Romans 8 v 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 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. (ESV)
The determination of God rather than that of God’s saints. Salvation is something that we have absolutely nothing to do with – only God saves!
The Determination of God’s Promise (v 28)
Next to John 3:16 this is the most precious promise:
a. Its Confidence – He cannot lie, His promise is sure.
b. Its Completeness – all things: sweet, sorrowful, Satanic and sinful things.
c. Its Cause – our Sovereign God has His mighty hand upon all circumstances that believers in Jesus may face.
d. Its Condition – only for those who love God.
There are consequences to this promise:
– It’s not a verse designed for your happiness, but to give you meaning and courage.
– It’s not to be taken lightly.
– It cannot be divorced from the verses that follow it (29 and 30).
– And as we’ll see next week, God’s purpose in turning everything to our good is not to make you happy or wealthy. God is doing all of this to make us more like Jesus.
The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal plan and that nothing will ever be able to change that plan.