Romans 8:28-30

God the Master Weaver

Good morning my friends!

Here we are a week after Easter, but I hope the joy of Easter is still in your hearts.

The joy of the resurrection is a joy that should remain in our hearts each day because it gives us hope…

A hope that is sure and true, because we are included in the plans God has set forth in this world.

This morning we are going to walk through one of the most quoted verses and passages of Scripture and define its meaning for us today. And in the course of this, we will talk about some difficult topics as well, things like predestination and so forth.

It will make us think, you might have a different thought than me on this, and that is ok too, I will not fuss at you for being wrong...LOL

No, there are things in Scripture that at times we may differ on, but they do not effect our salvation and the walk we have with the Lord Jesus.

So with that, lets look at the book of Romans and we will examine Romans 8:28-30

Romans 8:28–30 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

So there it is, one of the most popular versus from the Book of Romans, and it is a very meaningful passage.

What does it mean?

So three thoughts my friends,

1. The Believer’s Life..

As we start to consider what is being said here in this passage, we notice that the passage begins with a person, us.

Listen again… “And we know that for those who love God..

So we start with the presupposition that the person in question loves God, not just a happy knowledge but a real heart felt devotion.

The Greek word for love here is “agapao” and it mean to love, care for or have great loyalty toward someone. And the very root of the word is a “agape”, which is a godly type of love.

But instead of focusing on God’s love toward us, it is the opposite, we love God.

So without a doubt the believer loves God. Why?

Look back over chapter 8 and discover the reason. First, for we who are in Christ Jesus, Paul tells us that there is no longer any condemnation.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus has forever changed our world and all humanity. Sin and its penalty has forever been dealt with in the person of Jesus Christ. He took our penalty, what we deserved, death, Jesus took upon himself and as such instead of death, all those who come to Christ in repentance, are given life and life eternal.

Our life has forever been changed, that drives our emotion and volition toward God, we are not debtors who love God. We are indebted to the Father

But not only has God paid the penalty of sin through the Son. But God the Father has also has included us into the family of God.

In verses 12-17, we see that because of God’s work we are not heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:14-15 that all who are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God. And as Sons of God, we are not led backward into the slavery we once knew, no! Instead we have received the spirit of Adoption.

Adoption brings us into the the family and makes us both a heir of God and a co-heir with Christ.

Now think of this, to be an heir, it tells us we have something that awaits us in the future. For many of you, the things you leave behind, they are promised to your children and grandchildren. why? They are yours, they are part of your family today.

So we receive what God has promised us in Christ because we have believed.

What do we receive? Eternal life. We know this because the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer, is are guarantee of the good things to come.

Ephesians 1:14 “14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

Eternal life is the gift of God to those who believe.

In each of these examples, we find one thing, those who have come to the Father by faith through Christ comes with heart of gratitude and love.

The marvelous grace of God has blessed and lead us on a journey of following the Lord, freely out of love my friends. This is the believer’s life.

Now lets move forward… Lets talk about the work of God in our lives.

2. His Work in the Believer....

One truth taught in the Bible that we must pay attention too is the fact that God is at work in the lives of His children.

Even when we do not sense or know what God is doing in and around our lives, I promise you my friends that God has not deserted us, but is at work in every circumstance of life.

How can we be sure of this?

Lets look at the word of God. Look at verse 28 again...

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

So what is the Apostle Paul telling us here?

What Paul is communicating to us is this… In every circumstance of life, the positive and yes, the negative, God is at work within those circumstances.

So stop for a minute, what could we identify as a positive circumstance? A couple things I could think of, what about getting the job you’ve prayed for and hoped for.., what about marriage, or the birth of children. God is the one who could be at work in each of these circumstances.

I think of Abraham and Sarah, God was at work in their life to bless them, yes.. and the world around them even in the days to come.

A negative experience, What about the ending of a job, or maybe something you hoped for, falling through, you didn’t get the job or the position you wanted.. and so forth. Now we wonder why..

In both of these aspects of life, positive or negative, we cannot see just how God is at work.. but here is what we do know.

God directs the affairs of our life, in such a way that for those who love Him, the outcome is always beneficial. And friends that can apply to things in the moment we consider to be positive and negative.

But here is a key thought… The good that God does in us isn’t may not be what we always think is best. But do not doubt that God is a at work in you for good, ultimately to help conform us into the likeness of the Son, the Lord Jesus.

In fact I would tell you that every moment of life has the opportunity for us to be conformed into His image. But it takes a life that is seeking the Lord in every moment of life.

Now there are two things I want you to see here in this passage.

The relationship with have with God, it isn’t a static one. What do I mean? It is to be ever growing,our life in Christ is a life that growing and it continually changes the person who has been touched by the love of God.

I am going to liken it to a marriage. Marriage isn’t a one time action and then that’s it. No.. it is a continually deepening of the relationship a husband and wife have with one another.

So for us, our salvation is meant to have a continuing effect on the believer, that past action is meant to always grow in us, work in us to constantly make us like Jesus.

We are slowly fading away and Jesus is being seen all the more.

As we love God, walk with God, seek God, we know that He is also actively intervening in the affairs of our life.

A great theologian, Robert Mounce said “ from the human side, we love God. From God’s side we are called in accordance with his purpose.

Now when we think about God’s active work in us what can we say He is doing...

First off, He sought us, he called to us and we answered Him, that leads to our salvation.

I look back in my life and in hindsight, I see the people God placed around me, it wasn’t by chance or by some accident. No it was purposefully. He was calling me. Now, I the other side of that I had to say “Yes” to him as he called. We will talk more about that in a moment.

But the work of God led to my salvation.

Secondly, God is at work in us as we love Him actively each day. What is the purpose of that work? To help us be conformed into the image of the Son.

We call it sanctification.. becoming “saint” like. The outcome is conformity to Jesus, in His likeness, but also that we might bear fruit.

Thirdly, So that we might have a positive effect in the world where he has planted us.

Key thought: When I think of this idea, I think of Joseph in the Old Testament.

Man, He was daddy’s favorite, his brother’s hated him and in fact some of the brothers wanted to kill him. He ends up being sold into slavery.

In a strange land, as a slave that no one cared for, remember God cared and was active in His life to the point as Joseph was faithful and true, God elevated him to the second highest place of authority over all Egypt.

And God used him to not only save his own people but to be restored to them in due time.

No one could do that but God...

Isn’t He good!!

Yes, He is...

God is at work in the life of the believer my friends.… In fact God is always at work in the world we live, at times and seasons we may be unaware, But He is there bringing all things to fruition.

Now this brings me to my very last thought over this passage as we finish looking at what Paul has shared with those who are in Rome.

3. Beneficial Outcome...

Outcomes...everything in life has a outcome. This is true both physically and spiritually.

God desires are for us (His Children) to have a great outcome, namely that we would walk with Him, know Him and finally be with Him in heaven. And He has provided for that in and through the Son.

So how is it best seen? Well, lets look at the rest of our text.

Romans 8:28–30 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

We could spend a good while in this one passage, and I am trying to provide you with a summation in just a few minutes, so bear with me.

Now so far we have just looked at the tip of the ice berg so to speak. We have just examined about half of verse 28.. so there is a bunch more that we have to take a peak at...

And it is here we are going to spend a little bit of time chiming in on “Predestination” in this text. Now as I said at the beginning of this time, you and I may see differently on this topic.

And that is ok, some times we live in different theological camps, these camps do not determine our salvation or our faith. But they do explain how we get there, at least in what we think.

With all that said… we come to the last portion of verse 28

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, - for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Paul is really qualifying all that we have talked about again here.

Think of this verse like this. For those who love God and are called according to his purpose.. all things work together for good.

The very first thing God wants for us, His divine purposes for us, His Children, it is for us to be saved. So that would be to walk with and know Him.

Ultimately, each day as we walk with Jesus, we are being made over, made into His image as we live for Him. This is that process of sanctification we have talked about in the past

Salvation and then growth in our life is where the rubber hits the road. This is what we have addressed already.

But how do we get there?

Think of this my friends, God has always been doing good for us, You and I, but also I mean humanity, since before He even began the process of creation, Why? He loves us.

God was at work before...

I know, yes, I believe that God knew us, each person that has lived in the past, those who are alive now or those who will live in the future, God knew them beforehand, when, before He ever made this world. This attribute is Omniscience, The all knowing God.

So God has been doing good for us, and He is continually at work and the fruition of this, the end of this is glory, heaven.

So Paul is speaking of foreknowledge, predestination and we must throw in the topic of free will.

And here in our text the topic is believers comes into play, God’s love and action in Christ is for the joy of people to believe.

So, does God know all who will be saved, those who will come to faith in Christ now? Yes, He does… (Omniscience) We would say in his foreknowledge God does.

Paul says here in our text that those He foreknew he also predestined to be conformed into the image of the Son.

Yes, God foreknows all who will come to faith in Christ. And this is His greatest objective He wants people to know and follow Him freely.

But the reality is, not all will come to faith in Christ. why? Not all will choose God, even though God desire is for all to be saved.

God extends salvation to us, but he leaves the choice to us.

Free will allows us to make those choices. How do I know that… Adam and Eve made a choice to disobey God instead of obey and sin entered the world.

So we are given free will.

I believe and interpret this passage to mean, God knows, who will be saved and verse 29, His will for those who are saved, they will be conformed to the image of his Son. But God allowed us to make that choice ourselves.

But know, he has been at work in us, around us, people, experiences and so forth.

So did God cause us to be saved? I say no. but I recognize he was at work around my life to help walk toward Him. He knew I would be saved, but his foreknowledge doesn’t equate an action on his part to direct me as if I had no other choice.

We do have a choice.

So God in eternity past, knew all who would be saved and enter into His kingdom. But while he did work to draw us, he didn’t cause it. But we can say, our choice to say yes, brings about salvation.

And for those who come to faith in Christ we have the wondrous joy of justification. We were guilty before God, but Jesus took our place and his life provided for our penalty and thus he made us right in front of the eternal judge. Justified, made right, and one day we will be made like Him in his kingdom.

We could spend a lot of time speaking about foreknowledge, predestination and so forth. But ultimately I say God desires us to be saved, His perfect purposes are that, but he allows us to decide. There is a moral responsibility on our part of say yes to God or no to God.

For those who decided “Yes”, we are the predestined of God. we are the ones God knew at the end of our days would say Yes to him. He called and invited, we are the ones who have come to the wedding supper. Many invitations went out, but not all the seats are full.

I know perhaps this sounds convenient, - Norman Giesler writes a great book “Chosen but Free...” And he walks through all the arguments in a very nice way.

Think of heaven as you enter with a door… the outside of the door says -Whosoever may come.. but on the inside of the door it says, I have chosen you. I think this is one of the great mysteries of the Bible and of God.

At the end our day, here is what is important my friends.

God is at work in you,

For you who love God, you have a purpose, a purpose that lies beyond the frailty of this world, you have a God ordained purpose.

God is weaving your life, as you walk with Him, grow in Him, following him.. The weaving is for your good, your blessing but that doesn’t mean it is always easy, it does mean God will see you through and He will get all the glory for it.

Our responsibility is to know him and not doubt, walk daily and be dependent upon Him.

Love him and love others...

Pray