God's Sovereign Plan: Assurance in Salvation's Journey
Devotional
Day 1: The Foundation of God's Sovereign Work
The promise in Romans 8:28 is not a superficial hope but is built on a deep foundation of God's sovereign work. This foundation includes foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification, each step being an infallible act of God. These steps ensure that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. The assurance of this process provides believers with a profound sense of security and hope, knowing that God's purposes will not fail. This foundation is much like a skyscraper that requires a solid base to stand tall, emphasizing the depth and strength of God's promises. [01:46]
"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." (Romans 8:29, ESV)
Reflection: How does understanding the depth of God's sovereign work change the way you view challenges in your life today?
Day 2: The Omnipotent Call of God
God's calling is an omnipotent act that brings life to the spiritually dead, much like Jesus calling Lazarus from the tomb. This call is not dependent on human effort but is a sovereign work that ensures those called will be justified. It is an irresistible summons that transforms lives, bringing individuals from spiritual death to life. This divine call is a testament to God's power and grace, highlighting that salvation is entirely His work and not based on our merit. [05:13]
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced God's call in your life, and how has it transformed you?
Day 3: Justification Through Faith in Christ
Justification is the declaration of righteousness for the ungodly, made possible through faith in Christ. It is not based on our works but on the righteousness of Christ, who bore our sins and provided His righteousness to us. This act of justification is a profound demonstration of God's grace, where He declares the ungodly righteous through faith. It assures believers that their standing before God is secure, not because of their own efforts, but because of Christ's finished work on the cross. [07:37]
"For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20, ESV)
Reflection: How does the understanding of justification by faith impact your relationship with God and your daily life?
Day 4: The Assurance of Glorification
Glorification is the final step in God's redemptive plan, where believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ. This is the ultimate good that all things are working toward, providing believers with assurance and hope. The promise of glorification assures believers that their journey of faith will culminate in being fully transformed into the likeness of Christ. This hope of future glory encourages believers to persevere through trials, knowing that God's purposes will ultimately prevail. [09:10]
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
Reflection: What does the promise of future glorification mean to you, and how does it influence your perspective on current struggles?
Day 5: Exalting Christ in Our Salvation
The entire process of salvation exalts Christ as both the ground and goal of our glorification. He is our Redeemer and older brother, ensuring that God's purposes will not fail and that we will be glorified with Him. This highlights Christ's central role in our salvation, emphasizing that He is both the foundation and the ultimate aim of our faith journey. As believers, we are called to exalt Christ in all aspects of our lives, recognizing His sovereignty and grace in our salvation. [09:53]
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:15-16, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively exalt Christ in your daily life, acknowledging His role as both the foundation and goal of your salvation?
Sermon Summary
In Romans 8:28-30, we find a profound assurance that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This promise is not a superficial hope but is built on a deep foundation, much like a skyscraper that requires a solid base to stand tall. The foundation of this promise is laid out in the sequence of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Each step is an infallible work of God, ensuring that those He foreknew and predestined will ultimately be glorified.
The process begins with God's foreknowledge and predestination, where He chooses individuals to be conformed to the image of His Son. This is not based on any merit of our own but is a sovereign act of grace. The calling that follows is not a mere invitation but an omnipotent summons that brings life to the spiritually dead, much like Jesus calling Lazarus from the tomb. This divine call results in justification, where God declares the ungodly righteous through faith in Christ. This justification is made possible because Christ bore our sins and provided His righteousness to us.
The culmination of this divine work is glorification, where believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ. This is the ultimate good that all things are working toward. The assurance of this process provides believers with a profound sense of security and hope, knowing that God's purposes will not fail. Moreover, this entire process exalts Christ as both the ground and goal of our glorification, highlighting His role as our Redeemer and older brother.
Key Takeaways
1. The promise of Romans 8:28 is built on a deep foundation of God's sovereign work, ensuring that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. This foundation includes foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification, each step being an infallible act of God. [01:46]
2. God's calling is an omnipotent act that brings life to the spiritually dead, much like Jesus calling Lazarus from the tomb. This call is not dependent on human effort but is a sovereign work that ensures those called will be justified. [05:13]
3. Justification is the declaration of righteousness for the ungodly, made possible through faith in Christ. It is not based on our works but on the righteousness of Christ, who bore our sins and provided His righteousness to us. [07:37]
4. Glorification is the final step in God's redemptive plan, where believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ. This is the ultimate good that all things are working toward, providing believers with assurance and hope. [09:10]
5. The entire process of salvation exalts Christ as both the ground and goal of our glorification. He is our Redeemer and older brother, ensuring that God's purposes will not fail and that we will be glorified with Him. [09:53] ** [09:53]
What is the sequence of events described in Romans 8:28-30 that assures believers of their ultimate glorification? [02:06]
How does the sermon illustrate the depth of the foundation needed for the promise in Romans 8:28? [01:17]
What does the sermon say about the nature of God's call to believers, and how is it compared to the story of Lazarus? [05:13]
According to the sermon, what role does Christ play in the justification of believers? [07:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the concept of God's foreknowledge and predestination challenge or affirm your understanding of grace? [02:06]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the assurance of glorification provides security and hope for believers? [08:50]
How does the sermon explain the relationship between justification and the righteousness of Christ? [07:37]
What does it mean for Christ to be both the ground and goal of our glorification, as mentioned in the sermon? [09:53]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you struggled to see how "all things work together for good." How might the assurance of God's sovereign plan change your perspective in similar situations? [02:24]
The sermon compares God's call to the story of Lazarus. How can you be more attentive to God's call in your life, especially in areas where you feel spiritually dead? [05:13]
Justification is described as a declaration of righteousness for the ungodly. How does this understanding impact your view of yourself and others in your faith community? [06:06]
Consider the role of Christ as your Redeemer and older brother. How can this relationship influence your daily walk with God and interactions with others? [09:53]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of a deep foundation for faith. What practical steps can you take to deepen your spiritual foundation this week? [01:17]
How can the assurance of glorification motivate you to live a life that reflects the image of Christ more fully? [09:10]
Identify one area in your life where you need to trust in God's sovereign work. What specific action can you take to surrender this area to Him? [08:50]
Sermon Clips
"Father I pray that the Wonder of the depths of the foundation of the greatness of the promise of Romans 8:28 will establish itself in our hearts so that we really believe this promise and live in the freedom and the risk and the love of it I ask this in Jesus name amen." [00:21:27]
"Romans 8:28 is being supported argued for I preached on this back in the late 80s and there was a skyscraper being built in Downtown Minneapolis and it was going to be I forget 35 40 stories tall and I passed the the hole in the ground where it was going to be built one day and I noticed could night that's deep I think it must have been six floors underground." [00:49:23]
"If you're going to build a building as tall as Romans 828 where all things work together for good the worst things in the world work together for for good for those who love God and those who are called if you're going to build a building like that as you write Romans you better dig a very very very deep Foundation which is what this is." [00:82:56]
"Verses 29 and 30 are the foundation under Romans 8:28 and here are the arguments this is sure all things are going to work together for good because he fornew us he chose us as we've seen that means and he predestined us to be conformed to the image of his son so that he be the firstborn among many brothers." [00:102:96]
"Those whom he predestined he called and Those whom he called he justified and Those whom he justified he glorified so that's the argument all these bases of this great skyscraper of Romans 828 so between predestination and glorification are these two steps called and Justified now notice it doesn't say and some of those whom he predestined he called." [00:133:72]
"It doesn't say and some of those whom he called he justified it doesn't say and some of those whom he justified he glorified it simply says those those those meaning all of them all of them without exception no dropouts no failures this is an infallible work of God to get the predestined to glorification no dropouts no failures no losses." [00:188:28]
"Everyone who is forn and predestined to be in the family and be like the son will in fact get there to glory and to make sure that it happens between predestination and glorification God does these two things he calls and we saw that that meant not my preaching on a Sunday morning calling people to Faith because many don't believe and therefore aren't Justified." [00:211:95]
"But all the called are Justified and therefore what we saw back here in Romans 4 was that the call is an omnipotent Sovereign work of God to bring into being what isn't I have as it is written I have made you the father of many nations in the presence of the god whom he believed it's talking about Abraham who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't exist." [00:245:00]
"Like my faith if God left to me or you or any other human the production of loving Christ and trusting Christ and repenting and following Christ nobody would do it and we know that because 87 and 8 say that the mind of the flesh is hostile to God it does not submit to God indeed it cannot so if God were to leave us to ourselves and not do this omnipotent call like Lazarus come forth from the dead nobody would live." [00:278:32]
"We're all dead and blind in trespasses and sins and this call is what is what gives us life just like it did Lazarus when Jesus said Lazarus come forth and after he'd been dead four days he lived because the call creates what it commands so that's the first thing God does to get us from the predestined state to the glorified State he actually intervenes and wakens dead Sinners to Believe In Christ." [00:307:91]
"When they believe they are Justified which implies something absolutely amazing we know don't we from chapter four that the justification is the justification of the ungodly no one to the one who who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungod Godly his faith is counted as righteousness the only people that exist are ungodly people if anybody is to be justified it will be the justification of the ungodly." [00:336:52]
"Christ is exalted as our older brother because he is both the ground of our glorification and the goal of our glorification because we we know that this from 8:17 is glorification with him." [00:593:51]