Romans 8:28-30 (WEL) We know that all things are working together for good to those who love God, those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 Because whom he foreknew, he also decided beforehand to conform to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover, those he decided beforehand he also called, whom he called he also justified, and whom he justified he also glorified.
V28 We know that all things are working together for good to those who love God, those who are called according to [His] purpose.
Paul is writing to those who love God, that is, Christians. We show love for God by obedience to His revealed will written in the New Testament. God’s plans for us are also for our growth in spiritual maturity. Christ-followers are the ones called according to His purpose. God has a blueprint and specific school of training for each individual believer from the reasons and purposes of chastening to guiding us in our learning, experience, place of ministry, etc. God follows His blueprint knowing what is best for each believer. How we are taught, when we are taught, and the length of time we are taught are all tailored by God for perfect good. He is molding our lives into the character of His Son (Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18).
V29 Because whom he foreknew, he also decided beforehand to conform to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Deciding beforehand refers to God’s will. Foreknowledge is foresight/prescience. It is knowing something before it happens. It does not refer to God decreeing something in the future. God’s blueprint is what God follows to conform, mold, train, chasten us to live the communicable character traits of the Lord Jesus. Some examples of the communicable traits are love, mercy, kindness, reason, etc. Only God has incommunicable character traits as omniscience, omnipotence, omnisapience, eternalness, etc.
V30 Moreover, those he decided beforehand he also called, whom he called he also justified, and whom he justified he also glorified.
God knows who will believe and has the plan tailored for us. Once we respond to God’s call to believe (Matthew 11:28), God justifies, and eventually glorifies.
Adam Clarke:
“The Gentiles, whom He determined to call into his Church with the Jewish people, He called – He invited by the preaching of the Gospel, to believe on his Son Jesus Christ. It is worthy of note, that all that is spoken here refers to what had already taken place; for the calling, justifying, and glorifying are here represented as having already taken place, as well as the foreknowing and the predestinating. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that the apostle refers to what God had already done among the Jews and Gentiles: though he may also speak of the things that were not as though they were.”
We learn:
- God has a basic plan for all believers.
- God has a specific plan for individual believers.
Questions:
- Are you growing in faith?
- Are you obeying God’s laws as best as possible with God’s assisting grace?