THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN THE SALVATION OF MAN: THE DEFINITIONS

In two verses—Romans 8:29-30—Paul unlimbers major theological artillery concerning the doctrine of salvation: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” The Apostle presents to us what has been called the golden chain of salvation—each term being a link in that unbreakable chain that brings us to heaven—one that reaches from eternity to eternity!

FOREKNOWLEDGE “For whom He foreknew…”
The Greek word is proginosko from which we get our English medical term prognosis. A physician diagnoses your disease and prescribes a course of treatment. He makes a prognosis—a projection based on his knowledge of what the course of the disease and effectiveness of the cure will be. So, God’s proginosko means to know beforehand. God is omniscient, so that nothing ever surprises Him. He is eternal, so time holds no constraint on Him. We are creatures that are captive to calendars and clocks, but God transcends time—over, above and beyond it. This Eternal God knew you before you were born. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer.1:5). In the New Testament, we find that John the Baptist was called before conception! Indeed, God knew you even before creation—before there was a sinner in need of a savior or even the sphere where the sinners would dwell was suspended in space—He saw you as His child.

I run into people that knew me B.C. That era of my existence was etched with evil. They are shocked to find out I’m a Christian, and a preacher, no less! But, there is One that was not surprised when I repented of sin and received the Savior: the God who foreknew me.

PREDESTINATION “He also predestined…”
This word means to determine beforehand. What God knows to be, will be, for it is impossible for Him to be mistaken. What He does will be done right, for it is impossible for Him to do wrong. God is sovereign and directs all things according to His purpose. This includes events divinely caused and permitted. God cannot author evil, but He permits it. Yet, evil cannot thwart His will, but He turns it to accomplish His will. That, in context, is what Romans 8:28 is saying, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” So, there are acts certain to take place in His sovereign plan, but men are still responsible for the choices they make.

Several of you that are reading these words have been on a Caribbean cruise. You dirty rats! I have never been, but really want to—and you just led me into covetousness! But, I digress. When on gets on board the ship, there are many choices that are made throughout the voyage. You have “freewill” it might be said. You can decide when to get up and when to go to bed. You decide what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. You have options in terms of activities. But, there is a captain who is piloting the vessel. He has charted a course and made the decision to take you to his intended destination. So, for those who are in Christ (you are on board the old Gospel ship) there is an intended destination where the Captain of our Salvation will bring us, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Each child of God will one day look just like the Son of God when we see Him in glory!

ELECTION “these He also called…”
God calls us to Himself by grace—we don’t deserve it. We aren’t seeking Him—He seeks us. Evangelicals often use the term, “Seeker” to describe one that the church is trying to reach with the Gospel, and in particular may be attending church and searching for something. It isn’t a term invented by contemporary Christianity. I have a book authored by Spurgeon in the 19th century called, “Advice for Seekers.” So, how do we explain that idea with the clear teaching of Romans 3:11-12, which says, “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”? The answer is this—if we seek after God, then it is because God first sought after us. If we are seeking Him, it is because the Father is drawing us. Jesus said that otherwise none would come (John 6:44). This is His calling.

Remember the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) that was “seeking” to know God and drove his chariot all the way to Jerusalem in a futile search to find God in religion and ritual? He was reading the Word of God, but was clueless—as lost as a goose in a snowstorm. God was at work, in sovereign grace extending His call all the way to Africa. The Lord transported a witness named Philip over miles and miles from Samaria to Gaza in order to take the text and present Jesus to this court official. The black man turned to Christ, was converted and baptized that very day! That’s election. You might argue from your experience that you “found God.” We hear this language, all the time. If you, like the Ethiopian did, it is because God first found you! We are straying sheep, lost and cannot find our way. The Good Shepherd comes calling us.

Why? Just because He loves us! Why does He love us? Just because—and with God that is reason enough. We may be certain that it isn’t because we are lovely or lovable, for “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). He chooses to do so in His grace—and our unworthiness is what makes it grace. If you are saved, you can look back on the circumstances of your life and see how God was orchestrating events to bring you to salvation. We live life forward, but understand it backward.

Christ woos us, wins us and weds us. He calls us to Himself as a young man sets his heart on a woman to become his bride. He continues to reach out to us to win our heart. He brings us into covenant relationship. Through it all, God takes the initiative, and we respond.

JUSTIFICATION “these He also justified…”
This is the judicial act of declaring those who receive Christ righteous. It is the absolute pardon of all sin and the imputation of righteousness by faith. Christ has taken our sin and paid the price a holy and just God demanded. Beyond that, His very righteousness has been placed in the credit side of life’s ledger for those He has called to be His own.

GLORIFICATION “these He also glorified.”
This is the consummation of salvation in heaven. It is a blessed truth to ponder that Paul describes this climactic moment in our future as in the past tense! Our resurrection state is so certain it is spoken of as though already accomplished. God sees it as a settled matter. Not all the demons of hell can prevent it, for God has purposed and promised it. He calls all His sheep and not one of them is lost (John 10:27-29). Not one link of the golden chain of salvation will be broken—that chain that lifts us up from earth to eternity.