Romans Part 26

Romans Part 26 – Romans 8:28-39 Verse 28 • “And we know” – this is the second time in this chapter that Paul says we know something (vs22) The whole creation groans for the “restitution of all things” – Acts 3:21. This verse can also be taken as a contrast to what we don’t know in verse 26. • “all things work together for good” – Not all your things/situations. Just look at Paul’s life, who wrote this epistle – 2Cor 11:23-28, Act 28:20, 2Tim 1:16. • “to them that love God, to them who are the called” – Good is only worked for a certain group of People. • The called: ~ Israel - Isaiah 43:1, 48:12, Hosea 11:1. ~ Members of the Body of Christ – Rom 1:6-11, 2Tim 1:9, Col 3:15, • How are you called? – Rom 10:14-17, 2Thess 2:14, • Can you resist the calling of God? Jere 35:17, Rom 10:18-21, Gal 1:6. • “according to his purpose” – Before you can know how all things work together for good you have to know Gods purpose which has been revealed to the apostle Paul – Eph 1:9-11, Act 3:19-21. Verse 29-30 • “whom he did foreknow” – Acts 26:5, Rom 11:2, 1Pet 1:20, 2Pet 3:17. • I believe those foreknown are the nation of Israel and Jesus Christ/his body – Rom 11:2, Isa 45:4, 42:1, John 17:5,24, 1Cor 2:7, 2Tim 1:9, Titus 1:2. • “He did predestinate to be confirmed to the image of his son” – When we receive our new bodies - Phil – 3:21, 1Cor 15:52-53, Eph 1:4-5 – Predestinated to adoption cf Rom 8:23. • Many make the “confirmed to the image of Christ” your works – Eph 2:10. Although true that we should walk in good works (Titus 2:15, 3:7) and worthy of our calling (Eph 4:1) I don’t believe Romans 8:29 is referring to that. • “that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” – Col 1:18, 1Cor 15:20-23 – More evidence as to the conforming to the image of Christ being the “redemption of our bodies” • “vs 30” – Notice the colon’s - ~ The colon is used to indicate that what follows it is an explanation or elaboration of what precedes it.~ If you are part of the body of Christ you are predestinated to resurrection. Which means, you are called, justified, and glorified. This verse is not describing the order of salvation, rather, the consequences of it. • We have already seen that we are called by the gospel – 2Thess 2:14. How are we justified? – Rom 3:24-28, 5:1, Gal 2:16. • Knowing Romans 10:17, Eph 1:13 explains the order of events in relation to your salvation – The Spirit seals you and places you in the body of Christ, after you hear and trust the gospel of salvation, whereby you are called. Calvinism says you are called and the Spirit changes you so that you can believe, which is nowhere to be found in the scripture Verse 31-32 • “What shall we say then to these things?” – Thank God, glory to him! • “If God be fore is who can be against us?” – An encouraging thought. God is all powerful and he is for us. Rom 15:4 – We can have hope from what was written afore and seeing this statement played out in Israel’s history – Number 14:9, Joshua 6, Judges 7, 1Samuel 17. • “He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all” – 1Tim 2:6 • “with him also freely give us all things” – We have things freely given us which signifies the dispensation of grace we live in – Rom 3:24, 5:20, 1Cor 2:12, Eph 1:3 – The key is “with him” – In Christ you have these things because of what he has done, not what we have done – Titus 3:5-7