Romans chapter 8, verses 29 and 30. Romans chapter 8. Before we get started, I've been trying to saturate my mind on the truth out of this passage, and I've been actually going to the songbook that we had. I have one at the house, and I'm thinking about this. When Paul, he puts forth a great question in verse 31. He said, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? And in that question, I thought of the song that R.C. Sproul, in our songbook, These Great Things. And I looked at all the things that he listed in that song and how it so echoes the sentiment of this passage of scripture. And I'm just going to just read it and then we'll get into the lesson. But he said, how can it be this truth divine declared by God above that all things by his grand design work good for us by love? Called by our Lord, I love this verse here. Called by our Lord in purposed ends, no tragedy shall win. No curse for those he calls his friends, he saved us from our sins. For known by him with hearts made new, to his son we conform. No power on earth can this undo for those he's made reborn. First he did choose and called he then to surely justify for those of the faith beyond our kin we soon will glorify. In that song we will today attempt in a feeble manner because I've read after I don't know how many different authors and preparing just for this lesson wanting my make sure that I'm getting objective reasoning, but I'm going to stay true to the scripture. And what I'm planning to do today is I'm going to look at this and teaching this passage of scripture by five words, and the five words are listed in these two verses. So I'm going to open it up like this. If you would, follow along with me. Verses 29 and 30 is probably from a very familiar passage. Verse 29 says, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that we might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. Man, what a deep passage of Scripture to be able to look at the attributes of God listed in this passage. As I read that, I thought, in our journey so far through the Book of Romans, we landed a place that probably this passage of Scripture has produced as much controversy as it has confirmation in the hearts of believers. And this topic, as I said, it can be framed in two predominant ways. And I'm not trying to be oversimplified. But one possibility, there are some people that believe that a believer can lose his salvation. Some believe that you can do that. I personally don't believe that. And the possibility of number two answers possibility number one and answers no, you can't. And so, despite the claims of many sincere believers to the contrary, Scripture is unambiguous in teaching that every person who is genuinely saved is eternally saved. And Romans 8, 29 and 30 is perhaps the dearest, probably the clearest and most explicit presentation of that truth in all of the Word of God. there's other passages that we will look at. And I don't look to get done today, probably two, at least two lessons, maybe three, out of this context right here, but just see how the Lord would direct me and my thoughts and also in a consideration of questions that'll come forth out of this. This passage is, like I said, is one of the most volatile and explosive topics known to believers in the church. Because when, automatically, when you hear the word Predestination and election radar, it seems like, goes up. Stephen Davia, a gentleman I listen to on the radio at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina, he said this concerning this passage. He said, many pastors fear to tread because when you preach verse by verse, verses like these get in the way. Because now we're having to think the way God thinks. And you know what, that's something that he's given mortal men the responsibility to teach and present the word of God. And guess what, I am so feeble in trying to explain who God is. You know, the mere mention of these words, predestination and an election, it says, if you can hear guns loading and ammunition and murmuring of insurrection among God's people at times, and I don't understand it. And without a doubt, these doctrines have created controversy and division like no other. There's another gentleman that's unnamed. It's from a book I read. He said, this concerning preaching of this topic here in the United States. He said, you do not preach on election and predestination and survive, especially in America. because it seems like it's foreign. We don't hear enough preaching about this because of the controversy that it can. So as I enter this study this morning, and this is lengthy by way of introduction more so than anything, I want to tell you I'm tentative to say the least. I anticipate some resistance. I expect reactions and I expect questions. And I'll try to the best of my ability, as God gives me the ability to do so, to answer them. And so if you do have questions, and I have many myself still yet as I'm continuing to grow in this area, that I would ask that if you do have questions, write them down and let me have them. It'd be a great source of growth for all of us concerned because that's how we grow. But I want to impart the simple meaning of the text, if I may. And let me say with sincerity and love in my heart, this passage is for our growth, not to divide us, not to cause us to pick. It's for our growth. As I looked at this passage again, I'm going to say this again. When we open chapter 8, we see this, therefore there is now no condemnation. and it ends, there is no separation, at least 16 possibilities of things that could possibly separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, and Paul said there is no separation. There's nothing going to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. That should make you as a believer eternally secure, confident, with assurance in your heart that you know the purpose of which God has destined for you based on this passage of scripture and that whole chapter. As I said, if you break into a sweat over Romans 8, 29, and 30, and I found this out, you're really gonna have trouble with Romans chapter 9. A lot of trouble with Romans chapter 9, because I begin to look into it. To give you an example, look over in Romans chapter 9 and look at verse 11, okay? And I'm gonna read and make a few comments. Notice this. It says, the children not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Now look at verse 13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now let's just stop right there and make a couple comments. Did you get that, what he just said? Before they were born, before they had done anything at all, good or bad, the scriptures declare Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated. I'd ask the question, how do you handle that? In our own finite reasoning, how do you handle that? I know years ago how I would handle it now. That's not right. That's not fair. What am I doing when I do that? I'm calling into question the character of God, and I have no right to do so. If I know anything about the character of God Almighty, it says that he is a very good and he's a very gracious God. Let's go on. So with that, I'll just use an example. How do you handle that? The Apostle Paul anticipates the reader, asking that when he writes in verse 14, look if you would, what shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. So that answered my question, and I'll just give you how I thought about it years ago, but let's continue on. So there is no injustice with God, is there? And look at verse 17. Look at the implications. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Now this is one where you really have to look at the character of God, verse 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. This is some stuff here. Yes, Charlie. Exactly. And that's what I want us to do, is to look at that, because I'm going to build upon that very point here in just a few moments. So as we're looking at this, Paul goes on to apply this truth, as I just said, in verse 18. He'll show mercy on whom he'll show mercy, and then there's some that he will not. Now, that's not me saying this, OK? Don't be angry at me. This is what God's word is stating, OK? And that's what we have to look at. Again, as I said, when I opened up here, I will not be able to explain all the tenants of this passage of scripture. It's not me. It's beyond me to do so. Okay, so I'm letting you know that. But guess what, I've had a good time studying in and looking into it, and I've grown. And that's what I want us to I want us to grow. This is not to divide us. This is for our growth. So when I look at this, When I look at this, who are you and who am I to tell God what he can or can't do? And probably at some point in our Christian walk, we've wrestled with these very questions possibly. And as far as I know, looking in this crowd of believers who are my family, who've been saved for many years, and I've talked to many of you about theology. I've grown by your influence, by your conversations and things. And guess what? There's times I find out this, we differ on some things. We don't have all the answers. We're all still yet studying and growing in our growth in Jesus Christ. And here's a shocker for you. I don't understand it either. Not fully, but as I said earlier, but scripture does declare these truths. Now I've got to be able to deal with these truths. The subject of predestination in an election is what theologians call inscrutable truths. And that's truths that are too deep, they're unfathomable. I used an example, I think, last week or the week before, being at the beach, being out in the chest deep water I had before. And the power of the ocean is so strong that it lifts me up and I can't touch bottom. And then I realized, ooh, I got to do something here. I better start swimming. You know, I can't, I can't feel the bottom. Well, how about this? Have you ever been out when there's been rip currents at the ocean too? And they're so strong that you can be out swimming and you're trying to get back. And if you're trying to swim against it, what does it do? It pulls you deeper out. That's how I feel when I approach this passage of scripture. But you know what, I'm going to dive into the deep end, where your feet and my feet don't touch bottom, and they don't. To open our study, I consulted, as I said, several theologians, but to make sure that my thinking and train of thought might be on the right track here, and I believe that it is. concerning the purpose of salvation. And when I look at verse 29, the latter part of it, to be predestinated, to be conformed to the image of his son. So I'm going to look at this and try to my best to explain this. In Romans 8, 29, God's calling proceeds and makes possible a person's hearing and responding in faith to that divine call. Now, it is impossible for any evil cause a believer ultimate harm, ultimately. Now, we know that, look, we can have automobile accidents, we can get hurt, just like our dear friend Jennifer. I mean, that's some things, that's harm, but we're talking eternal things here, okay? There are five key words listed that we will look at, and each of these words is like links in a chain that form an inseparable chain concerning our eternal security. And notice the issue is this, conformity to make believers into the likeness of his son. Now, when we look from start to finish, we look to foreknowledge and we look to the very end of glorification, we're all growing toward that point. And we will not reach it in this lifetime, but one day we'll be as He is, for we shall see Him as He is. Now, so securing us eternally as God's elect, so my key, now that was introduction, okay, thus far. I want to take the time again to look at five words within this passage of scripture and do my best to define the word. list some misconceptions that exist in teaching today and try to illustrate those in scripture. Because that is the only basis by which I can teach truth and stand on anything is being able to illustrate it and then look at some of the misconceptions that exist as far as teaching is concerned. So let's look at the first one. Right off the bat. It says in verse 29, it says, for whom he did foreknow. That word foreknow in the Greek is progenosko, and it means to know beforehand, to foresee, to foreknow, ordain, to know before, know previously. Now in the second heading of this in the Greek, under this word, it's used of persons to approve beforehand, to make a previous choice as of a special people. Now, it is presented in the following manner, and I've looked at this, listed under that as well. The salvation of every believer is known and determined in the mind of God before its realization in time. I had to read that a couple times. Think about that. It is presented in the following manner. The salvation of every believer is known and determined in the mind of God before its realization in time. before the foundation of the world, before Jimmy Campbell was ever born again by faith in Jesus Christ, God foreknew you. Now Progenosco essentially entails a gracious self-determining on God's part from eternity to extend fellowship with himself to undeserving sinners. This is important, we follow this, okay? I want to do my best to try to make this clear, try to not be fuzzy, try to know gray areas, so to speak. When I looked at this, I began to ask this question. What he has declared is what he has decided to do. I cannot stay God's hand. We see the example of Pharaoh in Romans chapter nine, I see that. I can't call into question God's character of what he chooses to do. This means that the believer's salvation has its beginning in the mind and counsel of God. It makes me feel secure to think, who am I that the God of all eternity would think on me in that way? I am humbled by that. that God loves me that much. But for example, let me show some things now because there is some misguided interpretations of this passage. Now, I want you to listen closely. Some would say that foreknown means God simply knows beforehand who will believe and he elects on the basis of that foreknowledge. I already see Charlie smiling already. Since God knows everything, he's omniscient. He just looks into the future. He sees who will believe and trust his son and says, okay, that one will be one of my elect. Now, on surface, it doesn't sound like a whole lot wrong with that, does it? But there's a lot wrong with it, because here's the problem, the origin of salvation. If this is true, salvation would only begin with man's faith. That is wrong. God would not have chosen man. Man, in that interpretation, would have chosen God. So this is where we begin to look at salvation, as we look at humanity, okay? 1 John 4, 19 says this, we love him because he first loved us. So let's look at this then. Fallen man cannot reach out his hand to receive the gift of eternal life because there is no power in his hand to reach out. God must act first. God must take the initiative toward the one he has chosen. I'm going to give you some biblical illustrations of that in just a few moments. But that's one misconception. So that leads me to another question then. Why must God do so? Why must he take the initiative? And let's look at it scripturally if we've already been teaching on throughout this entire book in Book of Romans, the depravity of man. Today, in many circles, the church no longer accepts or understands the nature of man's fallenness. Because what you will hear a lot in today's circles is that man has self-worth, he has self-esteem, and before you can really do anything, you've got to love yourself first before you can begin to love others. You hear a lot of that. But what you don't hear That's what we're talking about, the depravity man. It is offensive that I call you a sinner. It's like cursing at someone. You know, what do you mean? I'm a good person. I go to church, I give money, I do these things. But as we're looking at it, according to scripture, an unbeliever is, how does it describe an unbeliever? That he's blind. Let's look at some, I want us to look together. Turn to Ephesians over just a couple books. Ephesians chapter, first of all, I want to see some clarity here of these passages to this. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 18. Notice what he says here. He says that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. I want you to turn now over to chapter 4 of that same book and look at verse 18 of that one. says having the understanding. Now in light of this, the first three chapters of Ephesians deal with doctrine and the second three chapters deal with the practical application of that said doctrine, okay. Now notice this, verse 18 says, having the understanding darken, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of, notice here, the blindness of their hearts. Now also we know this, there is another power that helps teach that very truth too, that the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ should shine to them and they be converted. So that's one element. Here's the other element of what God sees within all of humanity, dead to God. Back to our text, turn back just a couple chapters, Romans chapter 6 and verse 2. Let's reverse one. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Which gives us a clue about the condition of what man was before he had the knowledge of God. Ephesians 2, 1, back to that passage again. I'm going to turn back there myself. You can turn with me if you like, but I'll read it. Ephesians 2.1, and you hath he quickened who were what? Who were dead in trespasses and sins. And there's other passages that I've got listed here, but for time's sake, I won't go through all of them, but what does God see with inhumanity when he looked upon it? They were blind, they were dead. Well, let's look at it. Charlie taught out of chapter one, and let's look at the last portion of that passage of scripture. What was man worshiping in that passage? He was worshiping what? Creation, not the creator. That's what a pagan does. We can see it in our society even today. Well, what about chapter two? Well, there we see the religious man. I can work it all out myself. I can do my net and cooling and all the other things, and I can add these 614 other laws to it, and I'll be okay before God. But Paul says something there about all of these individuals, that you're inexcusable before a holy God. It ain't gonna work. It can't stand. You're at the mercy. I wish people could see that, that they're at the mercy of God. When I look, as we've talked through these passages, particularly here just recently, when I begin to look at groaning, just the word groaning, remember when I talked about that? that the earth is groaning, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. And the believer groans. How many of you struggle in your prayer life, and you have things, and you might stay up, and you can't work through those things, and you're groaning? You just hate how you're bound to this flesh. And when I look at this here, Notice this, man has no source of saving faith within his spiritually dead corpse, unless God gives life. Let me clarify at this juncture to foreknowledge according to our definition. Listen here closely. If all the word foreknowledge means is that God knows beforehand who will respond to him or to the preaching of the gospel, and he determines their destiny on that basis, what would God possibly see or foreknow as he looked down the corridor of time? He would see all of humanity, apart from his intervention, in unbelief. That's all he would see. As I began to look at this, the only thing God would see ahead of time is the rejection to the gospel and opposition to his grace. How do we know that? Well, think about when our Lord and Savior walked upon this earth. John states it right off the bat in John chapter 1. He said, he came into his own, but his own received him not. But it did say, but to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. When I think of all of this, the scriptural support, Romans 3.10, I'll turn back to that just to, and I know these are familiar, but I want to read it so that I'm trying to stay focused myself on what I'm saying. It is as written, there is none righteous, no, not one. Okay, verse 11. There is none that understandeth, and there is none that seeketh after God. Before you were saved, were you looking for God? You might know about God. I have another individual, I don't want to get ahead of myself because it'll come in future lessons, about people that tried to mimic how God does things. And I won't mention, well, I'll mention his name and we'll touch on it. You remember Simon the sorcerer? He tried to buy the things of God and how Peter rebuked him. You know, there's a lot of that going on today, too. This seed of faith, and the reason it doesn't work for you is because you didn't believe enough, but you ain't getting your $1,000 back that you sowed by faith, by the way. As I begin to stop and consider some of these things, and the ramification of scripture, without the initiating work of God on behalf of his chosen people, They would never believe the gospel or even want to accept the light of Christ. I know I didn't. I'll speak for myself. I know I didn't. As I've heard pastor mentioned many times out of the pulpit, I was happy doing my own thing. God's foreknowledge normally means God sees in advance, but he ordains in advance, and this includes his intentions. And you know what that does? That takes any kind of concept of me having power and thinking I can help God out concerning my salvation. Because the only thing I brought to God was my sin. That's it. And this is how this word is used in scripture. Well, let's look at an example of this. Remember Jeremiah, before you were born, I ordained you a prophet. Did he have a lot of choice there? That ain't up for me to decide. I'm just declaring what the scripture said about. Christ even said this in John chapter 10 verse 14. He said, I am the good shepherd and I am known of mine. So again, I won't be able to clarify all of this, but I'm trying to stay locked into what I see here in scripture. Notice Christ's bond with his children is intimate bond. He's acquainted with us, and the Holy Spirit is conforming each of us to his likeness. Well, again, I'm going back and forth, and I'm looking at misconceptions that exist within scripture. Turn with me back to Matthew chapter 7. Keep replacing it. Matthew chapter 7. Matthew 7, and look with me in verses 22 and 23. Well, let's read John 21 with it. It says, Now many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now another one, if we turn back to our passage here in Romans chapter, go over one chapter, chapter nine, look at verses five and six. whose are the fathers, and of the whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God bless forever, amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are Israel." Just because you're a physical lineage Israelite does not make you a seed of the promise by being an Israelite. And that promise was who? It was fruition of that come in Jesus Christ. Why did they reject Jesus Christ when he walked upon earth the first time? They did not believe that he was perfect deity. They did not believe he was God even though he said he was God. What I boil down from these two passages as I see is these individuals here, that made the profession, said, Lord, we've done all these works in your name. And then here, being even a Jew, and being alienated from God still yet, what I see is this. I don't have any relationship with God, even though I'm religious. We know that Jesus followed the perfect will of God the Father. because that is the key. If we're gonna emulate anyone, it is the person of Jesus Christ, following him. In Luke 22, 42, this is one of the first probably passages that really, as far as affected and reached deeply within me. Notice what Christ said concerning, you know, perfect deity walking upon earth, but he was a man, he was flesh and blood too, but he was perfect. He said this, he said, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And also in Peter's epistle, Peter was writing in 1 Peter 1, verses 19 and 20, Peter was writing about God's determination to send Jesus Christ to earth. It says this, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times. for you. Now, I thought it was sticking together here. These verses tell us that God the Father with the Spirit and the Son determined ahead of time that this would occur. Now when I read Romans chapter 8 now again, And I get back to that and I look at that. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, as I begin to look at that, that just told us right then, we just covered one word, foreknowledge, or foreknow, who he foreknew. But if we look at this, the second word, Predestinate comes from the Greek word pro-ora. That is, it's by definition, out of the Greek text, to limit in advance, that is to predetermine, determine before, ordain, predestinate. Prorizo is used to declare God's eternal decrees of both the objects and the goal of his plan of salvation. Now, this is another area we're going to get into about misconceptions about predestination itself. Our previous word for knowledge looks at the beginning of God's purpose in His act of choosing. He's the one doing the choosing. Predestined means literally to mark out a point or determine beforehand. Now another familiar passage of scripture, but we're going to turn to it. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1. And look with me in verses 4 and 5. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. And so, here again, as I'm studying these passages through scripture, I'm coming up with questions I'm asking myself, and I would have for you to ask yourself. When I read Ephesians 4 and 5, according as he has chosen us in him, okay, the question I come up, is our salvation predicated by what we decide or what God decides about us? Is it what we decide or what God decides? Now, I know this is tough stuff, but if you look at that in that same passage, if you look down in verses 7 through 9, I think it gives us a clear explanation. Notice this. I just read that having predestined us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, that's verse 5. Verse 7 says this, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. Where are you at in that? Let's go on. Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. Where are you in that? Yes, yes. And so when I look at this, and here's one of the, I think, the misconception and the poor exegesis of this passage that we've heard probably ourselves in our years in the church is this. Well, that's fatalism. We're just meaningless puppets, you know, hanging on a string. Why do anything? Why present the gospel of Jesus Christ? If God's going to do what God's going to do, but he's also required a means. And before he ascended back to the Father, he said, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That's our responsibility. So I don't want to hear this fatalism, you know, because it doesn't clarify with the entirety of the counsel of God's word. Notice here's where most people with fatalists begin to be. the eisegit, their feelings, and our feelings must be held captive to the word of God. I can't operate my life by how I feel. I gotta operate, and see what that makes me do when I begin to present this in this manner. It makes me sound like I'm almost arrogant or abrasive, and that's not my case at all. Because as I said earlier, that entire chapter, this beautiful chapter in Romans chapter 8 is to show how eternally secure you are in Jesus Christ. That's what I'm trying to present. You know the question that I heard many years ago from a cassette tape of all things, and I really didn't believe any of this at all at the time. It was from a Sovereign Grace Bible Conference in Ashland, Kentucky. And one of my dear friends who's home with the Lord now, Ralph Bond, who was my supervisor when I worked at Appalachian Power Company, he brought me a tape that this man preached. And he asked this question. He said, does man have a will? And of course, he's leading you down his path. Well, yes. And then he said, does it come first? And I began to think, wow, what's he saying? He said this, I'll never forget this. I wrote it down again so I would state it. He said, it is God's will that comes first. His will, he moves powerfully and tenderly and graciously to move and direct that the will as much as he did that the thief on the cross said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. That's biblical salvation.