Catechism – Week 20 – Glorification

What is Glorification?

1 John 3:2 – Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when [Jesus] appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (ESV)

Who is John writing to?
People who are God’s children

What is the promise to God’s children?
We will be like Jesus.

Does this mean we can’t be like Jesus now?
No, sanctification (week 19) shows us that God is already freeing us from the power of sin. Later John writes, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” (V. 9; ESV). We are waiting to be completely free of sin.

1 Corinthians 15:37a, 43-44a – And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel…It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

What does Paul say our bodies will become when we are raised from the dead?
They will be glorious, powerful, and spiritual.

Illustration: Take a seed of any plant and show how when the seed is buried what kind of plant it will become. The seed is transformed into something much more glorious than you may suspect. Paul is saying the same is true for our bodies. When we are raised from the dead to be with Jesus, we become something far more glorious than we would ever suspect.

Optional exercise: Check out passages of Jesus after his resurrection to get a glimpse of what this may be like.

Scripture Memory Verse:

Colossians 3:4 – When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What is glorification?
Glorification is the final transformation of ourselves in the presence of Jesus, where we no longer sin but are given power and glory.

Adults and older students are encouraged to receive a fuller explanation from Dr. Tim Tennent (President of Asbury Theological Seminary) by clicking this link.