The Glory of the Glory to Come

Temple Baptist Church - 6-3-2018

Romans 8:18-21

Introduction:

A.  Last week, we took a short look at the suffering of this present time.  Life is hard; life is unfair; life can both physically and spiritually crush you if you allow it to do so.  There are times when I am disappointed, hurt, angry, confused, and just plain tired of life.  In these verses, Paul gets the spiritual eyes of the Roman believers on the future instead of this present, evil world.

B.  One of my favorite songs says, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus; life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.  One look at His dear face, all sorrows will erase; so bravely run the race, ‘til we see Christ.”

1.  Verse 18, we see the comparison.  “Not worthy to be compared.”

2.  Verse 19, we see the expectation.  “The manifestation of the sons of God.”

3.  Verses 20-21, we see the deliverance from corruption.  “From the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” 

C.  The song writer got a spiritual glimpse of the glory to come: “Oh, that will be glory for me, glory for me.  When by His grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me!”

D. The glory which shall be revealed.  It will be revealed “in” us as well as to us.  Let me clarify the use of the preposition “in.”  Many years ago, when we went to the Grand Canyon, I looked at it through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy.  Being raised in Kentucky, I had seen strip pits all my life.  We swam in these abandoned surface coal mines.  My thought was that the Grand Canyon was the biggest gully that I had ever see.  My day said that if he had been there when that thing started and had a couple of bales of hay, he could have stopped it.  Most see it in wonder and awe.  Everyone sees the same thing with their eyes but their perspective is different.  When we get to heaven, we will all see the same thing, but our inward perspective will be the same.

1.  The Glory of Seeing Christ!  For the first time, we will see Christ—not as we imagine Him to be—but as He is.

John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Jude 24-25  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  (25)  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

2.  The Glory of Experiencing A New Body!

Romans 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Philippians 3:20-21  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:  (21)  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

3.  The Glory of Our Eternal Home!  Heaven and earth will exceed all our expectations! 

1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Revelation 21:1-2  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

John 14:1-2  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  (2)  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

4.  The Glory of Former Things Passed Away!  One of the greatest things about heaven is what will not be there!

2 Peter 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Revelation 21:4-5  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (5)  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Romans 8:18  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.