LIBERTY REALIZED The Reward Of Liberty
016 LIBERTY REALIZED: The Reward Of Liberty
Romans 8:14-17
September 7, 2025
As we have been discussing THE NECESSITY OF SANCTIFICATION
THIS MORNING we came to one of the most penetrating and convicting truths that can be made for that argument.
Romans 8:13a “…if you are living according to the flesh, you must die…”
· Or better translated, “you are about to die”.
· And certainly understood, “you are close to eternal judgment”
We think of what Jesus told the scribe who answered rightly:
Mark 12:32-34 “The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
That man, revealed an understanding of the heart of God and Jesus told him
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Well on the flipside, Paul here looked at a man who is “living according to the flesh” and said in effect, “You are not far from torment in hell.”
That truth alone should burn into our hearts
The necessity of sanctification.
THIS MORNING we learned about “THE REQUIREMENT OF LIBERTY”
We saw that sanctification is an “obligation” for every believer.
· We are called to overcome the flesh.
· We are expected to crucify the flesh.
· We are called to put to death the flesh.
We are in a war, we are in a fight!
And it is the fight that every genuine believer joins.
J.C. Ryle noted:
“There is a vast quantity of religion current in the world which is not true, genuine Christianity…There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday, and call themselves Christians. Their names are in the baptismal register. They are reckoned Christians while they live…they mean to be buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any ‘fight’ about their religion! Of spiritual strife, and exertion, and conflict, and self-denial, and watching, and warring, they know literally nothing at all. Such Christianity may satisfy man, and those who say anything against it may be thought very hard and uncharitable; but it certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the religion Jesus founded and his apostles preached…True Christianity is a fight!”
(Ryle, J.C. [Holiness; Banner of Truth; 2004] pg. 72)
Speaking of this fight and the cost of the war, Ryle continues:
“It will cost a man his sins. He must be willing to give up every habit and practice which is wrong in God’s sight. He must set his face against it, quarrel with it, break off from under it, fight with it, crucify it, and labour to keep it under, whatever the world around him may say or think. He must do this honestly and fairly. There must be no separate truce with any special sin which he loves.”
(ibid. pg. 96)
That is the “obligation” and pursuit of genuine Christianity.
Paul wrote:
Colossians 3:5-1 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”
Christianity is a fight!
As a true Christian you are obligated to join it!
BUT TONIGHT I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU
TO NOT GROW WEARY IN THIS BATTLE.
You participation and progression in this battle
Is a great source of ASSURANCE for you.
The fact that you are fighting sin and winning,
Even if the victory is slow, is a great indicator about you!
It indicates that you are a child of God.
Most in the world won’t even fight the battle,
Certainly no one wins it apart from having the Spirit of God within them.
TONIGHT I want to encourage you to let that fact encourage you.
TONIGHT we discuss “THE REWARD OF LIBERTY”
Now, I do want to preface that title because it can be misunderstood.
First, let me tell you what it DOES NOT mean.
· If you achieve sanctification then this is how you will be rewarded.
· If you pursue sanctification then this how you will be rewarded.
When we discuss here the reward we ARE NOT talking about
What you will one day receive,
We ARE talking about what is already yours.
Sanctification is NOT something you must achieve to earn heaven.
And trust me, I’m aware of the verses that we have used as our theme.
Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”
Even this morning when Paul said, (8:13) “if, by the Spirit, you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
It almost sounds like that “If I can achieve sanctification then I will get to go to heaven and see the Lord.”
That is actually what Catholicism teaches.
And if you don’t achieve it in this life
Then you can go to Purgatory and suffer until you do achieve it.
They see it as a means of earning heaven.
That is NOT what Scripture is teaching
And it is NOT what we are saying here.
HERE IS WHAT WE ARE SAYING.
· Sanctification is something that true Christians do pursue.
· Sanctification is something that true Christians do progress in.
Pursuing sanctification is not something God rewards with heaven, It is an indication that you are saved
And have already obtained the promise of eternal life.
The pursuit of sanctification is not a means of salvation
But an evidence of it.
As we have seen, true Christians:
· Have been crucified and raised with Christ and freed from sin (6:6-7)
· Have been joined to Christ and bear fruit for God (7:4)
· Walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh (8:4)
· Have been given life in their mortal bodies by the Spirit (8:11)
· Are putting to death the deeds of the body (8:13)
All of that speaks to our sanctification.
All of that speaks to evidence that we are genuinely redeemed.
JUSTIFICATION BEGETS SANCTIFICATION.
If sanctification IS occurring, then justification HAS occurred.
Romans 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;”
So, if that is you.
· If you are chasing sanctification…
· If you are walking by the Spirit…
· If you are putting to death the deeds of the body…
· If you are fighting, warring, and striving…
· If you are not cherishing, or condoning, or accepting sin…
If you are like the apostle Paul who said:
1 Corinthians 9:27 “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
IF THAT IS YOU, though the struggle is real, and the battle is fierce,
Let me encourage you tonight by showing you your reward.
Let me show you the BLESSINGS and BENEFITS of being in such a fight.
Let me show you: THE REWARD OF LIBERTY
Tonight I want to break our text down into 4 points.
· These are things that are yours because you have been justified
· And that is being proven because you are being sanctified.
#1 NEW IDENTITY
Romans 8:14
Here it is, first and foremost, you have a new identity.
· Formerly a slave of sin.
· Formerly at enmity with God.
· Formerly a man of flesh who could not please God.
But now, that has changed.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
That is what we see here.
Now the identify is clear we are “sons of God.”
FROM ENMITY TO FAMILY.
1 John 3:1a “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”
1 John 1:11-13 “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
That is the reality we now enjoy.
We are in the family.
We are considered by God to be His children.
But do not miss THE QUALIFIER here.
This privilege is NOT for all men.
Though it is true that all men are at times referred to as God’s children.
Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”
All men are children of God
In the sense that all men derive their life from him.
But here we are talking about those who are doubly children of God
Because we have obtained new life in Him.
And how does Paul distinguish that?
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Many have sought to take it on a long mystical journey of application.
Where the Spirit is sort of speaking directly to you
About every turn or lane change on the freeway.
Is that what Paul is referring to?
No, it is merely another way of stating what he said back in verse 13.
Romans 8:13b “…if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Paul spoke of us, through the Spirit’s power,
Overcoming sin and walking in holiness.
And verse 14 means the exact same thing.
· That is what it means to be “led by the Spirit of God”
· It means to be “putting to death the deeds of the body” by the Spirit’s power.
That is why those two statements are connected by the word “For…”
Being led by the Spirit is not mystical, it is practical.
· He is the HOLY Spirit.
· He is a sanctifier.
Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
He is the One in you sanctifying you.
He exposes sin, He convicts sin, He guides into truth.
Didn’t we learn that about Him back in John 16?
John 16:8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;”
John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
John 16:14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
What else can be said, but that
The Holy Spirit takes sinful men and makes them holy?
He convicts their sin, He guides them into truth, and He glorifies Jesus
By taking of what is true about Jesus and giving it to you.
THAT IS A SANCTIFYING WORK.
He helps God’s children put to death the deeds of the body.
If that is what is occurring in your life,
Then you “are being led by the Spirit of God”
And if you “are being led by the Spirit of God”
Then you “are sons of God.”
In other words, we know the children of God
Because they are those who are, by the Spirit,
Putting to death the deeds of the body.
Isn’t that what God does for His children?
Hebrews 12:5-8 “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”
God has brought you into the family and you are now in the family fight.
· You are warring against the flesh.
· God’s Spirit is warring within you.
Despite how difficult that battle may feel at times,
Rejoice that you are in it, for it is an indication that you are a child of God!
You have a new identity.
#2 TOTAL INTIMACY
Romans 8:15
You may wonder how much a part of the family you really are.
Abigail will have friends come over from time to time and will say things like, “I’m part of this family.”
Aarron comes over and eats all my banana bread.
In both instances we are talking about familiarity, fondness, and affection.
Those are all good things.
But does that make them part of the family?
Really a part?
No, even though we may love them.
And perhaps that is sort of the fear Paul is addressing here,
That though you may be technically called a son of God,
Are you really part of the family?
THE EARLY CHURCH had great difficulty in this regard
Welcoming in the Gentiles as a real and genuine part of the family.
· They wanted them to get circumcised…
· They wanted them to come under the Law…
· They wanted them to get matching polo shirts…
Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
YOU’RE NOT REALLY ONE OF US.
But what did Paul say?
Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,”
And that is THE POINT being made here too.
Paul says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again…”
While it is true that slavery language has been used by Paul
Recently to define our new life in Christ.
Romans 6:13 “and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Romans 6:18 “and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Paul there used a slavery analogy
Because it best fit his point to talk about freedom and obligation.
He wanted you to envision yourself as liberated from one and enslaved to another.
But if you’ll remember, even at that time Paul noted that this was not the best analogy for what you are.
Romans 6:19 “I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.”
Even while using slavery as an analogy
He wanted you to know not to take that analogy too far.
And now in Romans 8 we see why.
The NEW RELATIONSHIP we have with God
Is NOT LIKE the former relationship we had with sin.
· Sin dominated us and controlled us.
· Sin enslaved us and carried us into death.
· Sin moved us to fear and despair and did not care.
Do not see God as just another master in the same mold.
We are not merely hired hands who have been purchased by God
To keep the living room clean for the children He really loves.
NO, WHAT DOES PAUL SAY?
“you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
“Abba!” is the intimate term, as in “Dad” or “Daddy”
What does that mean?
It means we call God the same thing Jesus calls Him.
That is what we mean by intimacy.
· We aren’t just close family friends.
· We aren’t just welcomed to enter without knocking and eat the banana bread.
We are called by His name.
We call Him dad.
There is intimacy now...
1 John 1:1-7 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
We have fellowship! We have intimacy!
We are children of God!
We are adopted children with a complete name change;
We have total intimacy with the Father who adopted us.
We are just as welcome to Him as His only begotten Son.
That is the REWARD of your liberty.
1. You have been saved and the Spirit of God has moved in.
2. We know the Spirit of God is within you because He is leading you to put sin to death in your body.
3. And because you have the Spirit of God, He has instructed you to now call Him “Dad!”
It is that beautiful story of the returned prodigal
Who asked only to be a slave,
But was met with the full celebration of a returning son.
Luke 15:21-24 “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
You are a son!
With full privileges and access!
A new identity, Total intimacy
#3 VALID IDENTIFICATION
Romans 8:16
Perhaps that thought still remains a little too good to be true.
CAN I PROVE IT? (You wonder)
Is this simply an honorary title,
Or is there evidence from His side that I really am a son?
I mean, I can go around telling people that I am a child of God,
But if they went and asked God would He verify that claim?
Is there any proof?
Is there any valid identification that I can present?
And look at what Paul says here.
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God”
The Greek word there is:
(soo-MAR-too-RAY-oh)
It means “to bear witness with”
Paul is NOT saying here that the Holy Spirit is telling your spirit that you are a child of God, though that may be happening.
Paul IS saying is that the Spirit
Is bearing witness with you or along side of you.
You are not the only one claiming to be a child of God.
The Holy Spirit is also claiming it.
God is testifying to the relationship as well.
WHAT IS THE TESTIMONY?
The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
LOOK AT THIS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.
Peter was sent to the Gentiles:
Acts 10:44-48 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”
When Peter recognized that God gave the exact same Holy Spirit to Cornelius that He had given to Peter the debate was over.
Peter said, “Get these guys a key to the house, they are family.”
Later when the early church questioned whether Gentiles were really sons with full access or not…
Acts 15:7-8 “After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;”
It’s not the Gentiles running around claiming to be children of God,
It is God testifying that they are children by giving them the Holy Spirit.
Or think about when Paul encountered that group of Ephesians:
Acts 19:1-7 “It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.”
Paul wanted to know if they were family.
· He wasn’t so much concerned with their religiosity or even their baptism.
· He just wanted to know if God was testifying with them?
When they said, “No” Paul knew they were not family
And led them to the One who could save.
THAT IS THE POINT HERE.
God testifies that you are family.
By giving you the Holy Spirit.
HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFY?
· Tongues?
· Miracles?
· A halo?
NO, follow the chapter.
He guides you to put to death the deeds of the body.
When you,
· Start participating in sanctification
· And start warring against the flesh and overcoming it,
That is the greatest indicator that the Spirit of God is in you.
And if you have the Spirit of God,
That is God’s testimony that you are His.
That is the evidence of adoption.
That is your VALID IDENTIFICATION.
1 John 2:3 “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
1 John 2:6 “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
1 John 3:24 “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 4:13 “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Not only has God welcomed us, but He has given us an ID.
Do you see how our sanctification proves our justification?
That’s why Scripture says
· “Without sanctification you won’t see the Lord.”
· “If you are walking according to the flesh you must die.”
Because if sanctification isn’t happening
You don’t have the Spirit of God.
And He is your valid ID.
NOW, IF WE STOPPED THERE, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH!
We’d all go home singing
· “Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine!”
· “I’m a child of the King!”
And such assurance and peace is a wonderful thing
And we do not take it lightly.
But there is more to the reward and this we also want to see.
New Identity, Total Intimacy, Valid Identification
#4 FULL INHERITANCE
Romans 8:17
Everything we’ve just said can be all warm and fuzzy.
That can make for a good Hallmark movie.
But here we’re getting to the brass tacks.
Here the rubber is starting to meet the road.
Now we’re talking dividing the estate.
It’s all fine and well and even cute that you call him dad.
But when it comes time to split up the family farm
Then we’re going to know just how real and binding
This whole adoption stuff really is.
And that is what we see here.
“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.”
NOW WE’RE TALKING INHERITANCE.
Let’s examine it.
1) THE BENEFACTOR
WHO IS THAT?
· GOD, He is the Father.
2) THE BENEFICIARY
WHO IS THAT?
· CHRIST, He is the Son.
3) THE BENEFIT
WHAT IS THAT?
· GLORY, that is the inheritance
You see all three of those things.
And here we find that we have been included in those things.
We are “heirs also, heirs of God”
· If I tell you that you are an heir of Donald Trump or Elon Musk you will have some idea of what will some day be yours.
To double down Paul says, we are “fellow heirs with Christ”
· If I tell you that we are fellow heirs with Barron Trump or one of Elon Musk’s kids then you again you are getting an idea of what is coming your way.
And then we start talking about Christ’s inheritance and we see that “we may also be glorified with Him.”
It couldn’t be any clearer.
You mean, I’m in the will? Yes
· In God’s will? Yes
· I’m an heir with the real family? Yes
· I’m getting the same thing Jesus is? Yes
· Glory? YES!!!!!
BUT WAIT A SECOND!
I see that word “if” in there.
I knew there had to be a catch.
“if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
So if I don’t suffer then I don’t get the inheritance?
That is true.
OK, what do I need to do?
What does my suffering look like?
Read the chapter.
The suffering referenced here is the suffering of sanctification.
What do we know of Christ in this regard?
Hebrews 5:7-10 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
God was teaching Him obedience through His suffering.
We also are doing the same.
All of our suffering is merely a work of sanctification in your lives.
It is God disciplining us as sons.
Hebrews 12:10 “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”
Paul is NOT saying that you can be a son, but if you want a cut in the inheritance then a certain amount of suffering is required.
No, what he IS saying is that
If you are suffering…
· If you are putting to death the deeds of the body…
· If you are fighting in the war…
· If you are crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires…
That is your indication that you are in the family!
And not only do you have intimate access to the Father,
YOU ARE IN THE WILL!
Without sanctification you won’t see God
And you won’t get a penny of the inheritance.
In fact, you’ll only get death.
But if Christ’s Spirit is in you,
And by His power you are fighting and overcoming the flesh,
THEN TAKE HEART!
· You are a child of God!
· You have access to Him!
· The inheritance is yours!
AND WHAT IS THE INHERITANCE?
GLORY!!!!
1 John 3:1-3 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
1 Corinthians 15:40-49 “There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.”
Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
GLORY AWAITS!
This is why Paul will go on to talk about this glory that is coming!
· The present suffering can’t be compared to the glory! (18)
· Do you see the creation fighting the battle for sanctification? (19)
· Do you see creation warring to be set free from its corruption? (20)
· Even creation knows sanctification is worth it! (21)
· Do you hear the Holy Spirit praying for you? (26)
· Do you know He is interceding with groanings too deep for words?
· And what does He pray for? Your sanctification!
· Do you see God using all things to conform you to the image of His Son? (28-29)
AND IT ALL ENDS IN GLORY!
Romans 8:29-30 “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; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
Christian take heart!
· The battle is hard!
· But fight it!
· Glory awaits!