Predestined to be Conformed to Christ
The second golden link in the chain of salvation is
predestination.
Like foreknowledge, predestination is one of those Biblical doctrines
that provokes many a discussion, but when accepted becomes a great source of assurance of
salvation.
It may not seem like all things are working together when we look at
our circumstances, but when we get eternity into the picture it all comes together and we
see God at work. He is behind the scenes accomplishing His eternal purpose.
Charles Hodge said, “Believers are called in accordance with a
settled plan and purpose of God, for whom He calls He had previously predestinated.”
God is at work causing all things to work together for good to those who love God, for the
plan of God cannot fail.
The apostle Paul increases our understanding of the “purpose”
in Romans 8:28 in the following verses. “For those whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn
among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He
called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Romans
8:29-30).
It is a continued confirmation of the truth Paul has been expounding
that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. It
accomplishes His eternal purpose in our lives.
John Murray says, “the foreknowledge means ‘whom He set His
regard upon’ or ‘whom He knew from eternity with distinguishing affection and
delight’ is virtually equivalent to ‘whom He foreloved.’”
F. F. Bruce notes, “whom He did foreknow” has “the
connotation of God’s electing grace.” “When God takes knowledge of people
in this special way, He sets His choice upon them.”
Those whom God foreknew, He also predestined “carries the
believer onward to the final consummation of God’s purpose in respect to Him.”
God will conform the believer to the image of His Son. God has decided upon that great
event beforehand.
It is God's eternal purpose that the believer
ultimately become conformed morally and spiritually in character to the
likeness of Christ Jesus. We have been predestined
as Christians to be like God’s Son in character and destiny. Christ is the perfect
pattern of character, form, of glorification in body and sanctification of spirit of the
believer. God has destined us to be conformed to Christ when we are
glorified with Him. This will take place at the consummation when the final and complete conformity of
resurrection glory. We will be glorified as our Lord is glorified.
God has chosen some people to be conformed to the character of Jesus
Christ. Our salvation has its origin in the mind of God in eternity past.
This is what predestination is all about. It informs us of the grand
destination to which the chosen of God are appointed. God has fixed His distinguishing
love on us and appointed us “to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He
might be the firstborn among many brothers.” The golden chain of salvation tells how
God does it.
God horizoned, “marked off,” certain people by taking them
out of one category and putting them in another which is the circle of His saving grace
that they might be a people who reflect the character of His Son.
God in infinite wisdom has marked out a particular
destiny for the believer. The destiny God has preordained is for the believer to be made
like Jesus Christ.
That should not frighten any Christian. In deed, it
should give great assurance of God’s eternal love, assurance of eternal
life and the preservation of the saints. How strange that we allow
modern man to determine what God can or cannot do. How arrogant to think
we must give God permission to accomplish our eternal destiny.
God the Creator and Redeemer is the author of our
salvation and that from beginning to end. Paul is saying God initiates
the whole process.
God’s foreknowledge of a chosen people and His predestination of
them to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest promises to
suffering Christians in every generation.
Our eternal salvation will not fail. We are secure
in Christ because God has determined the specific destiny of those He
previously decided in eternity should be conformed to Christ Jesus.
Election and predestination are intimately related in the accomplishment
of our salvation.
Have you been predestinated? If you have been born again spiritually
and are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ you have been predestinated according
to the Bible.
If my eternal destiny depended upon me I would be
in a hopeless situation. But praise God. It does not depend upon me, but
upon our great God and Savior Jesus Christ! I am "chosen in Him" for
eternal life. He determined in eternity before the foundation of the
world to persevere with me until that day.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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