My day is a little boring 🙂 Those He foreknew...

Romans 8:29 - 32

²⁹For those who 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. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called, and those who he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ³¹What then shall we say to these things? 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 with him graciously give us all things? (ESV)

Nothing surprises God. He has a plan in every circumstance. And His plan is always for His glory and for the good of His people.

Our Scripture verses today are important in understanding God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty, and showing that God is in control. 

The ultimate example of God’s sovereign control… is in His gift of salvation.

“For those who he foreknew he also predestined to be confirmed to the image of his Son.”

God has known from the beginning of time, who would be called His children.

And God opens our eyes to see our need for Him… and He invites us… calling us by name…

He saves you and me, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.  And each of us are a picture of His glory and His grace!

These verses are good news because God is in control.

The following was taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shandon Baptist Church

*If God is in control… each day is a gift from Him and when I see it as a gift, I grow in gratitude and thankfulness at what God has given me.

If I am in control… each day is a right and a privilege I think I deserve and with that perspective, I can only grow in pride and self-righteousness when things go my way, or I experience anger and bitterness when things don’t go as I planned.

*If God is in control... there is hope in the midst of tragedy or suffering because there is the promise that God will work all things for good for those who love Him. There is the promise of greater things yet to come.

If I am in control... there can only be hopelessness in the midst of tragedy or suffering because I am reminded that I can do nothing to change my circumstances, and I will always be looking back wanting to recapture the past with no hope…

*If God is in control... tragedy is temporary in light of the promise of eternity.

If I am in control... tragedy is ultimate and final. It shows that I have failed, because I could not control all things.

Verse 31 tells us that, “If God is for us, who can be against us? 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?”

This is incredibly powerful!

You see, if God is sovereign, what do we have to fear?    NOTHING!

If God is in control, there is nothing that can come against His children.

Because He is our hope, what the enemy means for evil, God is using for good.

In the midst of our struggle, God is using it for His glory and the good of those who love Him.

 

And many use this passage be used to support that idea that God predestines who will and will not be in Christ.

But I encourage you to read the text carefully.

What is predestined is not who will be in or out, but what will happen to all who are in.

They will eventually be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and glorified.

God predestines the consequence of the choice to be in Christ or not, but he doesn’t predestine the choice itself.

Scripture is clear that God wants every person to put their trust in his Son, and through his Spirit God empowers us toward this end (2 Pet. 3:9).