Our Hope of Final Sanctification: Part One

Dr. Craig Brandick

This last Sunday evening, Pastor Ayers presented an encouraging and challenging outline and message on Grace in Death. We who have trusted Christ need to make sure that we do, indeed leave a legacy of faith to those who follow. In keeping with the theme of grace and sanctification, I am offering in this week’s blog our hope of final sanctification. This was originally written during my time as a pastor in Wellsboro, PA, and was also a part of my dissertation on theological method in biblical counseling. As such it offers not only theological, but also practical and personal insight to the subject of death and of the end times. Due to its length, I will offer it in two parts to examine the time when we will finally be in heaven.

In systematic theology, the term that describes the last things is “eschatology.” There are many views concerning the end time. When is the Rapture of the Church? Is there a Rapture of the Church? When is the Kingdom? When will Christ return? These are just a few examples of which you may have heard. My goal today is not to revisit the arguments of the end. Rather, we are going to look at the hope that will be fulfilled when those who trust in Christ finally get to heaven. As I write this, our nation is embroiled in a time of war. As a pastor I have stood beside many flag-draped coffins; of some I knew their final hope. I have also had to deal with suicides of believers. Most recently I held the hand of a woman in the final stages of cancer who was looking forward to her final release from pain into the presence of Christ. Praying with her, I held her hand and repeated the words of Jesus in John 14:1-7:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

As she drifted into sleep, I was reminded again of how what is up there affects what is down here. We have hope of our final sanctification, when all is restored and we glorify God in the likeness and image of his Son. To view this hope, we will “jump to the back of the Book.”

There Will Be No More Deceiver

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

(Revelation 20:10)

It is interesting how God describes the devil in this verse. He makes it clear that it is the “devil who deceived.” We have not said much up to this point concerning Satan, but it is significant that his main goal seems to be summed up in this one word—“deceive.” He was able to deceive angels to rebel against God (Rev. 12:4, 7). He deceived Eve in the Garden (Gen. 3:1-13). He is even able to present himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

From the very first temptation in Eden, Satan has worked to thwart the fourth theme of our sanctification which is, “God’s people must be obediently connected to God through his Word in order to be faithful image bearers.” Every temptation has been an attempt to get one to follow a word other than God’s Word. Likewise, every temptation has been to represent ourselves rather than God. But in the final state he will be gone. There will be no more deception and no more deceiver.

There Will Be No More Separation from God

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3; 22-23)

I recently heard a message on death and dying in which the pastor correctly stated, “I know plenty of illustrations that I use for sermons to help you better see the significance of God’s Word. But I have none to describe this. There is no illustration capable of describing the joy of heaven—none are even close.” What will be the most joyous part of heaven? There will be no more separation from God. While we may commune with him in prayer and devotion we must still today walk in this world. Our minds, our thoughts, and our actions express the separation that we have while we live upon this earth. We groan in anticipation of our final redemption, we long to go to a home where we have never been and look upon the face of our Savior whom we love.

Revelation continues with this promise in 22:4 that we will see his face. Not in just a singular event, but forever in fellowship with him. While we may look forward to rewards in heaven and the fellowship with those who have passed on before us, the most wonderful part of heaven is that our God is there. Here is where we see our final sanctification as well. John taught in First John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” We will no longer struggle with impurity; for he is pure. We will be given new bodies that will not face decay or death (1 Cor. 15:53-55). And we will finally bear the unmarred image of the Son of God.