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)
I check my Bible every now and then to make sure the passage that begins with this verse is still there, and hasn't changed since my last visit. And as good as the NIV translation sounds, the literal interpretation is even better. It goes like this:
And we know that God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose.
Here we have God in His most active mode, deliberately weaving every event of our lives together into a tapestry of beneficial effect. Whatever has happened to you has been orchestrated to somehow benefit you. If you haven't discovered how a particular experience you've had fulfills this promise, ask God to reveal it to you. (Remember, you're after His perspective, which might differ a little from yours.)
Let's take the entire passage of Romans 8:28-38, pick out the key words and phrases, and look at each one more carefully to gain the full impact of His promise. I think you'll soon see why I call them the best verses in the Bible.
The Greek word translated as "the called" in verse 28 is kletos, meaning to be called or invited (as to a banquet). It refers to the Church. The purpose for which we're called is best described in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. (Ephe 1:11) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephe. 2:6-10)
According to Paul, a new race of Human was created at the cross. Although taken from among both the Jews and the Gentiles, this new race would be called the Church and would share a destiny with neither of the others. God's purpose in creating the Church was to demonstrate the incomparable riches of His grace to those from ages yet to come. He calls us His workmanship (lit. work of art) and the good work we'll do is to help God show everyone who follows just how far His grace extends. Being called out from among the least worthy, the Church has become the most blessed.
The only coming age that we know about is the Kingdom, because the Bible closes at its end. But this passage and others hint at an untold number of ages yet to come. And during all of them the Church will shine forth as God's crowning achievement, His work of art, the highest and best example of His creative capability.
But there is a catch, and it's found in the Greek word translated love. It's agapeo and it means to be totally given over to the object of one's affection. No luke warm affection here, no casual acquaintanceship, no awareness of God based on mere knowledge. The attitude He's looking for approximates the one He's expressed to us; passionate, emotional, intimate.
For example, we're His consuming desire, set apart by Him as holy and blameless. He longs for us to know how much He loves us, and so His every word and action has brought us honor and expressed His devotion to us. He gave His life for us and has covered all our imperfections with His love.
Knowing we can't do all this in return, He asks that we live our lives for Him, turning aside from the seductive call of this world, and toward an eternity with Him. It's called being born again.
What Good Does That Do Me?
When we're born again a whole new eternity opens up to us, and Paul explained it in the next verses of Romans 8.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29). The Greek word proginosko is translated foreknew here and means to know beforehand or ahead of time. Understanding the meaning of this word helps solve the man-made problem with the next one, predestined. This Greek word is poorizo and means to determine beforehand or pre-ordain.
As humans, we're bound by the constraints of time, but God is not. He knows the end from the beginning. Taken together these two Greek words teach us that because He knew before He created Adam that you would choose to accept the pardon His Son bought for you at the cross, He determined then to honor your choice, even though it would be thousands of years before you would make it, and reserved a place for you in His Kingdom that no one can take away. You were foreknown and predestined to be made over in the image of Christ and to dwell with Him forever.
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:30). The word for "called" is kaleo, a root of the word kletos above. It has a pretty straightforward meaning; to call forth. It means the time has come to act on your choice. At just the right moment in your life, the Lord called upon you to take action on the choice He always knew you'd make.
The word we translate as justified is another one of utmost importance in our understanding. It's dikaioo and means to regard as though innocent. When the Lord saved you, He didn't just ignore your sins; nor did He only pay the penalty for them. He removed you from them to such an extreme extent that He now considers you to have always been innocent of all charges. It's as if you never sinned at all. He's distanced you from them as far as the East is from the West. (Psalm 103:12)
And finally He glorified you. The Greek word is doxazo and it means to render glorious, of good reputation. In His eyes, you're not an ex-convict who deserves another chance even though your reputation has been blackened by past behavior. No, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17) because God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:2) Knowing you've accepted the pardon He arranged for you, He now considers you to be as righteous as He is, worthy of the highest honor!
What Do You Say To That?
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32) If God gave His only Son for us, what will He withhold? What is more valuable, more precious to Him than the life of His Son, that He would be unwilling to give it to us?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:33-34) In what court can the one who condemns us appeal God's findings? Who is superior to God, that he could overrule God's judgment in our favor? Especially with God's own Son sitting at His right hand reminding Him (as if He needed reminding) that all our sins were paid for at the cross. If God is our supreme judge, then His Son is our defense attorney, and they've already put their heads together and pronounced us innocent. Who can contest that?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)
It Isn't Gonna Happen
No force in the Universe is capable of severing the relationship between our Lord and us! Some contracts or agreements we have on Earth automatically terminate upon our death. Not this one. Perhaps some can be cancelled by spiritual powers, good or evil. Not this one. Some can be rendered null and void due either to a present or future violation, or a misrepresentation of facts or circumstances, or wars, or uncontrollable "acts of God." Not this one. Look as high or as low as you want. Search the Creation from stem to stern. You won't find anything.
Why? Because we aren't parties to the agreement The Father and the Son are. We're merely the beneficiaries. They agreed on the terms and conditions that would purchase our pardon. The Son agreed to die for us, and the Father agreed to forgive us. We simply had to accept their actions as payment in full for our sins to receive the benefit. It's all we had to do; it's all we could do. When we did, they confirmed it by the seal of the Holy Spirit within us. The issue now is not our faithfulness, it's theirs.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. (Ephes. 1:13-14) Selah 2-27-05
