God's Sovereignty: Is He Really In Control?

Romans 8:28–39 (ESV)

28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For 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. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;? we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I. Intro

A. Supposed deist Benjamin Franklin in remarks to the Continental Convention, June 28, 1787, said: “I have lived, Sir, a long time [81 years-old], and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.”

B. What does it mean when we say “God is in control?”?Are we aware of the implications, or is it just a platitude??And when it comes to the most important question of salvation, do we think God truly is sovereign, or is He held hostage by our choices?

C. Thoughts on Election

1. Did God know who would be saved?

a. Yes––otherwise He wouldn’t be sovereign, He would be limited by events in His creation, which would disqualify Him as a separate entity (and thus the possibility for Him to be God)–God can limit Himself if He wants, but we cannot limit Him.

2. Does God pick some to be saved and some to go to hell (election)?

a. Possibly, but not necessarily. It is just as limiting of God to suppose that His knowledge of who will be saved is the same as God picking who will be saved; this conflicts with the doctrine of the free will

3. If God knows who’ll be saved and He’s sovereign, do we need to evangelize?

a. Yes––Jesus told us to. Besides, even though God knows who will be saved, we don’t.

b. Jesus prepared his disciples to encounter everyone, just like He did. He constantly referred to “my Father’s will” and “the work for which I was sent”––this is hardly indicative of a divine plan with missing holes or outcomes dependent on the fickle choices of men (“open theism”)

4. Can someone lose their salvation?

a. No. We are secured once for all time, even from the beginning of time

b. This is tied up in the eternal nature of God, not our time-limited perspective of events.

II. Confidence in God’s Will

A. A Claim of Confidence (v.28)–“And we know that for those who love God ALL THINGS work together for good, for those who are CALLED according to his purpose.”

1. God’s people are “off-limits” from Satan’s prosecution, but not from his attacks

2. “And we know”––no doubts allowed about God’s sovereignty

3. “All things” (pas)–it really means, “all things”

4. “Called” (kaleo)–specifically, “call forth”

B. A Description of Confidence (vv.29,30)–” 29For 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. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he JUSTIFIED he also GLORIFIED.”

1. “Predestined” (proorizo, v.29)–”to limit in advance; to predetermine”–chosen to emphasize the foreknowledge of God of those who would respond, not some “preselection” process

2. The real issue here is conformity–or, in the context of adoption, sanctification

3. “Justified” (dikaioo, v.30)–”to render, or show, as just or innocent”

4. “Glorified” (doxazo, v.30)–”to render, or esteem, as glorious”––note the past-tense use of these verbs: Paul is talking about something that, from God’s perspective, has already been done