Union With Christ - Glorified with Christ

What if your current struggles are not the end of your story?

In this message, we look at the incredible hope at the heart of the Christian faith: that God is still at work and that one day every believer will be completely transformed in Christ. No more pain. No more sorrow. No more brokenness.

🎧 Listen this week and be encouraged that what Christ started in you, He will finish. 

Transcript

Well, good morning everyone. So good to see you. Trust you are indeed enjoying the weather. Some people say it's too hot, some people think it's not hot enough. Well, just take it please.

It might pass quickly. Fantastic. What a joy it is just to bring to conclusion today our series Union with Christ. And over the past few weeks we've been really sort of digging into God's word to hear what he has to say about his work in our lives and what he's bringing us into. And some people have said thank you so much.

This has been a deep kind of teaching session and we've really enjoyed going a little bit deeper into the subject of salvation and what God is doing and what he offers to the world. And it's a joy for me just to conclude that today with some something called Glorified with Christ. And if you can only remember one thing today, then I would encourage you to remember this. This is the first slide. What Christ started.

Okay, he will finish. On a summer afternoon back in 1967, a 17 year old girl dived into Chapsteer Bay and the water was shallower than she actually realized at the time. And she hit the bottom quite hard and she heard, she says she heard something like eggshells being crushed as she hit that bottom and surfaced to the top of obviously the water. And she couldn't move her arms, she couldn't move her legs. Her name was Joni Erickson Tarda and some of you might have heard of her before.

I would have loved to shown a little bit of clip but we haven't got time for that today. But if you go onto YouTube and type in Joni's name, you will pick up some stories of her sharing which are incredible. But for years she recalls that she battled with despair and that despair grew where by night she found herself, you know, begging God to help her die. I don't want to live, she talked about there. She described lying in that rehabilitation center was a really difficult hard time for her.

That despair was terrible as she lay for hours and hours and hours looking at the tiles on the ceiling because that's all she could do. And she cried out, where God are you in all of this? I don't know about you, but maybe what makes her story so powerful is not that it's unfamiliar to ask that question or being brought to that question because most people assume the Christian faith ends, you know, in the. That story would be normally. And of course God healed her, right?

We would expect maybe that, but he didn't. More than 50 years later, Joni is still in a wheelchair. She still lives with pain. She still lives with limitations. She has battled cancer in the middle of all of that.

And yet, she says, carefully, thoughtfully, and truthfully, she says that the wheelchair became one of the greatest gifts God ever used in her life. Not because the suffering was good, but because of what God was doing through it.

In one interview, she said, I would rather be in a wheelchair knowing Christ than on my feet without him. And then she said this. When I stand in heaven with my new glorified body, I. I will look back and realize that the wheelchair was one of the greatest blessings God ever gave me. Wow. I read that story.

I thought, what incredible strength. How does someone move from God? Why is this happening to me? To a place where you say, one day I will thank God for what he's used to prepare me for glory. That's an amazing thing.

The answer is, is this. I think she discovered that the Christian hope is actually bigger than survival. It's bigger than comfort, bigger than success. It's even bigger than physical healing. The Christian hope is much bigger.

That hope is something we call glorification, or glorified with Christ one day. That every person in Christ will be fully transformed into his likeness in. Into the likeness of Jesus Christ forever. It's an amazing truth. No more sin, no more shame.

Come on, somebody. No more fear, no more suffering, no more brokenness and no more death. Just incredible. Glorified with Christ. What a hope is the Christian faith.

Now, I know that for some of you, that promise feels very far away, maybe right now because of where you are and what you might be going through, but you're not sure, maybe, that you actually could have ever believed that or would believe that. Well, that's okay. Maybe just stay with me for a few moments. Joni actually understood something that many of us forget, that life is not the end of the story. This life is not the end of the story.

The pain is real. That's a fact. But it does not have the final say, folks. Suffering matters, but it's not forever. It doesn't go on forever.

Because every believer, for every Christian who believes in Christ, the end of the story is glory and not defeat. Why? Because what Christ started, he will finish. Absolutely. That's the confidence that we have.

And that is still, you know, kind of, if I can say it, is where this series has been kind of running for the past eight weeks. And we're heading for this, being glorified with Christ. Today we've seen that we are chosen with Christ. We've seen that we're redeemed with Christ. We have seen that we've been raised with Christ.

We've seen that we've been hidden with Christ, that we're alive with Christ, suffer with Christ, we're anointed with Christ, and finally today that we are glorified with Christ. And as we've seen in this series, the Christian life actually unfolds in three great movements, often called the golden chain, actually, but three great movements. The first movement, one of those theological words that we talked about in backgrounds weeks one to three, I think it was one to four, which was justification, which means that we who believe in Christ are saved from the penalty of sin. The wages of sin is death, the Bible says. And all our righteousness in this room stacked up together is like filthy rags in the sight of a holy God.

And the moment you trusted in Christ, God declared you righteous. Not because you earned it, not because you were perfect, but because Jesus took your place. He became your substitute and he took your sin upon himself. It was laid upon him, the Bible tells us, and his righteousness was given to you and me as a free gift. And we become in the sight of God, just as if we'd never sinned.

I can remember just one of my guys years ago, just as a young person who came from a really challenging, difficult background, parents and everything. And you know, he cussed and swore and beep, beep, beep. It was like that, you know, it was just incredible. And he, at the end of a kind of crusade thing, made a decision for Jesus. Somebody said, if you've never given your life to Jesus and you want to do that today, then invite him into your life today.

Respond to God's love for you through the cross. And he responded. I think we were all in shock, but in that moment, Christ declared him righteous as he put his faith in Jesus Christ as he believed in him.

Then the second word we talked about in this series was sanctification, which means that we are saved from the power of sin. We're encouraged through the Holy Spirit's work and through the word of God that washes and cleanses, that renews our minds and goes on and on and on, all these different kinds of things where God begins to change us by his Spirit and through the Word, into the image of Jesus Christ, his one and only Son, which is God's purpose for your life to become like Christ. And he does that daily. He works with us. He wants us to choose life and not death.

He wants us in love, to Pursue him to choose him, to choose his ways more than the ways of the world and be deceived, choosing life, not death. Sometimes it's painful, but your desires change, your thinking changes, your character may change, and you're becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Sanctification over the years, I couldn't believe how my friend's life changed. In fact, I have to tell you folks, since I gave my life to Christ, I can't tell you how much my life has changed because of the work of God in my life, because of the Holy Spirit challenging me, cleansing me, speaking into my life through His Word, changing me, encouraged me to walk a new path, convicting me of sin and righteousness and judgment. All these different kinds of things being transformed that probably is going to go on for a lifetime.

But it will bring us to this beautiful point we're talking about today called glorification, which is saved from the presence of sin. And one day this process will be complete. Everyone who's united with Christ will be fully transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Completely free from sin, fully alive in his presence and sharing forever in his glory. What a day that's going to be an amazing, amazing truth.

And I kind of remember a little song that came to my mind earlier. I used to travel with my mum and dad in the car and we used to sing everywhere, shops, petrol station, holidays and we'd get in the car and they'd sing and we'd all sing. Three part harmony was pretty good. The Sheriff von Trapp family kind of thing was going on and it was an old song that they used to sing was this. And do you want to hear it?

We'll have a go anyway if you know, join in. When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be. Some of you are old. When we all see Jesus we'll sing and shout the victory one more time We'll. When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be.

When we all see Jesus we'll sing and shout the victory. What a great song. Bit old fashioned now, needs a couple of distorted guitars and a heavy drum beat. But it's amazing truth that my parents used to teach me deeper truth through song. And of course that's what hymns were all about.

That is exactly folks, what the Apostle Paul takes us through and teaches. In the book of Romans, chapter 8, verse 30 it says this and those he predestined he also called. And those he called he also justified. And those he justified, he, he also what Glorified. And did you notice the word you or me in there?

No one. This is all God's work, completely Him. And what he starts, he finishes. That's right. And Paul uses this word, glorified, in a past tense, in the purposes of God.

Like you are glorified. Something's happening to you now in the purposes of God. Your glorification. Paul is trying to say to the people to encourage faith. Your glorification is not uncertain.

It is not fragile, and it's not hanging on by your ability to perform or to endure. It's already secured for you in Christ. He's got you. He's got it. Friends, your future glory does not rest on your ability to hold onto God.

It rests on God's promise to hold onto you. He's much better at that. So the God who chose you, the God who justified you, the God who sanctifies you, will also glorify you. Your future is secure. Your resurrection one day into a glorified body is certain.

Your transformation is guaranteed because he is bringing it about. And one day, every trace of sin will be gone and every wound healed and every sorrow redeemed and every broken thing will be restored. When Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you so that you might also be with me, he wasn't lying. There's something amazing ahead for us. This is not wishful thinking.

This is actually the promise of the gospel message that we carry. It's just brilliant. And honestly, deep down, that is what I think every human heart is longing for. It is because we all know something's wrong in the world when we may feel it at a funeral service as we say goodbye to the people that we love. Every hospital visit, where sickness is running ravage, where there's anxiety attacks and people become paralyzed, where relationships are broken and damage is caused every moment we look into the mirror.

I looked in the mirror again this morning and thought, gosh, you're getting older, your body's wearing out. It's starting to sag and crinkle a little bit. There's a few more wrinkles appearing. The Bible says that even creation is groaning.

And we don't have to look around the world too far to see some of that waiting for its redemption. Why? Because this world is not the end of the story, folks. It's not the end of the story. Glorification is God's final answer to everything that sin has broken.

There's going to be a glorious restoration. Why? Because what Christ started, he will finish. He will finish in Romans 8:18. The apostle Paul wrote for I consider that the sufferings of this present world are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

You know, I want to encourage you this morning and I hope you leave today encouraged because this is the hope that we have. Paul doesn't deny suffering here. Christianity is not a denial, if you like. It's not pretending even that pain is small. As we know, Paul himself actually suffered enormously.

The Bible tells us that he was beaten, he was in prison, he was shipwrecked, he was rejected, and eventually he was executed.

And yet here he says all of that is not worth comparing. Why? Because the glory coming is so overwhelming that it will dwarf the suffering behind, will dwarf it completely. Then Paul actually wrote to the Philippian Church and this is what he said. Our citizenship is not in heaven.

And from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will what? Who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. That's what he's going to do. The Bible says that's glorification, if you like. There.

The same Jesus who walked out of the grave will one day resurrect and transform people completely. We are being saved. But one day we will be saved in its fullness, which means the depressed mind will be healed, the anxious heart will rest, cancer will be no more, wheelchairs will be empty, every grave will open, Death will be kind of swallowed up. The Bible says forever. And we will live in the majesty and the joy and the life giving presence of God Almighty, forever sharing in his glory.

How amazing is that church. What a hope to have in your heart if you're not a Christian today. What a hope you could hold in your heart by believing in Jesus.

The Apostle John says in 1 John 3, 2. He says, Behold, beloved. Sorry, beloved. That's you who are loved. So loved.

We are God's children now. And what we will be has not yet appeared. In fact, somewhere else. It says, no ear has heard, no eye has seen what God has prepared in advance for those who believe. But we know that when he appears, what we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Just one glimpse of Christ in His full glory and every believer will be completely transformed, completely fully alive, fully holy, fully, fully free, fully healed kind of hearing. Amen. What a hope you have. What a hope we have. And in Revelation 21, again, the Bible just puts it beautifully for us.

It gives us the final picture. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall Bear their mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. That is glorification. Jesus glorified with Christ, God making all things new.

Why? Because what Christ started, he will finish. Now. Here's the point, and this is Paul's point. If that is the future and that is true, and we believe that, how does it change life now?

What's happening right now? Well, this is where 2 Corinthians and chapter 4 comes in. In verse 7, Paul says this. We have this treasure. All the stuff we've just talked about, this amazing hope that you and I hold in our heart.

He says we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. My goodness. Just incredible, really, when you think about it. This treasure is in a clay pot. This fragile, weak, kind of pathetic pot.

I mean, there are lots of fancy pots, but this pot, the Bible says. And inside this clay pot, this fragile, can get cracked and destroyed, probably from lots of outside frost. Just cracks the pots, doesn't it? All stuff like that. But the Bible, Bible says that God has planted his treasure.

All this stuff. You know, there's a bit of treasure in here. Today Alison told me she was putting me some money. 20, 40, 60, 80, a full ton. £100.

You get the picture. What you look on the inside is pretty weak and feeble. But there's treasure in there. That's you. When God starts to work in your life, Holy Spirit starts to work in your life, the word of God gets into your life, builds hope.

And there's treasure. The changing, transforming, justification, sanctification, glorification. All that is promised in Christ is ours and it's in us. Yes. Sometimes you feel weak.

Sometimes you feel fragile. Sometimes you wish you looked a bit better. You were a bit slimmer. In Jesus name, Some of you were a bit fatter, right? Because you're too thin.

I wish I didn't have my glasses. I wish I did have glasses. We become so discontented with who we are. But the treasure, because you're chosen, because you're called, because God's trying to build you up. He said, man, you don't know how much I love you.

You have no idea. Whenever you doubt you're loved, look at the cross. I gave everything for you and I've taken you on board and your vulnerability and your clay pot. Nature is purposed and planned by God.

He made us. He created us. From the moment he breathed dust, breathed on dust, clay came out of the ground. You and I, we're vessels, right? Isaiah, Jeremiah talks about the fact that he's the potter and we're the clay and he can make whatever he wants out of us.

He's shaping, molding and making as into his image. I once said, somebody put it this way, even a cracked pot or a cracked jar is how the light gets out. In other words, maybe some of your weaknesses and some of your failings and some of your hurts and everything else that happens in our fragility of life. When the light of God's treasure is in you, it's how it gets out. It's how it shines.

That's how people see your transformation. You're not perfect. You make mistakes, right? Or is that just me? You mess up sometimes.

You say the wrong things, you do the wrong things. But somehow God's grace is in there and he's working it. The treasure is in you. Something bigger people see a hope in your life that is so bigger and greater than just this life or what happens to you. There's something greater happens.

And this is why Paul goes on to say in verse eight, he says, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. Because suffering was not the end of the story for Paul. It wasn't the end of the story.

Paul understood something, that the future glory was so certain because it was Christ's achievement, that it reinterpreted the present suffering. Hello, did you get that? It reinterpreted the present suffering. That is completely different from pretending suffering is easy. Paul's not saying that it's easy.

It's not saying that it doesn't hurt, actually saying it's not the end, folks. That's what he's reminding people. There's something more, and maybe someone in here desperately needs to hear that today, that what you're walking through is not the end of your story. It's not the end of the story. That grief is not the end, that depression is not the end, that diagnosis is not the end, that failure is not the end, that addiction that you find yourself caught on is not the end of the disappointment that you're feeling right now.

That's not the end. If you're in Christ, glory is coming. There's something far greater. Why? Because what Christ started, he will finish.

The Apostle Paul also wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, this light and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. I was interested by that word, preparing. In the midst of all of this. That means your suffering is not meaningless because something's going on. God wastes nothing.

Not your tears, not your waiting, not your heartbreak, not the unanswered prayer moments that you've prayed for maybe many years. Friends, God is weaving even our darkest moments into his glory. It's all working together. Paul said, for the good of those who believe. This is why Joni can actually say that there is purpose even in the wheelchair.

There's purpose even in that, because she believes that the wheelchair is not the end of the story. She believes that one day she will stand in a resurrection glory. And I kind of believe she'll realize then that God was at work in and through her, preparing her all the time, all along the way for eternity and church. One day she will stand, literally in the presence of God. Can you imagine that moment with me for a second?

Can you imagine what it would be like? That wheelchair is empty. The pain's gone, nerves restored. A resurrected body untouched by weakness, sickness, frailty, or decay. And for the first time in decades, she will stand face to face with Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior.

Can you imagine what that moment would be like? That is glorification, to be glorified with Christ. The story of every believer does not end in a wheelchair. It's not the end. It does not end in the grave.

It ends, friends, when it comes face to face with Christ, face to face with Jesus, fully alive, fully healed, fully at home. And if you belong to Him, I want to tell you that ending has already been written. And you can rest in the hope that God's got you. He's got you, friends, because Christ has risen. And because he lives and rose from the dead, your future glory with him, every scar, every sorrow, every suffering, every fear, every tear will bow before the glory of Christ.

One day, that will happen. The story of the believer doesn't end with defeat. It actually ends with glory. And that glory is already secure for you in Christ. What Christ started, he will finish.

If you've never asked Jesus Christ into your life, why not do that today? You can have this treasure, all this hope alive within you. The Bible says all we need to do is turn to God and say, lord, I receive you. Forgive me of my sin. Come into my life.

Come into my heart. I believe in you. You died on the cross. You gave yourself for me. I confess you as my Lord and Savior.

And you will be saved. And the work of God begins in you, and you begin to be transformed as I have, as many people in this room have. And every person that contacts or makes contact with Christ. If you're a Christian today, get excited about the hope you have. It's not by your own efforts, it's by grace alone that you have been saved.

It should make us the happiest people on the planet. If I'm honest with you. Let that hope burn in your heart. In Jesus name, let's bow our heads. In Jesus name.

Just take one second just to talk to God.

Holy Spirit. Draw people to yourself today. Honour your word.

May people find peace with you, peace with themselves, peace with others as they come to you. May the joy of our salvation explode in our lives and tomorrow as we sit on trains, in cars or walk to work. Whatever we do, may the hope of our salvation truly be fully alive in Jesus. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy.

In Jesus name, amen. Hey. If you are not a Christian and you're saying yes today, Mark, I want to give my life to Christ. We have some people to my left and right. We're here for you.

We'd love to give you something to talk to you in these next moments. And please come, don't be embarrassed in any way. We'd love to help you connect to Christ. If you part of our church or just a visit today, you need somebody to pray for you. We're here for you too.

But God bless you. Have an amazing weekend.