Invincible Assurance

Our Glorious Promise

Romans 8:28 ESV

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 continuing his discussion from chapter 5 discussing the application of the righteousness of God in the Gospel. And here, as we’ve said before, in chapter 8 he is highlighting the work of the spirit and offering encouragement for our perseverance… he is addressing questions that may come up from his discussion so far — he is addressing questions that come up from our regular experiences as believers in this world...

Look back to 8.1 - there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… and yet those in Christ certainly are experiencing trouble, pain, and suffering… brokenness due to sin and its consequences.. but aren’t we free from that?? NO, look to 8.18...

I consider the suffering of this present time… a time where creation itself is groaning with us as we suffer together… This is an era of patient endurance - .25, where we struggle not knowing how to even pray for ourselves and our situation.. BUT we have the Spirit interceeding for us.. helping us to persevere.. AND not only the Spirit, we have this glorious promise, this divine truth, to help us day to day..

.28 WE KNOW that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. An almost unimaginable truth… ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD… yet it is part of the application of the righteousness of God through the gospel… And let us understand this glorious assurance promised in this verse… First who is the promise for - the People of the Promise, Second what does it includes - the Purview of the Promise…

Who are the people this promise applies to? Paul first describes them - us - as those who love God… it is an unusual phrase for Paul but it is a specific phrase referring to a specific people. This promise is not a universal promise - it is not for all people, it is exclusively for those who love God. This is descriptive of those who can know that all things work for good - and in general it is a description of a Christian. There is no born-again believer that does not love God; and there is no unbeliever that does love God. 1 Cor 16:22 - If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed… If you do not love the Lord you are not a believer.. and if we look ahead to .29 we see “those” as the ones who God foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son - these are believers...

From our perspective - we are people who love GOD… and from the divine perspective we are the ones called by God according to His purpose. This is what we call the effectual call… this is not the general call that goes out to all whenever we are preaching or sharing the Gospel. This is His direct calling by which our hearts are made new as we recognize the conviction of sin and are freed to express the faith this calling brings. We can think of John 6:44… where the Jews were grumbling about the teachings of christ, not able to receieve the truth, and Jesus said, NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM. AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY…

We are unable to answer the general call of the gospel unless we have the effectual call - the work of God producing in us what it demands - here described as God drawing us - and see that those called are glorified - Paul’s point here in .30

And now, what is the purview… ALL things work for the Good… Seems too big… incredible… But it is true!… Remember context - initially we would say that he would be referring to the trials, the suffering - the bad things that happen. IT IS NOT SAYING ALL THINGS ARE GOOD - but that all things work for OUR GOOD… And while we initially think of the “bad” things, it extends beyond that to ALL THINGS… things good and things bad - everything that happens to you, all things you experience, every bump, detour, accident, you encounter in your life is being used for your good…

Joseph is the prime example.. The favored son of Jacob, the one who would assume leadership of the families resources… probably walking around in his multi-colored coat dreaming of the day he would be in charge… so he shared his dreams that seemed to support his lofty assumptions with his brothers and no surprise they hated him for it… So one day out in the wilderness they beat Joseph and sold him into slavery… NOT GOOD - NOT AT ALL...

He found unlikely prosperity as a slave, rising to run the entire house of Potipher in Egypt. Then betrayed by Potiphar’s wife, being falsely accused he went from slave to prisoner in Egypt - again… NOT GOOD at all...

And then finally he gets exalted to the second highest position in Egypt, where when his brothers come to Egypt years later seeking relief from a famine, Joseph confronts them and while they are terrified, fearing what he will do - we get this astonishing statement of faith and truth from Joseph:

Genesis 50:19–20 ESV

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

We see here the intentions, and exercising of their free will AND yet all that they did was done to further the sovereign plan of GOd…

The same way… all of your pains, struggles, tragedies, victories, joys and celebrations are conspiring together to move you toward God’s purposed goal for you — which is your good!

Everything that touches your life is at work to shape and fashion you according to God’s sovereign, unstoppable, invincible plan… EVERYTHING…

Its a GLORIOUS PROMISE - an assurance that is for us in everything - and it is a promise pledged and protected by the providence of GOD seen in his glorious plan…

His Glorious Plan

Romans 8:29–30 ESV

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. 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 has been labelled the “golden chain.” Here Paul discusses 5 links in this unbreakable chain describing God’s sovereign work in our salvation. It is a beautiful picture of the work of our GOD bringing us from rebel and sinner to saint and son...

First - we are foreknown… and while our english carries this simple idea of knowing ahead of time, the OT idea as well as the Greek includes this - knowing ahead of time, but includes the idea of affection and connection - the Lord’s setting His affection on those whom he has chosen to be in covenant community with…

Its not a simple cognitive reality, for the LORD knows everyone before - He has perfect knowledge - this is speaking of the special covenantal knowledge He has of his elect…

Second - we are predestined… If saying “elect” didn’t get some of you going perhaps mentioning predestination will. This is the simple idea of GOd determining ahead of time what will happen to us, what we will become…

Once He set His affections on us, He predestined us… to what? To become conformed into the image of His Son. That Jesus would be the firstborn among many brothers - that we would become Christ-like even as He remains the first-born, twice-honored, SON in whom we know salvation.

Third - we are called… Remember this is the effectual call of God - we will look more closely at this in chapter 9 - yet for here see that those called will be justified - and faith is a requirement for justification… the calling of God works to produce faith in His people..

One commentator: Moreover, as most scholars affirm, “calling” (κλητός, klētos), must be understood as effectual. It is not merely an invitation that human beings can reject, but it is a summons that overcomes human resistance and effectually persuades them to say yes to God.

Fourth - we are justified… this is the declaration of God that we are innocent - AND righteous. It is due to the substitutional atonenemt of Christ and His obedience to the Father… While our guilt is imputed to Him, His righteousness is imputed to us..

Fifth - we are glorified… when we think of the GOOD for which all things are working and the purpose of GOD it is first our conformity to the image of Christ and finally our glorification. This is .23 our final adoption of sons - the redemption of our bodies.

Where we are actually remade with bodies that will not decay, with hearts that will not stray and will live in a renewed world where there is no sin or sadness…

See the chain:

Those foreknown are also predestined

Those predestined are also called

Those called are also justified

Those justified are also glorified

Our future inheritance, the real goal of our lives, our glorious future with Christ is secure - it is not conditioned on our performance or threatened by our experience but is rather grounded, assured, guaranteed, by the sovereignty, the Lordship of our GOD...

We have a glorious promise that is pledged and protected by the providence of God...