Romans 8:28-9:6

A Passage of Hope for a Worn Heart

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.

This passage is one that is meant to give comfort, hope, and joy for a Church body that is suffering and dying. Paul is telling the Church of Romans that:

Yes, you are suffering or wanting to cave into sin.

Yes, you must suffer in the way Christ also suffered so that you will be glorified.

Yes. creation is suffering. All of humanity is suffering.

But he then states an amazing Biblical doctrine that they need to hold on to. They need to hold on to the fact that for those who love God, He works together all things for good. This love is intertwined with the word called. We cannot separate the words called and love. Paul is putting it simply, if they truly love God, they have no need to fear. Actually, they have all the reason to rejoice. Those who love God are called according to His purpose. These people who love Him have been foreknown, which either means fore loved or known for all which is true as God is an omniscient being. For those who love God, there is an ultimate destination, this destination is to be conformed into Jesus. For our original design, image bearers of God, to be fully restored. This is guaranteed. This is the promise that God has for believers, for those who love Him are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

It’s a passage of comfort, hope, and love for a group of people who are hurting, suffering, and dying.

This passage is meant to bring comfort, hope, and joy to a church body that is suffering and dying. Paul is telling the Roman believers:

Yes, you are suffering or tempted to give in to sin. Yes, you must suffer in the same way Christ suffered, so that you will also be glorified. Yes, creation itself is suffering. All of humanity is groaning under the weight of sin and brokenness.

But then he gives them this promise—an truth grounded in a sovereign God that they can cling to:

For those who love God, He is working all things together for good.

This love is inseparably linked to the word called. We cannot divide the two. Paul is saying plainly that if they truly love God, they have no reason to fear—only reason to rejoice. Those who love God are called according to His purpose.

And these people—those who love Him—have been foreknown. That word “foreknown” is often understood to mean “foreloved,” or “known in advance,” both of which are true since God is omniscient. But Paul’s emphasis is this: for those who love God, there is an unshakable destiny—to be conformed into the image of Jesus. To be fully restored as image-bearers of God.

This is guaranteed. This is the promise of God for His people: Those who love Him are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

This is the beauty of being saved by grace through. If it was based upon our merit, then we would all be screwed.

But because God did all the work on the cross, we can have confidence in the next verses:

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Skip Heitzig says that this passage is a big pillow for a weary heart.

This is a passage of comfort, hope, and love for a group of people who are hurting, suffering, and dying—but who are also deeply loved, seen, and destined for glory.

Review

Predestined to what?

When we talk about pre-destination, I think this often gets meshed in with election. Even if you differ on views about election, I do believe we should be united Biblically on what predestination is referred to in the bible.

Predestination is what happens to the believers God has chosen.

For instance, God has predestined that those who love Him will be adopted, called, justified, and glorified.

Whether you believe God chooses individuals to be saved, or believe in a corporate view where God chooses a people in Christ and individuals join by faith, the biblical emphasis is clear:

Predestination is what happens to whom God has chosen.

And we just read that wonderful, comforting passage: nothing can separate believers from the love of God. This is how you have confidence in Scripture—because when God says He will do something, He will do it. When He promises that nothing can separate us from His love, you can believe that with all your heart.

As verse 33 says, "Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies." If God is the one who justifies you, then nothing—and no one—can condemn you.

It does not explicitly say "God predestined people to believe.”

Corporate and Individual Election

Corporate Election

We start off with corporate election, which both sides believe in. God’s elect is the Church of Christ. God’s elect are those who love Him. God’s elect are believers. And God has a plan for what happens to believers.

Even the sufferings, the evils, the sins in your life that you’ve faced or dealt with—for those who love God and are called according to His purpose—relates to what will happen to believers.

Long story short: There is body of believers that God has chosen before the foundation of the world. We are chosen in Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Individual Election

This is where the debate or divide starts. I hope we can all be in agreement on what Predestination is and what corporate election is. Individual election relates on to whom God has chosen and how He has chosen them.

Those that are reformed or calvinistic would state that God chose individuals to believe in Him before the foundation of the world. This is not based upon any merit or choice, including faith, but simply on God’s love for His elect. God’s love for certain individuals. Without God choosing you, you would never be saved.

Those that are not reformed or calvinistic land into two categories:

God has chosen those who would place their faith in Him. God is an omniscient being and we can’t separate that from His character. This would then relate to the fact that God’s chosen are those who placed faith in Him.

God has chosen the Church and not individuals for salvation. God has chosen Christ and those in Christ will be saved. God does choose individuals for service or for a purpose but not specific individuals to be saved or to not be saved.

Questions?

Reformed Theology: The Doctrines of Grace

The main point is this. Regeneration precedes faith. God makes you alive so you can place faith in Him. He only does this for His elect.

Total Depravity – Reformed View

Humanity is not only sinful, but spiritually dead. No one seeks after God on their own; apart from divine intervention, we are unable and unwilling to turn to Him.

Romans 3:10–11 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Unconditional Election – Reformed View

God’s choosing of individuals for salvation is not based on foreseen faith or merit but on His own will and grace. Election is not about what we do—it’s about what God decided.

Ephesians 1:4–5 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Romans 9:15–16 ESV

15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Limited Atonement – Reformed View

Christ’s death was sufficient for all, but effectively applied only to those whom God chose. Jesus didn’t merely make salvation possible—He accomplished it fully for His people.

John 10:14–15 ESV

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Irresistible Grace – Reformed View

When God calls someone to salvation, that call is effectual—it actually brings about saving faith. God opens blind eyes and gives new hearts so that we freely and joyfully respond.

John 6:37 ESV

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Perseverance of the Saints – Reformed View

Those whom God saves, He keeps. True believers may stumble but will never finally fall away. God is the one who sustains and secures their faith until the end.

John 10:28–29 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Where I Differ

My job at the end of the day is to expound and to teach what the bible states. If I am wrong, I need to address that and fix my errors. However, I must teach what I believe the spirit has put on my heart. I agree with much of the doctrines of grace, I disagree with the premise in each point.

The main under-ceding line: Faith precedes Regeneration

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Colossians 2:12 ESV

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

The emphasis I see in scripture is that we are regenerated through faith, not before. One last thing I will state: faith does not count as merit:

Romans 3:27 ESV

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.

You could simply state that God has given this gift of faith to all but not all will choose Him.

So I will go through the doctrines of Grace and explain where I differ:

Where I Differ on Total Depravity:

In the verses that are commonly recited, I agree with them like 95%. Yes, I would never choose God if He didn’t choose me. Yes, I would never love God if He didn’t love me first. Yes, I would never seek Him if He didn’t draw me first. Yes, if I was left alone, I would never choose Him. However, we are not left alone. God has revealed Himself through general revelation through creation and the moral law written on our hearts. God has revealed Himself through special revelation through the bible and the Gospel.

This means if the Gospel is presented to me, that is an act of drawing that I can have faith in Him. Faith isn’t a work and God get’s all the credit.

Where I Differ on Unconditional Election:

I think the verses about election are not based upon salvation but based upon service and when it refers to salvation, scripture is referring to the corporate body, the church, those who love Him. God has chosen a body. At the head of this body is Christ and the rest of the body are believers. I see the verses relating to the nation as a whole in the same way God chose the nation Israel.

God has predestined believers for the all the blessings that I mentioned and this belongs to anyone who would place faith in Christ. Here I will touch on Romans 9:5-6 when Paul is now referring to those who are not saved, specifically those of Israel but who do not have faith, He says this about them:

Romans 9:4–5 ESV

4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

If Paul truly was preaching reformed doctrine, why would he say that this belongs to them if God predestine them to never actually belong to it?

we will go into more of this next week as the response is often Romans 9:20-21

Romans 9:20–21 ESV

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

For now, this goes on pause but I hope to explain is that this verse actually answering a different question then the one I brought up and that Paul is addressing other points that the Jews are bringing up. More on that next week.

Where I Differ on Limited Atonement

Calvinists will simply state that God dies for those He chose and although I believe the offer of salvation is for all people, God’s atonement is effectual or limited to only those who believe. God is outside time so this one doesn’t bother me as much. Christ did truly die for those who believe. He also know all who would believe. Many calvinists or those who are reformed actually don’t hold quite as strongly on this belief. They would state Christ did die for all but His atonement is limited to those who believe.

Irresistible Grace

This is the one that I really struggled with. My stand has been I am a 4 point calvinist but then I realized that I really am just not a calvinist because you will see that each point stems from the same thing.

Acts 7:51 ESV

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Romans 10:21 ESV

21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Where I Differ with Perseverance of the Saints

To put this simply, I believe that God has destined for believers to never be separated from His love. Once true repentance and faith is placed in Christ, you are sealed with the spirit. There is no going back, scripture is clear on that.

Final Thoughts

My actual goal is not for me to refute the reformed perspective and state that those who believe in it are heretical or not my brothers and sisters in Christ. My goal is to defend what I believe biblically and on topics like this, to be okay with agreeing to disagreeing. I love this church and I love every individual here. I understand that many of use may not fall on one side or another because we are not specifically are reformed church. We are a bible believing Church with which we all believe that the word of God is true and is living revelation, which has the power to change our lives.

And my last reminder for you all, it is okay to wrestle with parts of scripture but please be reminded that you may not like what God does in scripture and we need to humble ourselves and realize we are not God. If the reformed doctrine is more Biblical and is what I start to see being clearly taught than I will be reformed. I may I disagree with how God is operating but who am I to be god compared to the true all powerful being. God is far more loving, gracious, and kind than I will ever be and we need to always land where scripture lands and to not run away from it.