GOD’S PLAN OF salvation is wonderful – v29-30
• God’s Foreknowledge – He knows us & we can trust Him!
• God’s Predestination – Because He knows, He predestines.
• God’s Calling - God draws us & calls us to Himself.
John 6:44-45 (NKJV) 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
• Those that are called are those in whose hearts the Holy Spirit works to lead them to saving faith in Jesus.
• Next is God’s Justification. We studied this earlier in Romans.
• Notice he says “and whom He justified, these He also glorified”.
• This being in the past tense means that it’s already happened!
JUSTIFICATION is a legal term… it signifies how God sees a man, sees a woman who has placed their faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
• A great way to remember the word is to think:
• JUST-AS-IF-I-NEVER-SINNED.
• That’s declaration upon your life! God sees you not in your own righteousness but in that perfection of His Son!
• For our study on justification pick up the CD or MP3 online.
TODAY WE LOOK AT THE DOCTRINE OF GLORIFICATION.
When we think of GLORIFIED, we don’t think of today do we?
• I mean when we look at our TODAY we think of our pilgrimage, our flesh, our struggle, our wrestling… We don’t think glory.
• We think: Romans 7:24… turn back. Who?!?!?!
When we think of TODAY, we think of Galatians 5:16ff (Turn There)
• In our minds, GLORY is future, not present.
• But Paul says, that God sees us as if it already happened.
NOTE: As far as God is concerned, the moment you were justified you and I were as good as glorified.
• Although for us it’s still future, from God’s perspective it’s as if it’s already done! -- FLIP OVER TO EPHESIANS 2:4-7
GLORIFICATION speaks to us about the future glory, heaven, the resurrection of our bodies.
• Paul wrote to the Philippians:
Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJV) 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Ultimate future glory has been a theme that Paul has touched on over and over again throughout Romans.
• Look back at 5:2, then 8:18, 8:21
• I Think John captures it best in 1 John 3:1-3
• What a wonderful, powerful, purifying hope, this work of Glorification in our lives by the power of God! WOW!
SO As we step back and consider the marvelous work of God in our lives, we should jot down a few things to remember. 5
#1 – God KNOWS you.
• Paul started out by telling us that God foreknew us.
• His knowledge of us goes back into the womb.
• Even before the womb.
• Flip back to Psalm 139:7-18
• We just let that sit in our hearts… God knows us.
• He knows us not from a distance, but personally.
• Flip over to Psalm 103:10-14
2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV) 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
This helps us when we’re misunderstood & maligned, slandered & smeared, gossiped & gouged! OUCH.
• It’s encouraging to know that God knows the truth about it all.
• People might not know. They may believe the gossip, the slander, the bad reports about you. But God knows doesn’t He?
#2 – God LOVES you.
• Not only does GOD KNOW YOU, HE LOVES YOU.
• This is amazing because of what God does know about you & me, He still loves us… forever, everlasting! AMEN?
Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV) 3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Psalm 103:17 (NKJV) 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
NOTE: I know that we can be disappointed in ourselves & frustrated at times w/ what we see or don’t see happening.
• But the Love of God toward U, in U, through U is abundant!
• He doesn’t love you based on your performance.
• He doesn’t save you based on your performance.
• He loves you because God is love, and in Christ you’re lovable
#1 – God KNOWS you. -- #2 – God LOVES you.
#3 – God has CALLED you.
• Remember, you and I couldn’t come to Jesus unless we were called by Him and drawn to Him.
• But because He has called us to Himself and we have believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is a calling on your life now!
Living in and Living for Jesus is not an aimless, I’m not sure what I should do type of life.
• IN Jesus, in his purposeful plan for your life there is direction.
• I love how Peter puts it in his letter:
1 Peter 1:18 (NKJV) 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
NOTE: OUR WORLD has a standard for value, for money…
• It’s GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES.
• The world has said this is what we will value, this is what we will protect with our lives, this is what we will lock up in vaults deep beneath the earth… gold… silver… diamonds!
• But they aren’t going to last are they? – Matthew 6.19-21
Not only are they NOT GOING to last, but the Bible teaches us that there are many things more precious than gold…
Job 28:15 – Wisdom
Psalm 19.7-10 – Law, testimony, precepts, commandments
Psalm 119.127 – your commandments
Proverbs 12.12-14 – Wisdom & knowledge from God.
Proverbs 8.17-19 – Fruit of wisdom.
SO there’s even one more thing more precious than gold, and that’s the precious blood of Jesus that redeemed our lives!
You KNOW there is this big search today for meaning & significance.
• Many will tell you that you need to find yourself!
• But the reality is that most people apart from Jesus Christ are already full of themselves, self-centered, self-oriented.
• Over concerned about themselves…
• And what a self-centered, self-focused life does is distance a person from the cross.
• The Bible tells us that self, ourselves, is pretty gross!
• Our hearts… are deceitfully wicked.
Jer. 17.9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
• Our righteousness… like filthy rags.
Isa. 64.6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
• Our conduct, apart from Jesus… aimless & wandering & stuck!
That’s what you’ll find if you go out to search for yourself.
• Men, there are countless spiritual books out there, some even in the Christian bookstore that tell you to run wild, go into the forest and bang a drum, let your natural you come out!
• Women, there are countless books for you too, telling you to leave your kids behind, go find yourself in the world, independent and free.
But the Bible says I’m to die to myself and live to Christ.
• If I’m to have any esteem, it’s to be Christ-ESTEEM!
• So that through his death & resurrection, my faith & hope are in God not in myself!
Even if my world is spinning out of control… my parents are walking with the Lord, I can’t pay for my school, bills stacking up…
• My confidence is in the Lord and not in myself! AMEN!?!
• He is my Rock. He is my hope. He is my strength!
• You’re VALUABLE… your value has everything to do with what was paid for you… His own precious blood bought you!
#1 – God KNOWS you. -- #2 – God LOVES you. #3 – God has CALLED you.
#4 – God is AT WORK in you. -- Turn over to Philippians 2.12-13
NOTE: Sometimes I think we forget that it is God. We so easily forget how God is working! It’s God. He’s working in you guys!
• And His plans for you are much larger than where you are now.
• He created you and put you on this planet with a work that ONLY YOU can uniquely accomplish.
• You’re not alone and you’re not on your own.
• God reminds us that we’re in this together!
NOTE: All of the pains & setbacks and sufferings in this world come because this world is fallen… far from God.
• Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not living up to some standard. Because you see yourself falling short.
• God made you to enjoy fellowship with Him. The work is gone and over and what’s left? Jesus…
FIRST TO WILL…
• He’s giving us new desires, new wants, new wishes in life.
• He’s working in you giving you desires to follow Him.
AND God’s working in you TO DO for His good pleasure!
• Not only is he giving you new desires… but He’s giving what’s needed to follow through! To do them with all your might!
• We see that beautifully in Psalm 37:4-6… let’s turn there.
#1 – God KNOWS you. -- #2 – God LOVES you.
#3 – God has CALLED you. -- #4 – God is AT WORK in you.
#5 – God is KEEPING you.
• God’s purposeful plan of salvation for your life which includes His foreknowledge, His Calling, His justification, His glorification in our lives… reminds us that we are secure in Him!
• He’s going to finish what He started in our lives!
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Psalm 138:8 (NKJV) 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
ENCOURAGING STUFF, AN ABUNDANT LIFE IN Jesus!
• His plan is at work in and through you and all that He has promised will come to pass! Trust Him!
ONE MORE THING BEFOE WE GO… THE BIBLE SAYS:
2 Timothy 4:3 (NKJV) 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; |
BUT I want to commend you guys, this congregation because you want the Word, desire it, and live it out!
• It’s not to puff you up, but rather to encourage you!
• Your hunger for the word, your obedience to the Word is infectious making you powerful tools in the hand of God!
• You’re here with open ears ready & receptive.
• And you’re acting upon what you hear… living out your faith!
• Don’t stop now. Keep growing. Keep maturing…
• Notice v5, and be watchful. Don’t let your guards down.
• Endure afflictions! Fulfill your ministry!
