The Neglected Peak of Salvation – Glorification by Faith
By: Irnawan Silitonga
This brief writing serves to remind us that the perfect salvation provided by the Lord Jesus for us has been revealed by Paul in the first eight chapters of the Book of Romans. In most theological schools, there is a subject called ‘Soteriology’, which discusses the salvation that the Lord Jesus has provided for us. However, usually what is discussed there are only ‘justification by faith’ and ‘sanctification by faith’. If only those two are discussed, then salvation is not yet complete. There is still one more stage, which is actually the pinnacle of Jesus’ work for us—‘glorification by faith’.
Romans chapter 8 explains that glorification by faith is the highest point of salvation for us. Let us quote several verses to clarify this. Romans 8:10 says, “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (LITV). Romans 8:17 says, “… joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together, so that we may also be glorified together” (LITV). Romans 8:23 says, “… we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting the adoption, the redemption of our body” (LITV). Here, glorification by faith is described as the redemption of our body—that is, the putting off of this sinful body and its replacement with the glorious body that Jesus also possesses, because we are joint heirs with Him.
When, where, how, and for what purpose will we be glorified together with the Lord Jesus? Romans 8:19–21 explains: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits 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; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (LITV).
When and where does glorification by faith occur? It will, of course, happen when the Kingdom of Heaven—of which we are already citizens—is fully manifested on earth at His coming (commonly called the second coming of Jesus). How will glorification by faith take place? When our physical bodies are transformed into glorious bodies, the same as that of Jesus. For God’s chosen ones who have died before Jesus’ coming, they will wait for the resurrection of the saints at His return. What is the purpose of our being glorified together with the Lord Jesus on earth? It is to liberate all creation from the bondage of corruption, bringing it into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Through the ministry of the glorified sons of God, this old earth (the First Earth) will move toward the New Earth—and the New Heaven as well. When Elohim creates the New Heaven and the New Earth, it does not mean that the first heaven and earth will be completely destroyed and replaced. The theological term is not ‘creatio ex nihilo’ (creation out of nothing), but ‘creatio ex vetere’ (creation out of the old). This means that the New Heaven and New Earth are the first heaven and earth that have undergone a radical transformation through the ministry of the glorified sons of God.
This is the true purpose of Jesus’ coming to the earth. This is the perfect salvation that Jesus accomplished on the cross. This is also the reason the Father chose His elect. We are not going to be evacuated to some faraway “heaven” where all we do is sing endlessly. Such a fairy-tale version of heaven is not found anywhere in the New Testament, even though it has been widely believed by the majority of Christendom. Rather, God’s chosen people long for the perfect salvation that Jesus has accomplished. Amen.