Romans
Bible
Study
Lesson 29
Romans 8:29—30
These verses give the believer the assurance of a future with Christ in eternity. God has given us a glimpse into some of the process used to bring and secure the believer to Himself with His great plan of redemption. Paul expands on the phrase Ňcalled according to His purposeÓ used at the end of verse 28 while setting the stage for the material in chapter 9.
Called according to
His purpose
This statement from the end of verse 28 sets up the next two verses. We have been called in accordance with GodŐs plan. So was this in accordance with GodŐs plan of redemption, or was it in light of GodŐs purpose and plan in all things. I believe the latter is correct. Ephesians shows this expanded view of GodŐs all-encompassing purpose.
Ephesians 1:11 also we have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all
things after the counsel of His will,
We who are called have been called because we play a part in GodŐs master plan. We somehow are usable to God to help Him accomplish His purpose. This shouldnŐt make us proud that God seemingly thought we were important enough to play a part in His plans. It should cause us to fall on our face in humility realizing it is God who not only chose us but also energized us to be able to complete our mission, whatever that may be. God works out all things in spite of us not because of us.
GodŐs process of
redemption
Verses 29—30 donŐt so much show us GodŐs plan of redemption as His process of redemption. There are some very specific steps that God took to secure His children. By adding 1 Corinthians 6:11 to the list we get something like this:
Foreknown Predestined Called (Washed Sanctified ) Justified Glorified
The order of events; washed, sanctified and justified are probably not too important since they probably happened simultaneously.
1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were
washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Foreknowledge
Foreknowledge is simply knowing before. All of us have a limited ability to foreknow. I knew before today that I would be teaching on foreknowledge. I know before Christmas comes that I will be decorating the house. Some people limit God by saying that He foreknew that we would be saved because He looked ahead in time to see that I would believe. This is like God needing to read a newspaper so He will foreknow when His favorite show will be on. Here is an example of manŐs foreknowledge:
2 Peter 3:17 You
therefore, beloved, knowing
this beforehand (foreknowledge), be on your guard so that you
are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own
steadfastness.
True foreknowledge actually carries the idea of being active in the process. God knows what will happen because He is involved in the planning and purpose of all that does occur. Even though we ŇforeknowÓ that we will celebrate Christmas, we really canŐt be absolutely sure that we will even be alive to do so. We are incapable of causing events to happen according to our plan and purpose. If GodŐs foreknowledge is based upon what man would do then events would be according to manŐs plans and purpose instead of GodŐs. (See Ephesians 1:11 above).
A proper definition is critical for understanding what foreknowledge is from a biblical perspective. In each usage concerning God (Acts 26:5; Romans 8:29; Romans 11:2; 1 Peter 1:20) foreknowledge revolves around people and not things or events. In other words, foreknowledge is not about the things God knows about the future but about whom He knows. When I was foreknown by God He did not look into the future and see that I would believe. He looked into the future and saw the relationship He would have with me. God knew me intimately even before I was created.
Romans 11:2 God has not rejected His people
whom He foreknew Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage
about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
1 Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the
foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of
you
Acts 2:23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined
plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless
men and put Him to death.
Predestination
Notice that all those whom God foreknew are also predestined. All known by God in an intimate manner are predestined without exception. When God predestinates He decrees, appoints or determines beforehand that something will happen. If God predestinates everything in our lives there would be room for us to make decisions, including our decision to sin. God obviously does not decree every action in a believerŐs life. There are, however, certain areas where He does. Notice verse 29 says God predestines in a specific area of our life and that is in our conforming to the image of His Son.
Ephesians 1:4—5,
11 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and blameless before Him In love 5He predestined us to adoption as
sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His
will 11also we have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all
things after the counsel of His will,
Ephesians
2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Predestination is not about whether or not a person gets saved or not, but about a believer becoming conformed to Christ through the process of sanctification.
Call
Every time Paul uses the word called concerning GodŐs action on individuals, there is a positive response. In this case if you were called it seems clear that you will be glorified. As 1 Corinthians 7:18—24 states that if you are called then you should not seek to change your position in life. The assumption in that if you are called then you are saved.
1 Corinthians 7:24 Brethren,
each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
When Saul was called on the road to Damascus, it was an irresistible call. Saul responded positively to the call of God. Is his call really any different than our call to salvation? Saul might have needed a little more of a push but I believe God works this way in all believers in this age.
Galatians 1:15—16 15But when God, who had
set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was
pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among
the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
Other verses equate GodŐs call with salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with
His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
2 Thessalonians 2:13—14 13But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by
the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through
sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was
granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
There seems to be a difference in the use of the word call under the Kingdom program. We can see this in Matthew22:1—14 when the parable of the wedding feast is given by Jesus. As you read this passage you must keep in mind that it is written to Israel as the Gospel of the Kingdom was being announced. Those who were invited first were the leaders of Israel under the ministry of John and Jesus. They were simply told to come but rejected the invitation. By the second invitation everything was said to be ready (after Jesus had died on the cross) and this invitation also went to the leaders of Israel and was also rejected. They also killed and mistreated the KingŐs slaves. The King was enraged and sent His armies to destroy these murderers (the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and/or the seven-year Tribulation period). At the Second Coming will be the marriage supper of the Lamb when a general invitation will go out for all to come. God will provide everything necessary for those who attend. Those who try to come in on their own terms will be destroyed.
All of this to say that in the Kingdom economy there is a general call that does not need to be answered. There are no examples in PaulŐs writings of a rejection of a call from God.
Justified
We shouldnŐt have to spend a lot of time of this one since we covered it well in Lesson 12. First AdamŐs sin was imputed to us. When we believe, our sin is imputed to Christ and His righteousness is imputed to us. We are then declared just and are now justified. When God looks at my record, He sees that I have been perfect. Christ has taken my sin(s) and erased my record.
Glorified
Meaning to make glorious, cloth with splendor, to be rendered excellent. When we are glorified, we will be made as God intends us to be for all eternity. These weak, frail bodies will be transformed into eternal bodies suitable for service to God forever.
Summary
All of these five activities are in the aorist tense and active voice. The aorist tense indicates the action has already been done and the active voice means the subject (God) is doing the action. In this case God is acting upon the believer to. The person who is foreknown by God is assured that he will also be glorified. We can rest in this and not continually worry about our eternal destiny. This should enable us to give ourselves fully to the work that God has laid out before us in serving Him and edifying the Body.
The interesting thing about these actions is that God sees us as already having been glorified. Our glorification is so sure from GodŐs standpoint that He sees it as already accomplished even though from our frame of reference we have yet to experience it. This should give us great confidence in our eternal security.
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