CALLED OF GOD!
Romans 8:29-30
Introduction
a.
We see our calling brethren. (1
Cor. 1:26-31 – read these verses) We
have a calling and when we understand it the glory goes to God.
The reasons is that:
-
God chooses the foolish
to put to shame the wise
-
God chooses the weak to
put to shame the mighty.
-
God chooses the base and
despised to bring to nothing the things that are.
b.
As we look at Romans 8:29-30 we
are able to see some important things about our calling.
I.
It is according to His foreknowledge 29
“For whom He Did Foreknow”
B.
God’s foreknowledge is conected with His omniscience. God knows all. He
knows the future as well as the past. His
calling of us has a connection with his knowledge of the future.
God knows our response to the Gospel.
His foreknowledge gives him the ability to know beforehand what our
response will be. Before it took
place He could see us hearing the gospel and see our response and make events so
that we would believe.
C.
1 Peter 1:2 “Elect (chosen beforehand) according to the foreknowledge
of God the father…”
D.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 - God knew
Him and set him apart
E.
The 500-year controversy. There
is a continual debate about this passage and issue.
Are we saved due to God’s predestination? Or are we saved as a result
of hearing the gospel and believing? Is
it that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his son because
he knew beforehand what our response would be to the Gospel?
Scholars are on both sides of this issue.
It is the big controversy between predestination of God and the free will
of men. What should we believe on
this issue?
F.
My understanding
1.
People need to hear and respond to the Gospel message.
That
God knows beforehand our response and His predestination is based on that
foreknowledge. I come to this
belief by carefully considering what the scripture declares.
I am carefully seeking to declare what the scripture declares.
2.
Romans 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:2 both seem to tell us that God’s election of
people is based on his foreknowledge.
3.
When we notice predestination in the Bible we should be careful to note
to what a person is predestinated. What
does the Bible say? As I have come
to understand it we are elected to the benefits of salvation. A careful look at the four verses that mention predestination
show that we are not elected to salvation but to its benefits.
Eph.
1:4-5; Eph. 1:11; Romans 8:28-29
II.
It is According to His
Predestination.
1.
The word predestination is: proorizō
pro-or-id'-zo
It means to limit in advance,
that is, (figuratively) predetermine: - determine before, ordain,
predestinate.
2.
The passage is saying the ones he foreknew he predestined.
Predestined to what? To be
conformed to the image of His Son. That
he night be the firstborn among many brethren.
3.
Two views of this –
a.
View 1: God has predestined some people to be saved and left the rest to
be lost. Or by default predestined
them to be lost forever. That this
is done according to the plan God has.
b.
View 2: God has predestined
or determined beforehand that those who believe on the Lord will be conformed to
the image of Christ. Now that is
what this passage says. (This is
what I believe – I have never been able to be convinced of the other view.)
c.
It is God’s plan to conform all believers to the image of His Son.
That he night be the firstborn among many brethren.
He has predetermined that all believers will be conformed to the image of
His son.
III.
It is According to His
Call 30
The word for call is kaleō
(prounced kal-eh'-o)
means
to “call” bid, call (forth).
We have all had the call
of God upon our lives.
1.
There is the call of the Gospel message.
2.
There is also the call of the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit
of God. We all agree on this.
The disagreement comes in weather this call involved any choice or free
will on the part of the person.
3.
Could the person accept or reject this call?
It is obvious that the ones referred to here accepted the call and
believed. They are the saved ones.
The ones predestined because of God’s foreknowledge were going to
receive Christ. This God foreknew.
4.
The Bible is filled with commands and invitations to salvation and
obedience. These commands and
invitations are not real if man cannot choose.
That is the conclusion of my simple mind.
IV.
It is to be Justified. – Those He foreknew and thus predestinated to be
conformed to the image of His son. These
He called and these He justified. He declared these righteous.
To be declared righteous is accomplished because of a person’s faith in
Christ. See Romans 4:1-5 and Romans 5:1.
V. It is to be Glorified -
This is doxazō
(dox-ad'-zo) it means to
render (or esteem) glorious or to make glorious.
This means that we will
be made like Christ in His glory. (Vs 29) It
is referred to in Verse 23 when it speaks of the redemption of our bodies.
A. All of these things are past tense even our glorification. It means that if all of these other things are true then this part is true to even though it has not happened yet. You will have your glorification.
B. Our glorification is as sure as our justification.
CONCLUSION
Review the five explanations of God’s call in our lives.
Be sure you have responded to His call.