Romans 8:29-30 – Assurance Of Salvation

Romans 8:29-30

“[29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

What’s The Point?

We like being in control. This isn’t always a bad thing; I assume you like to be in charge of what you eat, where you go on vacation, the books you read, and the movies you watch. This is much more preferable than someone else choosing those things for us. But there are also things that are too big for us to be in control of. No one would want me to be in charge of the International Space Station; I don’t have the skills, knowledge, or experience to handle something like that.

Your salvation is too magnificent of a thing for you to control. It might seem nice to think that you are in charge of it, but that would actually be disastrous. If our salvation was up to us we would never attain it. We covered this earlier in Romans looking at our inability to keep the law and our need for a savior. Also, if it were up to us to keep our salvation, we would surely lose it.

That is why this passage provides so much security for believers. If God has called you to himself then your salvation is sure; your glorification is guaranteed. And not only is our salvation sure from this point forward, but Paul tells us that in God’s perfect knowledge, he knew us and purposed us for salvation long before we responded to that call.

In Ephesians Paul says, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). God didn’t just choose us before we chose him; he chose us before the world was created. How confident can we be in our salvation if the God who created and sustains everything has been planning our redemption since before space and time existed? How should this confidence and certainty change the way we live day to day?

Some Christians have a problem with words like predestination or chose. Their argument is that it takes our decision out of it. But if you are believer, if you claim Christ as Savior, let me ask you this. Right now, do you choose to follow Jesus? For me the answer is yes. We should praise the Lord for choosing us for salvation and coming to rescue us when we were enemies. We should thank the Lord that when we never would have chosen him, he chose us. And now that we put our faith in him and the work he has finished, we should choose to live as people whose salvation is guaranteed. God has chosen us, he has justified us and declared us righteous, and he will one day bring us into glory.

Scripture Memorization

Ephesians 2:4–5

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Prayer

God, thank you for choosing me before the world began. Thank you for choosing me when I was your enemy. Thank you for choosing me even when you knew I would continue to struggle with sin every day. Because you have rescued me I give you my life, I choose to worship you. I praise you for the grace you have given me in salvation and the power you have to keep me securely in your hand.

Reflection

1. God made you the object of his divine eternal love. Does knowing God loved you before the Creation change the way you think about salvation?
2. How are you more like Jesus now than when you first became a believer?

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss and define these terms: foreknew, predestined, justified, glorified.
2. What does it mean to be conformed to the image of Christ?
3. God calls us by name; it is personal. How does God call us?