Glorification

'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Rom 3:23)

I think the word 'so' should be included in there for to get Paul's meaning: 'All have sinned and [so] fall short of the glory of God' (cf. 2:7; 2:10). But the universality of this statement makes it strange that later Paul says that to Israel 'belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises' (9:4). And later still we find that there are those, 'not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles', which are prepared for glory (9:24). How is this so? Has Paul forgotten what he said in 3:23.

3:24, following on from the famous verse of universal condemnation, continues by saying that the same sinners: 'are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'. Great stuff, but another question arises: what does it really mean to be 'glorified'? I think that (considering Romans 8, 9:4, 9:26 - as expanding on 9:23) the answer must be adoption. That is, to be made into the image of God's Son (to be 'in Christ Jesus'), and to enjoy his privileges - foremost among which is access to the Father.

Sorry for the ramble... but it came into my head to meander through Romans, following the word 'glory'.