Our Security in God’s Eternal Purpose.

Romans 8:28-30 is a text of comfort and reassurance along with the entire chapter of Romans 8. In these verses, we find:

• Our Ultimate Purpose
• God's Supreme Plan
• Our Pursuit

All these are discovered in the light of being in Christ.

Our Ultimate Purpose (verse 29)

The ultimate purpose God has for us in Christ is to be conformed to His image. If growing a little bit more like Christ every day is your desire, that is a good indication that you are a child of God! Our Savior is ultimate goodness, and being like Him is our greatest good.

God's Supreme Plan (verses 29-30)

At a surprise party, recipients don't know all the detail of what went into the plan. They simply enjoy basking in what has been prepared for them by people who love them. We too did not know all that went into our salvation at the moment we were saved. We will never comprehend all the details that God prepared for us; but it should prompt us to gratitude and praise!

Foreknowledge simply means to know before. A literal translation of the word in Romans 8:29 would be "those whom He fixed His love upon." The fact that God has fixed His love on us should amaze us! This knowledge prompts us to allow God's grace to carry us forward in His plan for our continued sanctification.

"Predestined" means that God determines or decides beforehand. Our salvation is a matter of destiny. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones made an analogy to the horizon: we can see to a certain point, and God takes care of what we cannot see.

"Called" refers to the Holy Spirit's drawing of us to salvation (1 John 2:3, 2 Peter 3:9, 2:1-2). God calls all to salvation, and those who come do so by the omniscient persuasion of the Spirit.

"Justified" is the result of being declared righteous by God (Romans 3-5). (See previous sermons on these passages starting here.)

"Glorified" is in the past tense like the other verbs, even though final sanctification is in our future (Philippians 1:6, 1 John 3:1-3). This is already a done deal for us in God's mind. He has done it, and it is sure to happen.

Our Pursuit in Christ (verse 28)

Why has all this been done for us? So that we can pursue the good of being more like Christ. Only those who love God will pursue this purpose.

At times, it can be easier to believe that God has a good plan through all our circumstances (Romans 8:28) than to understand and obey the specific things of God's Word (Romans 8:26).

Everything that happens for us or against us in this world is being worked out in God's good plan. Triumph or tribulation and all things in between are used by God to compel us to become more Christ-like.

Application Points

• Is growing a little bit more like Christ every day your desire? Be assured: that is a good indication that you are a child of God!
• Do you trust God's plan for you? This is another assurance that you are God's child!