CHAPTER FIVE

CONFORMATION AND GLORIFICATION

Scripture Reading: Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:10; 1:19-21a; 1 John 3:2; Rom. 8:30; Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; 1 Thes. 2:12; Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30

OUTLINE

1. In the consummation of the divine economy.
2. Conformation-Rom. 8:29:
   1. Conformation being the consummation of the believers’ transformation in life.
   2. Conformation being to be conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son:
      1. God’s firstborn Son being Christ as the God-man.
      2. To be conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son being that the believers become full-grown in life as God-men:
         1. To be conformed to Christ’s death in all things through the power of His resurrection-Phil. 3:10.
         2. To live Christ for magnifying Him through the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (who is the God-man)-Phil. 1:19-21a.
         3. To be the reprints of the God-man, Christ, that the believers may be exactly like Him, the firstborn Son of God-1 John 3:2.
3. Glorification-Rom. 8:30:
   1. Glorification being the spreading forth of Christ’s glory from the believers by their growing to maturity in Christ’s life.
   2. Being also the believers’ entering into the glory of God-Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; 1 Thes. 2:12.
   3. Being also the believers’ enjoyment of the redemption of their body-Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30.
   4. Being also the ultimate consummation of God’s complete salvation in the believers.
   5. The ultimate consummation of God’s complete salvation being the New Jerusalem-the crystallization of the union and mingling of God with man, the processed and consummated Triune God with His regenerated, transformed, conformed, and glorified tripartite elect.
4. The interrelation of God’s judicial redemption and God’s organic salvation:
   1. God’s judicial redemption qualifies and positions the believers to enjoy God’s organic salvation and enter into God’s higher grace for the accomplishment of God’s eternal economy and the attainment of God’s ultimate purpose.
   2. Judicially, the church of God, which He redeemed and obtained through His own blood (Acts 20:28), was produced through God’s judicial redemption. On the other hand, organically, the church of God is constituted with the God-regenerated people in the divine life. This organic aspect issues in the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
   3. God’s organic salvation needs to be maintained constantly through God’s judicial redemption:
      1. When the believers’ fellowship with God is interrupted due to their sins, it can be restored through the redeeming blood of Christ-1 John 1:6-7.
      2. When the believers have a case against them before God because of their sinning, Christ, their Redeemer, is responsible for undertaking their case in His status as their Advocate in heaven before God-1 John 2:1-2.
   4. The believers’ ultimate transfiguration in their body to enter into God’s glory is the redemption of their body (Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8:23), implying the element of redemption, because regardless of how spiritual, renewed, and transformed the believers are, their body still belongs to the old creation and therefore still needs God’s judicial redemption that it may receive God’s organic salvation and be transfigured to enter into glory (Phil. 3:21; Rom. 8:30).
   5. God’s judicial redemption as the procedure is purposeless without God’s organic salvation. It would be merely for sinners to be redeemed, have their sins forgiven, and become righteous people justified by God, but the purpose is unclear to the majority of believers who mistakenly consider their going to heaven as the purpose of their being redeemed and are unaware that, according to the revelation of the holy Scriptures, God’s judicial redemption as the procedure is with God’s organic salvation as the purpose, which is to regenerate us, shepherd us, sanctify us dispositionally, renew us, transform us, and build us up into the Body of Christ, which ultimately consummates the New Jerusalem as the ultimate purpose of God’s organic salvation to be God’s enlargement and expression in eternity.