I’ve alluded to this before, but I wanted to clarify it and put it all together in one post. It is hard to comprehend the process of salvation, especially in regards to past, present, and future. Did you know that there are three parts or aspects of our salvation experience? The three parts of salvation correspond to our three-part man. Our spirit is already saved (past tense); Our soul is in the process of being saved (present tense); Our body will be saved (future tense). These truths are called the doctrines of Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. Long words, but the concepts are simple when you already have an understanding of the three-part man. Knowing and understanding these three aspects of salvation will clarify so many confusing Bible passages.
Justification means that I have been saved from the penalty of sin. What is the penalty of sin? Spiritual death. Spiritual death is being separated from the life of Christ. When we are saved, we receive a new spirit from God.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ~2 Cor 5:17
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ~Rom 8:10
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ~Heb 10:14
Our new spirit is perfect, holy, and righteous. We are not sinners (noun) any more. Because we have a new spirit, we are saints who occasionally sin (verb).
Sanctification means I am in the process of being saved from the power of sin. This is in the soulish realm. It refers to our habits. We have habits of thought that must be surrendered to the working of the Holy Spirit. By faith, we start believing what God says, rather than what our old self had programmed into our brains.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. ~John 17:17
If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self (old habits), which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in... your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. ~Eph 4:21-24
The doctrine of Glorification means I will be saved from the presence of sin. This is referring to our bodily resurrection. And we do wait eagerly for that, don’t we?
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. ~Phil 3:20-21
But we don’t have to wait for heaven to see and share in His glory! Every time we experience the working of His power in our lives, we get to share in His glory. Glory means to see God’s greatness.
I know this post is getting long, but please read all of this quote from http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1990s/ts981207.html
Moses sought God for a continual manifestation of his presence: "...that I may know thee..." (Exodus 33:13-14). And God answered him, "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14).
Moses' request would be quite enough for most believers. We all want the presence of God - leading us, guiding us, empowering us, blessing us. Really, what more could any believer desire? Yet having the assurance of God's presence wasn't enough for Moses. He knew there was more. And he cried out, "...I beseech thee, shew me thy glory" (verse 18).
God did show Moses his glory. But it didn't appear in some luminous cloud or in an earthshaking demonstration of power. No, God expressed his glory in a simple revelation of his nature: "The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." (34:6-7). God's glory was a revelation of his goodness, mercy, love and compassion!
Some may argue, "But what about the disciples' experience on the Mount of Transfiguration? Wasn't that a manifestation of God's glory? There was an overpowering light and the miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah."
But God's glory wasn't in Moses or Elijah or in the spectacular light. Rather, his glory was in Jesus: "...his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light...behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matthew 17:2-6).
God was saying, "Here is my glory personified - in Christ!" Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of all God said he was to Moses - gracious, merciful, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression of sins. And now the Lord was saying, "Here's a living picture of my glory. It is all embodied in my son!"
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1990s/ts981207.html
Jesus prayed:
And look at these verses:
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Col 3:3-4
When we are conformed to the image of Christ through the Holy Spirit, when we are “perfected in love”, we share in God’s glory.
I have a friend who, whenever she sees a sign of God’s greatness, proclaims, “Glory!” I just love to hear her say that. It gives me great joy to keep my eyes on God’s greatness and His works in our lives.
Prayer: "...I beseech thee, shew me thy glory!" (Exodus 33:18)
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