By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #325 ~
In the epistles, we find all this spiritual gold relating to our present life on earth. But we also discover spiritual gems describing our hope. The book of Romans, for example, has much to say about justification, but it also speaks about Christ’s return and the future glory of God. Today I will look at eight glorious gems that are found in this book – Rom. 5:2, Rom. 8:18-25, Rom. 8:28-31, Rom. 11, Rom. 13:11-14, Rom. 14:10-12, Rom. 15:8-13, and Rom. 16:25-27.
Romans 5:2 – “We exult in hope of the glory of God.” I get tired of this evil, people-exalting, devil-controlled world. Don’t you? But God gave us this important example instructing us to be excited about His coming glory – His truth, power, holiness, justice, wisdom, love, mercy, goodness, majesty, etc. It won’t be long before God’s glory is on display all over the world, in the creation, in the lives of Jews, Gentiles, and glorified saints, and most importantly, in the life and work of Jesus Christ the King. Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Ps. 72:18-19
Romans 8:18-25 – “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Vs. 18). Life can be hard – we hurt, we suffer, we get sick, we are persecuted. We live in a world that is groaning and in a body that is groaning. But our hope is that this physical world will be set free from sin – be restored, and that our physical body will be set free from sin – be glorified. “The creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption… we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:21, 23; Phil. 3:20-21
Romans 8:28-30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called, and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (vs. 30). This is an excellent summary of God’s overall plan of salvation, climaxing in God’s ultimate goal for us, that we be glorified. It’s at Christ’s coming that our salvation will be complete, for that’s when we will be glorified, “be conformed to the image of God’s Son”, and when we will be able to love and live for God like He purposed and planned in eternity past.
Romans 11 – “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (vs. 36). One of the biggest ways God receives glory is through His plan of salvation with regards to Jews and Gentiles. In His wisdom, God first focused on the Jews, but during this church age, their hearts being partially hardened, God has focused on the Gentiles. After the end of this age, when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (25), a remnant of Jews will be redeemed. God’s saving work with both Jews and Gentiles will result in Him being greatly and eternally glorified.
Romans 13:11-13 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” Do you know what time it is? Do you know that we are very close to the end of this age? That’s when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin reigning over the world? So don’t be asleep! Wake up! And be holy and lively for the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is how you glorify God!
Romans 14:10-12 – “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” A person’s primary purpose is to serve God and give Him glory. Knowing that we are in the end-times and that it won’t be long before we see Christ and give an account of how we have lived our life (our “work will become evident” – 1 Cor. 3:13-15), should motivate us to be holy and wholly loving God and living for Him.
Romans 15:8-13 – “Christ has become a servant… to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy.” God’s prophetic word promises a coming age when Christ is ruling over both Jews and Gentiles who are unitedly glorifying Him. This passage concludes with an encouraging, forward-looking prayer, that all believers would be looking forward to God’s glory – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 16:25-27 – “To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” God Himself will keep us going to the end of our life or the end of this age, and for all eternity. The gospel and the truths of Christ are the basis by which we are established and become strong and give glory to God during this life and forever.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.” Jude 24-25
P.S. God has much to say about our future, about Christ’s coming, and God’s glory, and so much more than we realize. The most well read article is about Matthew 24, what I consider to be the single most important prophecy chapter for Christians.