sanctification in this life and in this world." Sanctification is the progressive work of becoming more like Christ, described as changing "from glory to glory," while glorification is the final perfected state where believers will be "holy and without blemish," having "no spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing."
What aspects of human existence will be glorified according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, glorification encompasses the entire human being:
- Spirit and soul - "entire spiritual sanctification, perfect holiness, entire deliverance in the realm of the Spirit from all the relics and the remnants of sin"
- Body - "the redemption of our body" from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to immortality
- Knowledge - "Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face" - perfect knowledge of God
- Position - believers will "share with him in the glory of his eternal kingdom" and "reign with him"
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about our bodies in glorification?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that our current bodies are not yet redeemed and are characterized by "corruption," "weakness," "dishonor," and mortality. In glorification, these bodies will be completely transformed. Citing 1 Corinthians 15, he explains: "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption... It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." The glorified body will be "free from every taint and every weakness," with "no infirmity," not "subject to any disease," and having "no sin attached to it."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe our relationship to God in the glorified state?
In the glorified state, Lloyd-Jones describes an intimate, direct relationship with God characterized by:
- Perfect vision - "we shall see Him as He is" without any veil or hindrance
- Perfect knowledge - "then shall I know even as also I am known"
- Perfect communion - "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
- Perfect sharing in Christ's reign - "we shall reign with him" and "judge the world" and even "judge angels"
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this direct communion with God represents the ultimate fulfillment of our salvation, beyond what we can fully comprehend in our current state.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.