Articles
Called According To God’s Purpose
Called According To God’s Purpose
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
We, as Christians, have been called by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14) into the fellowship of God through Jesus. This in fact is the very purpose of God. Paul spoke of God’s ‘eternal purpose’ of reconciling believers in Jesus (Eph. 3:10). Here in Romans 8 Paul outlines the progress of such: God foreknew, predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, called, justified, and glorified.
There is a lot about God’s foreknowledge that we do not grasp because we are finite in our own knowledge and understanding. One thing that helps me with this is to understand that God foreknowing something is NOT the same as God CAUSING such. Thus, knowing that some would love Him with all their heart, He predestined such to be conformed to the image of His Son.
We were made in the very image of God, but we lost that image by sin. Now, we as believers are being recreated in the very image of Jesus who was the exact image of the Father. Paul instructed that we are to “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24).
Those who are thus recreated are now the brothers of Jesus who is considered the ‘first born’. Through Jesus we are children of God and make up the family of God. This was God’s purpose - to have just such a family of godly people the He would love and that would love Him. To achieve this purpose he calls people by the gospel. Many are called but few respond. The invitation is to all the world, to every creature, but many reject God’s gospel.
Those who receive this message are justified (Rom. 5:1, 9; 3:26, 28, 30; 10:10. This has been one of the main themes in Romans - those who follow Jesus are justified, declared righteous, forgiven of sins, and made alive unto God. These same people look forward to being glorified with Jesus.
Brethren, WE are these people. WE are God’s children. WE are the brothers of Jesus. We are fulfilling the very purpose of God to have such a ‘family’. Let us then not be ashamed but glorify God through Jesus. Since God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us. While some may become discouraged by the trials of this world and the persecution that often comes against God’s people, let US take heart. While some may quit and walk no more with Jesus, let us be faithful unto death.
Hugh DeLong
