Glorification is sanctification’s final stage—perfected souls and spirits in bodies that are completely free of sin. Glorified bodies are given to every saint who has overcome the world by developing a holy, righteous, and Christ-like spiritual lifestyle.
Just like the first-century disciples/believers had to receive the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying power before they could be mighty witnesses for Christ Jesus—before they could begin their mission of finishing what He had begun, which is the Great Commission (cf. Acts 1:8; see also Matthew 28:16-20)—we today also must receive the Lord’s prayed for sanctification. This Holy Spirit-assigned process is the necessary infilling (Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues) that will guarantee we eventually will become Christlike and then, like Him, will be raptured off of this Earth.
The Holy Spirit’s most important goal is not only to make a believer’s BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT one (make all three parts immortal), just like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One (all three Persons are eternal); but also the Holy Spirit’s job is to make every imperfect (unholy) BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT holy (perfect), like the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are HOLY (perfect)—like each of the three Persons of the Trinity is identified as being HOLY! This call to Holiness is the ONENESS reality Christ Jesus prays for in John 17:21.
No matter when we respond favorably to either the written or the preached Word of God, the Divine Truth is that our positive response is because of God’s Grace and His Holy Spirit’s Power. That’s right! It is because of God’s Grace the Power of His Holy Spirit that God allows His Holy Spirit to influence our receptivity of the read, preached, and/or taught WORD of God, which is the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Furthermore, it is because of this initial act of God’s Grace and Power that His Grace and His Holy Spirit’s Power next work together to breathe life into us, again, only this time it is the “new” life that is being breathed into our spiritually dead human spirits. God, in essence, is regenerating sinners’ spirits—we are being born again from Heaven.
Being spiritual means that a born again, saved believer now is more concerned about the well-being of his or her soul, the Mercy and Grace of God, and the importance of eternity, as opposed to his or her carnal concerns about the pleasures of the flesh; the profits of money, fame, and material possessions; the restrictions of time; and/or the limitations of the five senses (seeing, tasting, feeling, smelling, and hearing).
As we walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s Baptism, Christ will become increasingly significant and precious to us. Conversely, we short-circuit our rebirth’s wiring when we walk in the flesh.
