20260104 Romans 8:28-31 The Logical, Chronological, and Theological Timing of God (part 2)
The Book of Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Handout
Welcome to Vertical Church. A warm welcome to those who are watching online and those who watch throughout the week
Good morning.
Let Us Continue to Worship God
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:28-30
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 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would 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.
Introduction:
Introduction: Romans 8:28-31 The Logical, Chronological, and Theological Timing of God (part 2)
All things work together for good because God has perfectly and sovereignly arranged for everything in life to do one or all of three things:
To bring you to trust in Christ, to strengthen your trust in Christ, and always, to bring glory to God and God alone that He might be lifted up in worship and glorified
When we consider the title of this morning’s message and the passage we will look at, we need to understand that throughout Scripture we are being given the sovereign, omnipresent, and omniscient perspective of God and the finite, individualistic perspective of people.
For example, the conversations of individuals who are in a desolate or isolated place. - the Lord is everywhere and hears every conversation
The Book of Job - what is going on in heaven versus the perspective of Job’s friends
When it comes to salvation, how we come to Christ, the events that transpire in our coming to Christ, God’s role in salvation and our role in salvation - we need to understand that the same two perspectives - a sovereign God who directs and finite individuals who experience, must always be considered.
And Romans 8:28-30 is one of the great passages for understanding how these two perspectives work in perfect harmony and unity
(1) Romans 8 is not a spiral staircase, it is an apartment building staircase. There’s a landing before and after each floor.
Romans 8:28
The first verse of last week’s passage was the last verse of the week before’s passage and this week’s last passage is the first verse of this week’s passage and the last verse of this week’s passage will be the first verse of next week’s passage
A summary and an introduction
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 defining those who love God as the ones “who are the called according to God’s purpose.”
God has a divine purpose for your life that He determined in eternity past and even in suffering He is accomplishing His plan
God has a divine plan for your life that goes far beyond your coming to Christ and includes not only your sanctification, but your transformation and your glorification
(2) Romans 8 involves the Logical, Chronological, and Theological Timing of God
What we are presented with in Scripture is from both a divine and a human perspective
29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would 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.
The Golden Chain or the Order of Salvation
The ordo salutis is the order of salvation. This focuses on the acts of God and the response of the individual in salvation.
The Covenant of Redemption and the Proclamation and Power of the Gospel
When we look at historic, biblical Christianity:
The Order of Salvation is a logical sequence of salvation's elements, not a strict chronological timeline, explaining God's work from eternal decree (election, predestination) to human experience (calling, regeneration, faith, justification, sanctification, glorification), where some steps are simultaneous (like regeneration and faith) but logically precede others (faith requires regeneration).
Key Distinctions:
Logical vs. Chronological: The Order of Salvation isn't about when in time these happen for an individual but the order of dependence.
For instance, God's eternal foreknowledge (election) logically comes before His saving work, even though they're not sequential in time for God.
God's Work vs. Human Experience: It maps God's divine actions (election, calling, regeneration) and the human response (faith, repentance, obedience). Not the human perspective or human experience
Election/Predestination: God's eternal choice.
Calling (Effectual): God's divine summons, leading to regeneration.
Regeneration (New Birth): God gives a new heart (logically precedes faith).
Faith & Repentance: The regenerate heart responds with trust in Christ and turning from sin (often simultaneous with regeneration).
Justification: Declared righteous through faith (follows faith).
Sanctification: Growing in holiness (ongoing).
Glorification: Final, perfect holiness at Christ's return.
Example: Regeneration & Faith:
The apostles who wrote scripture emphasized that regeneration grounds faith; you can't have true faith without God first giving you a new, believing heart (as seen in John 1). They happen so closely together in experience that they seem simultaneous, but logically, regeneration comes first.
In essence, Paul used the Ordo Salutis to explain the logical structure of salvation, not a stopwatch, clarifying how God's eternal plan unfolds into the believer's experience.
The Theological timing of God - you cannot understand, you cannot teach the Bible unless you believe and teach the whole counsel of God
From God’s perspective - you did not choose me, I chose you, John 15:16, Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
From the human perspective - my choice (choose you this day), my faith (believe on the Lord Jesus)
God be with you till we meet again, By His counsel’s guide, uphold you, With His sheep securely fold you: God be with you till we meet again. God be with you till we meet again; When life’s perils thick confound you, Put His arms unfailing ‘round you, God be with you till we meet again. Amen.
