Author: Christian Nuesa

Date: 10/11/08
Title: Those who are in Christ.

Passage

Rom. 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of
His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Rom. 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also
justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Rom. 8:31 ¶ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Rom. 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also
with Him freely give us all things?
Rom. 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
Rom. 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised,
who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Rom. 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom. 8:36 Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
Rom. 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Rom. 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers,
Rom. 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Review

Before creation God desired His only begotten Son to become a firstborn into His
family. From only begotten to firstborn.

To make this possible he had to be given literal brothers.

The placing of the sons of God.

Follow me:
- Christ was the one and only Son of God in eternity, before the foundation of the
world.
o The one and only Son of God was begotten, and He was the only
begotten of God.
 Psalm 2:7 - I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to
Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
 When Jesus Christ was begotten He was already a son.
• “You are my son” – His identity as Son, His sonship is
eternal.
• “Today I have begotten you” – The begotten part is not
eternal because it has a beginning.
• The point is Christ is was Begotten.
• Begotten is - Generated by procreation. But this is NOT
generated by procreation, BUT generated by revealation.
The son of God was revealed.

- Therefore, Christ became the was the first begotten of God.

o After Christ, God placed additional children in His family through creation.
 They were also begotten – by God, specifically by the Holy Spirit.
o So then, Christ being the only begotten became the First begotten.
o Thus we have the Firstborn.

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 - Therefore, Christ being the Firstborn
o It is literal. And it is not symbolic at all.
o He is really the Eldest Son of God.
o Since Christ is the literal Eldest Son of God. Then the coming children of
God are also literal brothers of Christ.
 They are not fake sons of God
 They are not like a son of God
 They are not second class sons of God.
• BUT
o They are literal sons of God having Christ to be
their literal Eldest Brother.
• BECAUSE
o They were “PLACEd AS SONS IN GOD’S FAMILY”
• HOW
o By Conception, through foreknowledge and
predestination, Rom 8:29
o By Spiritual Birth, through the birthing of the Holy
Spirit, John 3:16
o By God Rearing them or caring them to maturity, in
process of sanctification, Philippians 2:11-13

So God changed the status of Christ from Only Begotten to Firstborn!

First coming, Christ was regarded as the Only Begotten.

John 3:16 ¶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Second coming, Christ was regarded as the Firstborn. Because at His second coming,
he’s not coming alone but with His literal brothers and sisters.
Heb. 1:6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET
ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”

Introduction
The main point: Glory.

Predestination – done
Called – done
Justiified – done
Glorified – Not done.

Glorification – It’s a done deal.

The Roman believers who could read Greek would read Paul’s letter and get the main point
of verse 30, which is glorification.

In the Greek constraction of this verse 30, Glorification is the main point of the verse.

In English, it is as if Paul put the glorification in bold letters with underline. Just so you get
the point.

Another example, if I would say… “It took 40 years to build this temple!”. 40 years points to
the Temple, therefore the statement is about the Temple.

All of a sudden, your mind is focus on the temple.

To take that same idea to verse 30, it would look like this.

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 It took Predestiantion, Calling, Justification for the sons of God to be glorified. That’s what
Paul meant in Greek.

That statement should direct your mind to glorification.

So verse 30: the point is: Glorification.

This is what God intend in foreknowledge and predestination. The glorification of the sons of
God.

That is what Paul is trying to make the Romans believers understand.

That in God’s perspective, Glorification is already given to us.

We are waiting for it to come but it is something that is already completed in the eyes of
God.

Let us look at Man at his present state:

Man, devoid of glory

- Man’s achievement is subject to imperfections, conflicts, and limitations
- Man’s rulership is characterized by corruption, tyranny, abuse, incompentency.
- Man’s laws are flawed
- Humanity is in pain: homelessness, poverty, famine, sickeness.
- Humanity is vulnerable: new viruses arises, new deceseases, the threat of war
- People suffer loneliness, sadness, rejection, and lost.
- Man is involved in every kind of wickedness and lawlessness.
- Man cannot distinguish truth. “Truth is relative” – that is just one way of saying, I am
fooish, I donot know the truth.
- Man’s religion is a work base salvation which is a huge burden
- Look at ourselves, as years go by…
o Our skin wrinkles
o Our hair turns grey
o Our sight dimenishes
o Our brain is losing it efficiency
o Our beauty fades
 All of these are signs of coming death.
- Moreover, at man’s death being guilty of Sin, comes God who will judge.
o Man has no power to avert this.
o Man cannot escape God.
o Man will not stand against God’s judgement
- Anderson Cooper said that this planet is in Peril. No. “Man is in Peril!”

[pause]

Where is the glory of Man?

- None!
- We are simply poor people without anything to brag.
- This is the reason why God hates boasting, we have nothing to boast, and if we have
something to boast, it is something that we received from God.
o 1 Cor 4:7, What do you have that you did not received from God.
- Not to mentions, man is lower than the Angels. Heb 2.
o We are in the state of Vanity.

Glory comes from God.

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 Glory has worth only if it comes from the Father.
John 8:54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father
who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’;

Jesus prayed to be glorified, with the glory He had.

John 17:1 ¶ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said,
“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,

Jump to

John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had
with You before the world was.

Christ cannot glorify Himself apart form the Father.

Christ’s glory is only valid if it comes from the Father.

And the Father glorified the Son of God.

The sons of God will be glorified

This same Father who glorified Jesus Christ, will also glorify the brothers and sisters of Jesus
Christ.

God will give them glory that is higher than the glory of the Angels.
- They are people who are in Christ, verse 1
- Those who are in Christ are the one who has repented of their sins and trusted the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, Mark 1:15
- Since they have put their faith in Christ, they were “THE PLACED” as sons in the
family of God, John 1:12
- And these sons of God will be glorified by the Father.
Imagine, if you are in Christ, you are a son of God.
Being one of His Son, He who glorified Jesus Christ, will also one day glorify you.

They are apppointed to Glory

Many Christians are excited and happy to know that one day they’ll be in Heaven.
But Scripture wants us to go beyond Heaven. God wants us to hope for our glorification.
We must be revited about our glorification
Our hearts must be set to it.

1Cor. 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God
predestined before the ages to our glory;

Rom. 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which
He prepared beforehand for glory,

Heb. 2:10 ¶ For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all
things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through
sufferings.

1Pet. 5:1 ¶ Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

Col. 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in
glory.

2Tim. 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that

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 they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

2Th. 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

Col. 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Rom. 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we
suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Our own verse: Romans 8:30 points to Glory.

Glory glory glory, and so on. It is really hard to miss that the sons of God is appointed to
Glory?

God wants you to aim higher!

This is not going to live Great Britain, NO.

It’s going to Great Britain, to be in the Monarchy.

That’s where your heart should be.

Own it!
Hope for it
Be glad,

because in the eyes of God, glorification is already yours.

Romans 8:25 – Let us wait early with patience.

Glorification expose

What is Glorification of the sons of God?

It is the most exaulted state of those who are in Christ when the Kingdom of God is
established on Earth.

The most exaulted state!

1. The components of Glory

The Apostle Paul and other biblical authors gave us the components of this glory.

Components of this glory.

1) Eternal life – This is not just a never ending life but also the quality of life. Eternal life
is a never ending good and enjoyable life with God, and in knowing God. John 17:3
a. Being with Christ, John 12:26
b. Beholding the glory of Christ, John 17:24
c. Joyful life, Matt 25:21
d. A life free of corruption, Romans 7:24
e. A life free of pain

2) Complete conformity to Christ, Romans 8:29

We were turned into literal sons, to be literal brothers to Christ.

It is also involved receiving a new body like the body of Christ, Phil. 3:21

1 Cor 15:37 – seed and tree – a huge difference in characteristics.

i. Finally, no more againg, forever young and beautiful and free of

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 sickeness.

3) Joint heir with Christ. Romans 8:17. May I remind you that God is a give of big gift.
a. A Kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world, Matt 25:34
4) Sitting in judgment with Christ, Luke 22:30; 1 Cor 6:2
5) Reigning with Christ, 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 3:21; Rev 5:10
6) They are the very own people of Jesus Christ. Rev. 19:7
7) And these people will one day live in the very house of God. – John 14:2

2 The extent of Glory

It is not dispose how huge this glory is but decribed as…

It is Incoparable
2Cor. 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far
beyond all comparison,

You cannot even compare with our present suffering

Rom. 8:18 ¶ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Picture:
Imagine losing a hundred bucks and inheriting a trillion dollar, and that’s just your
packet money.

This glory is huge.

Let me show you how huges.

It is a huge lost!
Luke 13:24-27

27and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME,
ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'

28"In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being
thrown out. [Excluded]

29"And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at
the table in the kingdom of God.

About: The feast in the Kingdom of God.

There will be people whose gonna be in that feast!

- They are the one who repented of their sins
- They are the one who trusted the finish work of Christ
- In other words: they are the one who are save by the blood of Christ
Also,
There will be people who will NOT be in that feast
- These people did not repent of their sins and never has put their faith in Chirst.
- These people will be thrown out
- And they will see the feast and people who are in it.
o They will see people from the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, and the prophets.
o They will see people from east, west, north, south. In other words:

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 people from all over the world. And they are Gentile nations.
Their reaction:
- Weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Notice: these people did not weep and gnash their teeth when they saw Hell.
- They weep and gnash their teeth when they saw what’s in Heaven, or the
Kingdom of God.
- Why?
o Is it because they saw these people? Yes.
o I think they saw these people in the glory they’ve receive from God
and they are enjoying the celebration in Heaven.
1. They saw the goodness of this glory in Heaven
2. the saw how huge of what they’ve lost.
1. They will never ever have it.
2. It is too late for them.
3. They cannot do anything but to cry bitterly.

If someone is going to weep bitterly of missing this glory, can you immagin how huge this
is?

3 Undeserved glory

The Angels
- The angels in Heaven never sinned, yet they will not be glorified like this.
- On top of that, they were put under the rulership of the glorified believers.
- They served God, and now they will server them also.

The saints
- This is a glory that we do not deserve.
- We are guilty of sins, we deserve to go to hell.
- But by the grace of God, that’s the way it’s going to be.

4 To the praise of His glory

- This glory is very high, and the worth is great.
- It’s higher than the Angels.
-
- Do you think the sons of God are going to boast in the glory they’ve received from God?
-
- NO.
-
- They will HUMBLY KNEEL to the ONE GREATER than them. Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of
God.
-
Low people to high people
God chose the nobody’s
People without any degree of glory.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26 - For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise
according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
27- but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which
are strong,
29 - and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the
things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
29 - so that no man may boast before God.

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 Basically, people who are nobody’s are worshipping Christ right now.
Christ who is glorious is being worship by poor people
People who can’t even properly worship Him.

Now, one day Christ will be worshipped by the same people but in a glorified state.

In the future, The glorious Christ will be worship by glorious believers.

Eph. 1:12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the
praise of His glory.

That’s why Christ is the “King of kings, Lord of lords”.

He will no longer be the King of the poor, and the nobody’s.

How glorious a King is Jesus Christ, if His subjects are glorious themselves!

Picture:
Immagine yourself, all your servants are billionairs. What would that make you? Richer
than they are.

That’s our glorious King, Jesus Christ the firstborn of God.

The path to glorification

But before glorification though; come predestination, calling, and justification.

1. He predestined
- “Proorizo”
o Pro – Prior; Before
o Horizo – Decree
 “Proorizo” - God decreeing from eternity; A decision before hand;
- What is it?
o V29, complete conformity to the Son of God.

2. He called
- To incite by word
-
- Called from non-believers
o Rom. 9:24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but
also from among Gentiles.
o 1Pet. 2:9 ¶ But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY
NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may
proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light;
-
- Called for what?
o For glorification of the Sons of God.
 1Th. 2:12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who
calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

 2Th. 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you
may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- The Calling
o 2Th. 2:14 It was for this He called you through our gospel,
o

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 o The call of God is the gospel.
o Whenever the gospel is preach, God is calling.
o
o Does everybody who hears to gospel respond to God’s call?

 NO
 Some will, but not all.

o John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws
him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

 Condition in coming to Christ: Father draws him.

o John 6:45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT
OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to
Me.

 Condition in coming to Christ: who heard and learned

 Drawing is through the means of teaching.
 The proclamation of the gospel.

 Everybody hears the gospel BUT only those who learned
(understood) will come to Christ.
•
• Non-believers cannot understand
o 1Cor. 2:14 ¶ But a natural man does not accept the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him; and he cannot understand them, because they
are spiritually appraised.
• Effectual to the Sons of God
o Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they
were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

3. He justified
Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom. 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in
Christ Jesus;
Rom. 3:25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He
passed over the sins previously committed;

V23. Man
All have sinned, therefore, all have fallen short of the glory of God.
o It does not matter how good we are.
o We simple have sinned (and we still do), and that’s enough
for our righteousness to be short.

V24. Justified
These kind of people are being Justified.
o Justified - to show to be righteous, to declare righteous
by God.
o Again, this declaration by God to those who have sinned
again him.
Justification is a Gift

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 o Those we are justified did not earn this justification. They
got is as a gift, freely given by God on their part.
By Grace
o The gift is by His grace.
 It is completely God’s favor.
 NOT EARNED.
 God did this on His own.
Can God really do this?
Redemption
o Justification was made possible through the
redemption.
 There was a payment to their sins.
 Their sins were fully paid
 Since there is payment, God was able to justify
them.
o Who paid it?
 Jesus Christ
o How did He do it?

V25. In His blood.

Christ sacrificial death on the cross.
o In that sacrificial death, the wrath of God was satisfied,
therefore God acted in kindness to justify those who have
sinned.
o Justification is God’s response to what Jesus did and not
what we did.

1Cor. 15:3-4 Christ died for our sins and that He was buried, and that He was
raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Christ came back to life. The is our hope that:

o He successfully provided this redemption for those who have
sinned

Glorification is sure.
Rom. 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Glorification is guaranteed promise.

In fact, as far as God is concerned, it is af if we’ve already been glorified.

Glorification is already given.

But, just in case you are still in doubt if you’d make it to glorification?

V31 – If God is for us, who is against us?

Does it really matter if some fallen angel are against you, when God in NOT
against?
Should we be concern of what others thinks of us, if God is on our side?
Certainly not!

Are you still in doubt?

V32 – He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not
also with Him freely give us all things?
All things here is not good car, money, or fame.
The Son of God is the best that God you possibly give.
The most precious to the Father is His Eternal Son.

So basically if God sacrificed His Son for your salvation, how will He not freely give

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 all things for your salvation; such as glorification?

God already gave up the His best, your glorification is not something God would
withhold.

Let us say, you are still in doubt if you’d make it to glorification.

V33 – Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.
The highest court in Heaven already declared you declared you not guilty.
I guess the next highest court would be the Supreme Court of the United States.

Could a lower court condemn you, if the highest court had already acquitted you?

Let us say, doubt still lingers in your heart?

V34 – Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was
raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
We all have sinned, therefore condemnation is valid.
But, Jesus Christ already suffered all our condemnation that there is now zero
condemnation left.

And the evidence that Christ successfully took our condemnation away is His
resurrection.

On top of that, He is interceding for us at the right hand of God.

The Son of God is interceding for us!
This is not just a man
This is not an Angel
But the very own Son of God!

Do you think the Father could resist His Son?

Oh, maybe you say, “one day Christ will cease in loving us!” And forsake our glorification.

V35-39 – Who and What can separate us from the love of Christ?
The Answer is nothing!

We are eternally loved by the most powerful and the highest, who is the one and
only God.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am 100% sure, if you are in Christ, you are going to make it to
glorification.

Not on the basis of your work but God’s work.

He – The initiator
HE Predestined us
HE Called us
HE Justiified us
HE Glorified us

It is really hard to miss that our salvation is all God’s work?

We are only the recipient of it.

Reason?

No boating.
1Cor. 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,
and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
1Cor. 1:31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

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God loves the Humble
Is. 66:1 ¶ Thus says the LORD,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
Is. 66:2 “For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Hates pride

Prov. 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly,
he will not be unpunished.
- Man has nothing to boast about.
- They are poor.
- They are sinners.
Psa. 24:1 ¶ The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.

John 3:27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him
from heaven.

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