Rom 8-Does God Know You
| Does God “Know” You?! Romans 8:28-32
May 13, 2007 (NIV) 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? PRAY Scripture Memory:32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? – Romans 8:32 (NIV) Moment for Mothers Intro:This morning we are going to look at a subject that will be confusing to some, disturbing to others, and perhaps a little frustrating to many. It is very theological and that makes it difficult for many. For many of you this will be review, for others it will be brand new. In many ways, this is one of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture to preach to a group as diverse as those of us who are here today.Yet this passage and these concepts which we will be looking at this morning provide the ground of confidence for what we looked at last week in v. 28.This morning: vv. 29-30The “Golden Chain”The five links of this chain: Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, GlorificationThis morning: Does God Know You? – The intimacy of God’s love and foreknowledgeForeknowledgePredestinationCallingNext week: God-centered Faith – The basis for being sure of our salvationJustificationGlorification The Crucial Question this morning: Does God Know You?1. ForeknowledgeQ: What does it mean that God foreknew?Two different perspectives:Ø God looked into the future and saw who would embrace Him by faith, he knew beforehand. ORØ God knew those who were His in an intimate and personal way, even before anything was physically created.Biblical “knowing:”Gen. 4:1 – Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, Gen. 4:25 – And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth Amos 3:2 (NKJV) – You only have I known of all the families of the earth…”Mat. 7:22-23 (NIV) – Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’Exodus 33:12 – God said to Moses: “I know you by name.”1 Corinthians 8:3 - But the man who loves God is known by God. These verses show us that for God to know someone is not merely cognitive recognition, like “I know Josh MacDowell….” Similarly, foreknowledge speaks of far more than merely cognitive recognition of what will happen in the future…v. 29 – those God foreknewThis says nothing about God’s knowledge of what they would DO. It says nothing at all about human actions. It speaks entirely of what GOD does. God foreknew, God predestined, God called, God justified, God glorified.“The object of the divine foreknowledge is not the actions of certain people but the people themselves.” (BOICE)The word translated foreknew is a Heb. and Gk. idiom meaning love beforehand. (Ps. 1:6; Amos 3:2 – God knows His own, but not others) – Note: Foreknowledge, in the sense of knowing what will happen does not make the future any more uncertain. The problem still remains of how to reconcile human responsibility with the absolute certainty of all events. “Foreknowledge means that salvation has its origin in the mind or eternal counsels of God, not in man.” It means “to fix one’s love upon or elect.” (BOICE)God’s foreknowledge of His people is akin to the love He has had for us from all eternity.Jer. 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”His knowing us is integrally connected with the fact that we are His.John 10:14 (NIV) – “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV) – Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his.”Application: It’s not WHAT you know, it is WHO you know… and even more who knows YOU!The only question we really need to wrestle with in this regards is: Does God know you as one of his own?2. Predestinationv. 29 – Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. Predestination tells us that “having fixed His distinquishing love upon us, God next appointed us to to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Boice)The biblical term predestination refers to the act of fore-ordaining to an eternal lot or destiny by divine decreeGod chose certain people, before the beginning of time, to be His.Important distinction here between predestination or providence and fate…In predestination everybody gets what he wants…. In hell there is only agony always. It is hellish. So no one likes being there. But what they hate worse than their agony is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The last place they want to be is in heaven. (Edwin H. Palmer)Many people struggle with this doctrine.John 6:44, 65 – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Asking the wrong question…The point: I can take no credit for coming and therefore there is no place for pride or arrogance of any kind. And I can be confident that just as God is the one Who began the good work, so also, He will be the One to finish it. – Phil. 1:6Q: Well then, what about those who aren’t predestined? | | 3. Callingv. 30 – Those he predestined, he also called.Two types of calls: external and internalThe external call is an invitation to any and all who would come…The external call is general and universal, an open invitation to all people to repent and turn to Christ. (i.e. Mat. 11:28; John 7:37)(Matthew 11:28 (NIV) – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.John 7:37 (NIV) – On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.) The internal call is specific and effectual (effective) ….SC Question 31: What is effectual (effective) calling?Answer: Effectual (effective) calling is the work of God’s Spirit, Who, convinces us that we are sinful and miserable, Who enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and Who renews our wills. This is how he persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ, Who is freely offered to us in the gospel.i.e. Lazarus being raised from the dead…John 10:27 – My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. If you are here, this morning, and you long to hear His voice, if you desire to follow Jesus… Q: Well then, what about those who aren’t predestined?Answer: they CAN not come because they WILL not come. Somehow, for many this still seems unfair.“The justice of God condemns us and can only condemn us. If we seek justice from God, we will find it by being cast into outer darkness forever. In order to be saved, we need mercy and not justice, which is what predestination is all about.” (Boice)“Predestination does not take away freedom. It restores it.” (Boice) – explain… The issue is the sovereignty of God.Is God truly sovereign?Define sovereignJob 42:1-2 - Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Isaiah 46:9-11 (NIV) - 9Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Daniel 4:35 - All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” Application: Ø Some feel that this teaching prevents us from having any security in our eternal state… more on that next week…Ø Some feel that this teaching makes evangelism irrelevant (explain evangelism)… Quite the contrary, it makes evangelism possible.As we have already seen, in this letter to the Romans, all men are spiritually dead apart from Christ….For this reason we are all born with a natural propensity to sin, to reject God – at the root of sin is a commitment to autonomy from God. We sin because we are sinners, because we are alienated from God, because we REFUSE to worship Him and to acknowledge Him as God….If it were not for the fact that God, in His mercy chooses to reach down to some and change the attitude of their hearts…Harry Ironside – story about an older Christian telling others about how he came to faith… - What about YOUR part? “Oh yes,” the older Christian said. “I apologize for that. I’m sorry. I really should have said something about my part. My part was running away and His part was running after me until He caught me.”Predestination makes evangelism POSSIBLE!!!Predestination also frees us from the fear of failure and from the burden of changing other’s hearts…Ø Some feel that this teaching takes away hope for unbelieving friends and relatives… “What if they are NOT predestined to believe?!?The purpose of this doctrine: to humble us and to make us secureThe point: I can take no credit for coming and therefore there is no place for pride or arrogance of any kind. And I can be confident that just as God is the one Who began the good work, so also, He will be the One to finish it. – Phil. 1:6 A Truth to Remember: If you are hungry to know God, if you desire to follow Him, then you are seeing the fruit of God’s Spirit at work in Your heart.A Challenge to Consider: Are you willing to let GOD define issues like Predestination and to trust in His justice and mercy, or will you insist on conforming things to what makes sense to you? One thing I heard this morning was… |
