"Saints Future Glory" Romans Pt. 11 Series

“Saints Future Glory”

Romans part 11

Opening Illustration: From Blue Fish TV – “Moth and Rust!”

* This clip challenges the Christian to think about eternal things rather than the temporal things of this world.

Thesis: The Saints have the promise of a future glory in eternity as long as they persevere in the ways of the Spirit. The Saint is predestined to be like Jesus and share in His glory!

Scripture Text: Romans 8:16-30

16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Introduction:

Saints are the children of God and every saint has a divine purpose and one day they will receive a future reward associated with the Glory of God.

They are promised that their suffering will be rewarded in Heaven by God. Those who share in the suffering which comes from living life like a Saint in this world will one day also share in the glory that comes from faithfully serving the Lord.

Paul tells us that our present suffering do not equal – or measure up to the reward associated with the glory of God. The comparison would be doing working for minimum wage and at the end of the day receiving $1,000 dollars an hour. The work may have been hard but the pay was out of this world. There is really no comparison – when we press through our time of suffering like a Saint. Our earthly life with all of the hurts and the pain will seem like a hard swim across the pool when we are living in eternity with Jesus. The promise from this passage is when we enter eternity then we will participate in God’s glory!

So what is God’s glory? – It’s called a heavy weighty presence of God Himself with all of His splendor of being light. Listen to a few definitions which seek to help us see what this reward will be like.

Definition of Glory:

(1) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honor (Ps. 49:12); glory (Gen. 31:1; Matt. 4:8; Rev. 21:24, 26).

(2.) Honor, dignity (1 Kings 3:13; Heb. 2:7 1 Pet. 1:24); of God (Ps. 19:1; 29:1); of the mind or heart (Gen. 49:6; Ps. 7:5; Acts 2:46).

(3.) Splendour, brightness, majesty (Gen. 45:13; Isa. 4:5; Acts 22:11; 2 Cor. 3:7); of Jehovah (Isa. 59:19; 60:1; 2 Thess. 1:9).

(4.) The glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God (Isa. 40:5; Acts 7:2; Rom. 1:23; 9:23; Eph. 1:12). Jesus is the “brightness of the Father’s glory” (Heb. 1:3; John 1:14; 2:11).

(5.) The bliss of heaven (Rom. 2:7, 10; 5:2; 8:18; Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:1, 10).

** (From Parsons Dictionary)

T.S. - Saints need to keep their eyes on eternity and the promise of future glory. This

eternal perspective will empower them to not give up their pursuit of living life like a