Thursday, August 17, 2017
Romans 8:28, 30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.... Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
IN CONTEXT: WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD (4)
It's a frequent theme of the apostle Paul--the holy truth that God "called" or chose us to be His own from before the beginning of the world. To the Ephesians he writes: "... Just as He chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will ..." (Ephesians 1:4-6).
Praise God! If life's purpose and plan had been left to us--if it had been up to us to determine our own destiny--because of our sinful natures we would surely have chosen the ways of the prodigal, the ways of Satan, sin, and death.
But God by His grace called us to faith through the gospel. He arranged it that you and I hear the message which teaches that "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:5).
According to God's eternal plan, Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Having accomplished our redemption, He rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and regained the glory that was His from eternity. And it was all for our sakes--that we poor sinners might be "glorified" with Him.
"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'" (Isaiah 43:1-3a).
In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea--
The Lord, the Almighty, thy strength e'er shall be.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 427:2)
