Romans 8:28-30 says...

Today's verses are Romans 8:28-30 which read,

28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 
29 - For those who He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 
30 - and these whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, he also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Of course verse 28 is the most famous one and also the one that is most misquoted or not quoted in its entirely.  Lets take a deeper look at it.
  • "And we know..." - we have perceived with our eyes, we have experienced
  • "...that God causes all things to work together..." - God is a partner in these labors 
  • "...for good..." - for our constitution or nature 
  • "...to those who love God,..." - love dearly, the most complete love, stand at the altar/vow type of love 
  • "...to those who are called..." - invited, called out to, the base of the word is command
  • "...according to His purpose." - what is set before him (God)

We have seen with our eyes that God is a partner in what is happening to better our nature.  This comes to those who dearly love God, who He has called out to and we have obeyed His command (call) to fulfill what is God's plan.

Have I seen this?  Have I seen that God is at work in all things of my life?  Have I seen that these things (good and bad) are building my nature and not tearing it down?  Is my love for God ever increasing even though what I am walking through might be tough?  Have I obeyed his command to follow and see His plan completed, His kingdom come?  Just some questions that come from that verse.

Then these ("...those who love God...") are also "...to become conformed to the image of of His Son,..." meaning to have the same form of another.  We who love God and see Him at work in our lives are to be taking on the form of Jesus.  Why?  So that the salvation of Jesus would see others obey His command to come.
And this call is complete.  There is not just a call to follow but a justification to qualify you to proceed forward under His righteousness and glorification to see the work completed on the day of the Lord, His second coming. 


Let us take this verse in its entirety so that we can see how God is working through our lives to see His plan completed humbly through those He has called. Those called have obeyed that command.  They have an ever increasing love for Him and continue to be formed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ with the mission of others to know of Him - "..the firstborn among many brethren;..."  
Now the verse doesn't look like so much about me but so much about Him.

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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