Purpose of Salvation
A Sermon on Romans 8:17-18
Originally preached April 14, 1961
Scripture
17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which …
Sermon Description
According to Genesis 1–2, humanity is the crown of God’s creation. Adam and Eve’s innocent state before the God whose image and likeness they reflected represented the tremendous glory given to them. Sadly, all this was affected by the fall. What then is the ultimate goal of salvation? As wonderful as forgiveness of sin may be, is salvation merely that? As gracious as avoiding the eternal wrath of God in hell would be, is that all salvation is about? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in this sermon on salvation that God should be praised because salvation is so much more. Not only does the Christian attain the original glory of humanity in the garden, but in Christ they anticipate and will receive much more glory than Adam ever experienced – perfection. In this sermon on Romans 8:17–18 titled “Purpose of Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones lays out the apostle Paul’s argument regarding the glorification that awaits the Christian. Glorification is the Christian’s goal, not mere justification, and not even sanctification. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says a biblical view of glorification is important for Christian lives, especially during times of great suffering. In fact, Paul constantly connects suffering with glory in the life of the believer. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings out the great implications and application of this truth for the Christian life today.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Romans 8:17-18. The ultimate end and object of salvation is our glorification.
- Glorification means full and entire deliverance from sin and evil in all their effects and in every respect, body, soul and spirit. We shall become like the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect and glorified men.
- The apostle introduces glorification in Romans 5:2 - "we rejoice in hope of the glory of God". He continues this theme in Romans 8.
- Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God, suggesting a kind of glory. But man sinned and fell, losing this glory. Man is now restless, trying to regain what was lost.
- We can only understand Christian salvation as restoring this lost glory and more - we are taken beyond Adam's original state. What Adam lost is freely given to us in Christ.
- Currently, we have glimpses of this glory through the Spirit, but we are not yet glorified. We are being sanctified in preparation for glorification. Sin remains in our mortal bodies, so we continue to struggle against it.
- There are proofs that we are children of God being prepared for glory: being led by the Spirit; having the Spirit of adoption; the witness of the Spirit; suffering with Christ.
- Whenever the Bible speaks of glory, it also speaks of suffering. This is to prevent believers from stumbling and thinking the Christian life means an end to suffering. Suffering and glory are juxtaposed.
- Romans 8:18-25 shows our glorification is part of the glorification of the whole cosmos. This provides further assurance of our salvation and an understanding of the Christian life and suffering.
- We must have a clear view of the association of suffering and glory to have a strong Christian testimony.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Be Glorified with Christ According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does glorification mean according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, glorification means "full and entire deliverance from sin and evil in all their effects and in every respect, body, soul and spirit, body, mind and spirit." It represents the complete transformation where "the whole man will be completely and entirely delivered from every harmful effect of sin, every tarnishing, polluting effect of sin." Beyond just being free from sin, we will "become like the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect men, glorified men."
Why does Lloyd-Jones say suffering and glory are always linked in Scripture?
Lloyd-Jones points out that in Scripture, the apostles "never mention glory without immediately mentioning at the same time suffering." He cites multiple passages where this pattern appears: Romans 5, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Colossians 1:24-27, and 2 Timothy 2:12. This connection is emphasized because suffering is part of our preparation for glory: "it is in order that you may be glorified, that you are suffering." The connection between suffering and glory has been "one of the greatest stumbling blocks to Christian people" who mistakenly expect the Christian life to be free from troubles.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the original glory of man and what was lost in the Fall?
Lloyd-Jones explains that God made man "in his own image and likeness," giving him "a kind of glory." Man was "the Lord of creation" with a special dignity. However, when man sinned, he "lost this original position." This explains why people are restless and constantly seeking glory—they retain "a kind of memory and recollection of what [they] once was" and are "always trying to get it back" but cannot. As Romans 3:23 states, all have "come short of the glory of God."
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the relationship between our glorification and Christ's glorification?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that our glorification is directly connected to Christ's glorification through our union with Him. He emphasizes that "everything that happens to us in the Christian life is the result of our being joined to him." He states, "We shall be glorified, and our glorification, like everything else that happens to us in the Christian life, is the result of our being joined to him." This union means we will share in Christ's glory: "If so be that we suffer with him in order that we may be also glorified together."
According to Lloyd-Jones, will Christians simply be restored to Adam's original state?
No. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that in Christ, we are not only restored to what Adam was before the Fall but "taken beyond that." He explains that "Adam was not yet glorified. He was perfect as men, but he hadn't been glorified." What is offered to believers in Christ is "nothing less than glorification"—the state "to which men, if he'd continue to keep God's commandments, would have arrived." Lloyd-Jones quotes Isaac Watts: "In him, the tribes of Adam burst more blessings than their father lost," explaining that we receive "not merely restoration to where Adam was" but are "taken beyond to the place to which Adam would have arrived had he continued in a state of innocence and of obedience."
The Book of Romans
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.