Riches of Grace 01

The Riches of Grace
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 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. 30 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.
Romans 8:28-30(NKJV)

Christians are in a unique place. We have, as a matter of divinely revealed fact, had our personal history replaced with the history of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Thus we are are told, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) The word translated “new” here means something that is new in kind, not something that is simply new in terms of chronology. (“New” as in never seen before as opposed to a new model of something that already exists.) Thus the Christian has an unusual sort of amnesia. Upon the moment of putting one's faith in Christ their old history is done away with, and they are made entirely new. In order to find out who he or she is the Christian is forced to look away from his or her personal history (i.e. the things that they have done, seen and that have been done to him or her). Rather than focusing on what the world focuses on to “find one's self” the believer must look to the Bible to find out who he or she actually is. We as Christians need to go to the Bible to find out who and what we are, no longer trusting our experiences or the world's assessment of us!
The point that we are going to look at today is the point of purpose. While the non-believer must wander around life asking himself, “Why am I here?” And is plagued by evolutionary stupidity that claims that he is merely an accident of chance and is held to no standard except his own personal pleasure and desire, the life of the Christian is quite a different affair. Most of us know, or can imagine, the joy of being picked or chosen for something special. Starting on the playground the elation or agony of who gets picked first for the playground football game, and moving forward into our desire to be chosen, recognized and promoted in the professional world when we become adults, humans have a inbuilt desire to be chosen. 
This Idea of being chosen has a great deal to do with the idea of purpose. Being chosen gives us a sense of purpose. Victor Frankle in his research found that man has a need of purpose and meaning. Without it he flounders and dies, with it he can accomplish great things. It would seem as if what is missing from most people's lives is a strong sense of purpose. People seek to fill this void in every way imaginable. People seek purpose in their professional lives, their family lives, their pleasures, their hobbies, drug abuse, their expression. Yet none of these things will every satisfy fully, because we were designed for so much more than any of those things (many of which can be very good things if they are used in the proper way, with the proper priority in our lives). God designed man to have meaning and purpose, not to flounder around wondering what it all means.
With all that said, it is plain that God would never build a need into us that he did not intend to satisfy. The first of the “Riches of Grace” in Chafer's Systematic Theology is the fact that we are included into the divine purpose of God. There are a series of words found in the Bible that very clearly portray this truth to us. Among them are: foreknown, foreordained, predestined, called, elect of God, and chosen. Many of these words, and the principles that they convey to us, are found in the passage which we will be studying today, which is Romans 8:28-30. 
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 
YOU ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE! Not one person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ has a meaningless day, week, month or year. Imagine for a moment that the president called you and said, “I have a job I am going to give you, and I am going to give you the authority to complete it, and there is no plan B. How important would you feel? How purposeful would you be about how you spent your time? Here is the reality:
God has a purpose for you every day:
– Someone for you to love with Christ's love
– Someone for you to share the gospel with
– Someone to pray for
– Someone to teach
– Someone to support
– Someone to forgive
– And that is just a few of the possibilities!
29 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. 
However, there is more than just that to the purpose of God for your life! He foreknew you when he was creating the world, he knew you would come along and he had a use, a plan and a purpose for you. At that same time he gave you a destiny you have a great destiny to be fully conformed to the image of Christ. The reality of the matter is that God has a great plan for you that includes you being eventually, fully and completely conformed to the image of his perfect Son: Jesus Christ! 
Before going further it is important to say a word about predestination. People have huge battles over this issue, debates rage on and churches split up, but I want to give you the some simple, Biblical facts about this issue that people make so very complicated: 
1 – We know from the Bible that anyone who puts their faith in Christ is predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. We need not worry ourselves as we share the gospel and make disciples with wondering whether or not a person is predestined for salvation. If they come to faith in Christ it is true of them that they are also predestined!
2 – Nothing is ever said about anyone being predestined to damnation. There is no clear passage in scripture that says that those who are not saved are predestined by God to that eternal state. To the contrary the Bible tells us: 

“But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12

“And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

So it becomes quite clear from scripture that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was powerful enough to save everyone if they put their faith in Him, and it is equally clear that it is not in God's will for anyone to receive eternal damnation. Rather, anyone who goes to eternal punishment goes by the permissive will of God, apart from his desire for them.
3 – It is abundantly clear in scripture that this is meant to be taken personally. God wants YOU to know that YOU are foreknown, predestined, elect, and called. He doesn't seem to want you worrying too much about who else may or may not be called! Take it personally! Let this knowledge sink from your head to your heart and let it influence your every step in life. Don't be deceived for a single moment: Your life has been filled with meaning and purpose by the God who redeemed you!

30 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. 
So to review all of the wonderful truths that have been revealed in this passage to move us fluidly into how he justified us, we find that:
1. He has called you.
2. He foreknew you.
3. He Predestined you to be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ.
4. He justified you! He has done it. He did it and it is not your job to redo it, confirm it, or do it again. You don't have to worry about whether or not you will have what it takes to fulfill your destiny; you only have to trust in Him, who is able to give you what you need!
Finally, you have been glorified with Him. Christ has been ascended to the heavenly realms and seated at the right hand of the Father in glory and honor, and we are identified with Him in that as well! It is amazing to think that positionally Christ has shared his glory with us, who are so very unworthy. While you are now positionally identified with Christ in current glory, at his return for his Saints, or at our physical death we will be fully conformed to that position and have a full realization of that glory. It is beyond the limits of our understanding to realize what it means that God is going to share his glory with you and with me! This is the same glory that God told Moses that no man could look upon and live! This is the glory that filled the temple signifying the Lord's approval of it. This is he Glory that Christ has know as he sits at the right hand of the Father. This is the Glory that will be Christ's when he returns to earth as the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords.
He wants to share that glory with you. How is that for a destiny?