Rom -31 NIV “And we know that IN ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?”
Romans is one of my favorite and most quoted scriptures. So is Romans 8:31. The scriptures in between the two have somehow been skimmed over. The subjects of foreknowledge and predestination have always been just beyond my understanding. So I did some research and asked the Lord to reveal to me what I needed to understand. This is what I got!
For those God FOREKNEW: Of course God foreknew us, because He knit us together in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) All of our days were ordained and written in His book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139-16)
He also PREDESTINED: He created each of us with a hole in our hearts that only Jesus can fill. Most people spend their lifetime looking for something to fill that hole. They use drugs, alcohol, money, sex, gambling, food…anything they can get their hands on. But nothing will be able to make them complete except Jesus. He was the firstborn of God and it is God’s desire that we ALL become sons and daughters through believing in Him. 2 Corinthians NIV "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
And those he predestined, he also CALLED: Everyone will have the opportunity to hear God’s call…whether by you and I, or a preacher, a missionary, a gospel television program, or the internet. Matthew 24:14 NIV “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Those he called, he also JUSTIFIED: When we listen to the call of God and accept His son to fill that hole in our heart, we ask his forgiveness of our sins. He washes away all of our past sins and makes us righteous: not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Romans 3:21-24 NIV “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Those he justified, he also GLORIFIED: On this earth, our bodies are decaying every day, but as sons and daughters of God, we will receive glorified bodies when we get to Heaven. Philippians NIV “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
From the moment we are formed in our mother’s womb until the day we draw our last breath, God is calling out to us to accept His offer of adoption into His family. He wants us. He loves us. He created us to love Him in return. What then shall we say in response to ALL of this? Lord, I KNOW that you are for me. And if You are for me, who can be against me?
