God's Assurance Of Your Salvation

 

 

Paul’s words in Romans 8:28-39 are the most compelling on the subject of preservation anywhere in Scripture. I say this for two reasons. First, their purpose is to teach preservation. Second, this is the most extensive biblical passage teaching that God keeps his saints.

Familiar words lead off:

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. — Romans 8:28

In context, “all things” means even “present sufferings” (Romans 8:18). Those who love God, namely believers, should realize that God works all things, even their difficulties and pain, for their ultimate good. Paul tells us how: God has planned their greatest benefit, their final salvation (Romans 8:29-30). The apostle here begins the first of four arguments for why Christians are safe in God’s grace. He bases each argument on one of God’s qualities: God will preserve His saints because of His sovereignty (Romans 8:29-30), might (Romans 8:31-32), justice (Romans 8:33-34), and compassion (Romans 8:35-39).

We Are Safe Because of God’s Sovereignty (Romans 8:29-30)

Paul begins verses 29–30 with the Greek word meaning for or because to explain how we know that God works all things for our ultimate benefit. It is because He has planned salvation, our highest good, from start to finish. Paul employs five verbs in the past tense to set forth God’s plan. God is the subject of each verb, and God’s people are the direct object of each verb.

God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified believers.

God foreknew His saints. Foreknow and foreknowledge have several meanings in the New Testament. They refer to God’s choosing Christ (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:20) and to people knowing facts beforehand (Acts 26:5; 2 Peter 3:17). But whenever God is the one who foreknows and Christians are the ones He foreknows, foreknew and foreknowledge refer to God’s prior love for them (Romans 8:29; Romans 8:11:2; 1 Peter 1:2).

For two reasons foreknew in Romans 8:29 does not mean that God knows facts beforehand, including who would believe in Christ. (Of course, God knows all facts, including these, but that is simply not what Romans 8:29 is talking about.) First, here God does not foreknow facts but people: “those God foreknew.” Second, here only some are foreknown. Paul would say that all were foreknown if He meant that God knew people’s responses to the gospel beforehand. But Paul says some, not all, are foreknown because the ones foreknown are the same people who are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. Plainly, not all human beings will be glorified. Therefore, in this text God foreknows some and not all people — that is, He loved them beforehand. Elsewhere Paul tells us how far beforehand — “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV) and “before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9 ESV).

Those He foreknew, God “also predestined” (Romans 8:29). Predestination is God in sovereign mercy choosing people for salvation. Paul writes succinctly,

God… has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. — 2 Timothy 1:8-9

The apostle highlights predestination more than the other four verbs in Romans 8:29-30. Notice that it is only this verb that Paul expands: we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29). All who become God’s children by faith in His Son (John 1:12; Galatians 3:24) will be conformed to his character. This is a great encouragement for us who frequently struggle with temptation!

Paul says, “And those He predestined, He also called” (Romans 8:30). He means those God chose for salvation He successfully summons to Christ in the gospel. God “calls” them by bringing them to believe in His Son. “And those He called, He also justified.” Those God summons to Christ, He declares righteous based on Christ’s saving death and resurrection.

Paul’s next words concern God’s preservation of His people. He says, “Those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Remarkably, glorification, a future aspect of salvation, appears in the past tense like the other four verbs. Glorification is the act of God’s grace by which His resurrected people see Christ’s glory and are thereby transformed so they share that glory (Colossians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 5:1).

Why does Paul put future glorification in the past tense? “Those He justified, He also glorified.” He does so to present all five actions in the same way, as accomplished realities.

Thomas Schreiner explains, “What is envisioned is the eschatological completion of God’s work on behalf of believers that began before history, and the aorist signifies the certainty that what God has begun He will finish.” We who know Christ and fight against sin now will one day fight no more. We will be glorified and in turn will glorify God for such a great salvation.

Almighty God keeps every one of His foreloved, predestined, called, and justified people for ultimate salvation — glorification. This is indicated by Paul’s use of pronouns:

For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. — Romans 8:29-30

No one who trusts Christ for redemption will fail to be saved.

Our sovereign heavenly Father will keep every believer safe in his Son for final glorification.

 

~From  The Assurance of Salvation by Robert A. Peterson 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

God's Holiness

 

The awesome thing about God's holiness is that even in spite of bad things happening due to sin, the lies of the enemy, and our willful disobedience, God is able - in His holiness - to take even our greatest failures and make something beautiful from them. He is able to take what (the devil) meant for evil and use it for GOOD in our lives! That is awesome!

 

~From Daily Devotions for Kingdom Seekers, Vol. 1 by Dennis Jernigan 

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Neckbones

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Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

James 1:19-20 NLT

It was not a good day. I mean, I know there are a lot of people without jobs. And I, as a Christian, should be very thankful I have a decent paying job. I know. But it was not a good day. 

And what makes this really bad is I live with someone who had a worse day. And I will share how I know that. 

Though it was not a good day and I did not want to be working, I soldiered on and worked. I had followed the guidelines to a tee. I had answered the questions. And wrapped everything up like I was supposed to do. But it was not good enough. The guidelines showed the steps, but did not give the procedure. So, the asst. supervisor was frantically trying to get my attention. And she got it after I had wrapped everything up. Then she wanted to have the conversation while I was on lunch. This was the 15^th straw that broke the camel’s back. Eleven minutes in, I said enough. And I went to break after saying I was on break.

I’m hungry, and wondering what is up with this chick since I had followed the guidelines. I’m grumbling. I head to get some food, and problem number two reared its ugly head. I didn’t see food prepared and I needed to eat fast, so my mind was on frozen chicken tenders and a bowl of cereal. I’m grumbling and I am asked what was wrong. I explained what I could and I am told to let it go. Which I would have if left alone. Then it was “there’s Neckbones.” 

Okay. I don’t like neckbones. And even worse, I don’t like neckbones covered in barbeque sauce. I am not a fan of picking my meat out of bones like a scavenger bird. I had not had neckbones in decades. Apparently, neckbones is a favorite meal where I am staying. Like pizza at my previous place of residence (so not complaining about that), and meatloaf at the place before that.

I am told the meat falls off the bones. I am chided (because berated may be what I felt but I know it was not the intention).  I have removed chicken tenders from my menu because I needed to get out of the kitchen fast.

My first thought and second and third is “leave me alone about neckbones.” My fourth thought was ”Seriously, drop this neckbones tandem.” The next thought is “Lord, what’s up, because seriously, neckbones?”

Then I hear the words that people just straight up should not say to me: “I know you are not hearing me because of the tone in your voice.” Seriously? For real, for real, no conversation about neckbones is going to be a good conversation. But are you kidding me? You started it. I get my bowl of cereal and jet like a 747.

I went back to work. As I calmed down, (and really it was let go of some of the pride because when it came to my job, I did not know anything and honestly, this new curveball being thrown was expected), I remembered what happened earlier that day. That this person had received terrible news about their health.

Now while I wanted to say a bunch of things to both my roommate and this asst. supervisor, I said nothing. For work, I knew that it would work itself out. When I got a further explanation of what I did wrong, which was technically nothing, I struggled but I was able to give God some praise. 

As for my roommate, I also realized I had been down this path before with yet another relative so I was not going to be coerced into eating something I did not like, and this also will pass. 

I recognized I needed to bring down the pride in both situations. For work, pride showed in “but I followed the guidelines!” and for home, “Are you kidding me after all that I do?!”

But I knew this situation. And I knew, no, I know things are going to change. Romans 8:28. A God’s Property song kept coming in my mind. 

Don’t get me wrong. I was hot, and there were times the next day I struggled with recognizing who the real problem is, but I would turn back to simply saying, “Thank You Lord!” or “Hallelujah!” (or at worse, “Have mercy, Jesus!”) I made sure to send up prayers for everyone involved.

Be ye angry, but sin not. I failed, but at least it wasn’t an epic fail, and I was able to get back up, and recognize who was the real problem, and realize that if the situation was not going to change in the next minute, then all I could do was give thanks and praise God because I really am blessed.

Despite recognizing that I was in a bad mood, you want to make it worse?! I used to think most people could recognize this type of situation. I am going to change most to some. And this happens a lot among family. We seriously take each other for granted. Yes, we love one another, but common courtesy flies right out the window. Sadly, if you have a bad day at work, you take it out on those closest to you. Because your family will forgive you. I could go on and on, but even your family gets tired of you constantly jumping on them because you had a bad day. 

There are times where yes, those in your vicinity need to read the situation and skedaddle, but there are times where you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself. 

Realize who the real enemy is. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, etc., etc. And I know this may shock you but those closest to you do allow themselves to be the tools. They may have had a bad day. Or they may even be standing on you will forgive them once they apologize. 

When this happens, you need to use that armor. You need to calmly express your need for silence or space. And if it is not honored you need to step away. Will you be angry? Probably, but you do not want to act rashly.

Have you had a bad day and tangled with someone who had a worse day? Or were you the one who had a worse day? If you fell and stumbled and acted like you were never a child of God, just repent, confess, and ask for forgiveness.

Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged!