The Hope of Glory
Dearly beloved, we ought to be so thankful that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ draws nigh. We can rejoice day by day for the victory that God has been promised us over sin and death.
Death is an enemy; the last one that will be destroyed before God makes all things new again in a new heaven and new earth. Death is not a welcomed friend; it brings people into a worse state, that of corruption and decay. It is the absence of life of any kind. Only those in Christ have this glorious hope.
The saint’s hope is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only he has the power and authority given him by His Father to raise the dead in Christ and to change the living ones in Christ to be immortal. He will end the humiliation we suffer today concerning death and corruption.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [old English, meaning precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:15-18
This is our hope, dearly beloved.
“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that is may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” Philippians 3:20,21
Who will do this? The Lord Jesus Christ will do it. Our bodies will be like whose body? They will be like our Lord’s glorious body! We will no longer be subject to death; we will have everlasting life.
Corruption in the grave will not be our end; we will receive incorruptible bodies! We will no longer suffer the humiliation of death; we will be raised in glory! We will no longer be weak mortals; we will be raised in power! We will no longer have natural bodies; we will have spiritual bodies like our Lord’s!
Beloved, God called us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. He called us in Christ, justified us in him, and we will be glorified together with him! In fact, our Father will freely give us all things with Christ! Nothing can separate us from His love for us. Condemnation does not await us; glory does! Read Romans 8:29 and following.
“Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Thessalonians 2:14
Beloved, we will obtain, we will acquire the glory for which we were saved. We are the sons of God today and when he appears we will be like him – glorious forevermore!
“The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:16-18
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.” I Thessalonians 5:10 and 11
Rejoice beloved! He is coming; it could even be today! It is Christ in you, the hope of glory!