Frustration, Part 5
Foreknown, Predestined, Called, Justified and Glorified
Romans 8v29-30
1st February 2014
Paul tells us that if we love God, if we've been called according to His purpose - that is, if we're real Christians - then "we know that all things work together for good" for us (Romans 8v28, AV). Paul is absolutely confident that this is true, despite the painful nature of his - and our - trials. In the next verses, he explains the reason for this confidence:
Romans 8v29-30
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brothers.
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also
glorified.
Before the beginning of time, God knew whom he would save and predestined every one of us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. You may not feel very much like Jesus right now. But God has predestined you to be like Him one day.
There is some dispute as to whether God foreknew us first and then predestined those whom He foreknew, or whether he predestined us first and then foreknew those whom he had predestined. I'm content to believe that His foreknowledge and predestination happened at the same moment. In fact, since this happened before the beginning of time, the question of which happened first may not even make sense.
For you and me to become like Jesus, God needs to work through our circumstances and trials to change our hearts. And if your heart is anything like mine, the operations God needs to perform on our hearts can't happen without pain. When I first believed in Jesus, I needed to change a lot. God has already improved my character - and it hurt. And he needs to do a great deal more yet, if I'm to be like Jesus one day. And that will hurt, too. But it's worth it.
In order to fulfil his plan for us, God calls each one that He's chosen. He sacrificed His Son on the cross to justify each one of us. And He glorifies each one of us, by putting His Holy Spirit in us, and by guaranteeing us eternity in heaven with Him.
Paul expresses all this in the past tense: foreknew... predestined... called... justified... glorified, because God has already chosen irrevocably to achieve all this for all the people He has chosen. And now His plan is working itself out.
Are you one of us? Do you love God? Are you called according to his purpose? Then all this is yours.