“We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” – 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Glorification is the final chapter of God’s saving work—the moment every believer is made perfect in the presence of God. Paul describes it with breathtaking clarity: “We shall all be changed… in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52–53, NKJV). This is not poetic exaggeration; it is a promise. Some believers will die (“sleep”), but others will still be alive when Christ returns. Yet all—every single one—will be transformed instantly. The corruptible will put on incorruption. The mortal will put on immortality. This is not the resurrection of Revelation 20 or the end of the Tribulation. This is the glorification of the church—sudden, supernatural, and unstoppable.
Paul teaches the same truth in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, the classic rapture passage. The transformation will be immediate—faster than a blink. The Greek word for “moment” is atomos, meaning an indivisible instant. And the “twinkling of an eye” is not the blink itself but the flash of light across the eye—quicker than human reaction. That is how fast Christ will change His people. One heartbeat, we are frail, aging, tempted, and limited; the next heartbeat, we are glorified, perfected, and standing in the presence of the King. This is the future God promises—a future where sin is silenced, death is defeated, and every believer is made whole.
These four doctrines—regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification—are the structure of salvation. They are like the four legs of a table: remove one, and the whole thing wobbles. Regeneration gives us new life. Justification gives us a new standing. Sanctification gives us new growth. Glorification gives us a new future. And glorification is the moment all the promises of God reach their final, glorious fulfillment.
Live today with your eyes on the future God has promised. You may feel weak, weary, or wounded now, but this is not your final condition. One day—perhaps sooner than you think—you will be changed in an instant. No more sin. No more struggle. No more sorrow. Let that hope steady your heart, strengthen your faith, and remind you that every step of this journey is leading you toward glory.
“Glorification is the completion of what regeneration began.” — J.I. Packer
surrendered devotions 