Why was all this done? ‘To bring many sons to glory.’ Obviously this could not be done except by a Saviour qualified by suffering. Hence God sent Him, appointed Him, proved Him and declares Him able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.
Let us remember that those designed for glory were not fit for glory. They were afar off, the enemies of God in their minds by wicked works, a rebel race. But God purposed to save them by a suffering Saviour. In Him God laid the ground of their salvation and glorification in a manner becoming of Him and worthy of Him.
Having done so, He then makes them His sons. This is an act of grace, making children of wrath to become the children of God. There are two aspects of this – legal and spiritual. The legal aspect applies to their adoption in Christ and their reception into the favours of God’s family. The spiritual aspect relates to the application of spiritual life to them, quickening them by the Spirit, regenerating them, giving them a new nature.
Thus changed, they are being sanctified. This is a process in which the Spirit operates in them, to cause grace in principle to surface and reign in them to mould them inwardly and outwardly to His pattern. Thus He causes them to love God, His people and His cause, and gives evidences of the change to them. They hate the sin which once they loved. Now it is a burden to them.
And He is working to bring these sons to glory, that is Heaven. This is the inheritance of saints in light, a place prepared for them, where perfected in Christ’s likeness they shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. It is a glorious place in which God’s glory shines in Christ and in them.
And He will bring many sons there. It was for God to determine how many, as it was for Him to employ the means of bringing them there. They shall be many of all ages, classes, races and nations – Jews and Gentiles. They may be few as seen by us, but in reality they are a multitude which no man can number. We believe Christ will have more than Satan. We cannot conceive of Him considering otherwise. His triumph will secure it. But they are all known to Him, and will be saved to His glory.