God’s Salvation (3)

[Romans 8:29-30]

In Romans 8:29-30, we find the five processes of God’s salvation:
(1) God foreknows,
(2) God predestines,
(3) God calls,
(4) God justifies,
(5) God glorifies.

The first process is "God foreknows" (Romans 8:29).
Here, the phrase "God foreknows" (v. 29) does not mean that God knew in advance that a person would believe in Jesus, but rather, it means that God loved that person beforehand (Matthew 7:15ff; Amos 3:2; Hebrews 12:7). God loved us before the foundation of the world. Look at John 17:24: "Father, I desire that they also, whom You gave Me, may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit love each other. The Triune God loves us with the love that exists between the three persons of the Trinity.

The second process is "God predestines" (Romans 8:29, 30).
Why has God predestined us? What is the purpose for which God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world? (Ephesians 1:4) The purpose is "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29).
The "Son" here refers to Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. And "the image of the Son" refers not to the weak image of Jesus when He came to this lowly world in the flesh, but to the glorious image of the Son of God, who is seated at the right hand of God. The risen Jesus Christ is the one who sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us (Romans 8:34).
To redeem us, He took upon Himself the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross, and after three days He rose again, ascended to heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2), interceding for us. It is to make us like the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, that God predestined us (Romans 8:29).

So, when will we be conformed to the image of the Son of God? It will happen when the last trumpet sounds (1 Corinthians 15:52, Modern Bible), that is, when the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16), they will be resurrected incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:52), and those who remain alive until then (1 Thessalonians 4:17) will suddenly be transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51), and we will all be perfectly conformed to the image of the Son of God.
Then, we will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We will be glorified (the completion of salvation, eternal life) and enter the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1), the holy city, New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2), and participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), enjoying eternal life and blessedness as we live forever in God’s glory.

Look at Jacob, whom God foreknew (loved) and predestined (chose).
Let us look at Romans 9:11-13: “For the children had not yet been born, and had done neither good nor evil, in order that God’s purpose of election might stand, not by works but by Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”
Here, “those children” refers to Esau and Jacob, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac married Rebekah at the age of 40 and had no children for 20 years. Therefore, Isaac prayed to God for 20 years (Genesis 25:21), and finally, when he was 60, God answered his prayers and gave him twins: Esau (v. 25) and Jacob (v. 26). God loved Jacob before he was born, before he had done anything good or evil (Romans 9:11), and He loved him with a special love, the love of salvation. However, God did not love Esau with that special love (He “hated” Esau) (v. 13).

Romans 9:13 is a quotation from Malachi 1:2-3: “I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have You loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ says the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau.’”
God foreknew Jacob (loved him) and predestined (chose) him before he was born, before he could do anything good or bad. This shows that the basis of God’s choice was not Jacob’s works, but the will of God (Romans 9:11, modern translation). God’s purpose in election stands according to His calling, not because of works (v. 11).

The phrase “to stand” means “to continue, to remain, to persist.” God’s purpose for salvation does not depend on human effort, merit, or good deeds but solely on God’s foreknowledge, His predestination (choice), His calling, His justification, and His glorification, which ultimately leads to salvation. This is God’s will, and this will is maintained.

Because of how God saves, His salvation is assured. Therefore, we do not just believe in the certainty of God’s salvation, but we can also have the assurance of salvation.
God’s purpose for salvation will certainly stand! The God of love is the God of salvation. He loved us before the foundation of the world and predestined (chose) us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God (Romans 8:29). Thus, God, who predestined us, also called us, justified us, and glorified us (Romans 8:30).

This will of salvation from God the Father has already been accomplished in heaven, and we pray that it will be accomplished on earth as well, just as the Lord taught us to pray (Matthew 6:10, modern translation).
That is, God’s will of salvation has already been fulfilled in heaven (Already), but it has not yet been fulfilled on earth (Not yet). It will be fulfilled when our Lord returns, with the command, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God, descending from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16). At that time, we will be glorified, and we will reach glory (eternal life).

With this assurance of salvation, we must faithfully carry out the tasks the Lord has entrusted to each of us. When the Lord calls us to heaven, we will be embraced by Him and will enjoy eternal happiness in heaven.