Last weeks' passage highlighted 2 pieces of the good news of the Gospel message. 1) Christ died for us while we were sinners. God chose us, saved us, and redeemed us BEFORE we get it right, which means that our salvation does not hinge upon our action, instead it hinges upon God's action. 2) Because we know that God chooses us before we get it all right, we can have strength to praise God at all times, remembering and acknowledging that God will help us out of our present circumstances. In many ways Paul seems to be building upon those truths in this week's passage. He also seems to be doing something more.
How many of us have ever struggled to understand the Bible? Maybe we read and it's too wordy, or we pick up the King James Version and we stumble through the thees and thous and thine-ests. While the Bible is meant
for everyone, sometimes it can be pretty hard to get through. If you've ever tried to read the whole Bible from start to finish, I would bet good money you muddled through or even gave up when you got to Leviticus. Today's passage is beautiful, and it's full of dense language. That doesn't mean we shouldn't bother, it just means it might take a little time to sort through it so we can really understand it. The first part of the passage is pretty rich and dense and it's going to take a little work, but then once we have it, the rest is gravy! Are you up for it? (It's good you're nodding your heads because I don't really have a plan B if you tell me no!)
Alright, so, let's dig in. We know that Paul is responding to the letter he received from the Roman church, either to a question that has been asked, or one he sees coming as a rebuttal to what he has already shared. This is the question I imagine coming from the church in Rome: "Ok, so we understand that we are sinners and we need saving. We understand that God chooses to save us, and redeem us not based on our righteousness, but instead based on God's love and mercy. That's all great, but what about when God forsakes us?"
Anyone ever have that question? "Why are you forsaking me God? Why are ou doing this to me? Why me? Why us? Why this? Why now?"
These are tough questions. And in the Christian world they stem from a pretty entrenched part of our theology. When we talk about God, one of the things we say is that God is omnipotent. God is all powerful. And one of the conclusions of God's omnipotence is that if God is in control, then God must dish out the good and the bad that life brings. If God is in control then God gave me the bad things, or at least didn't care enough to stop them. That's what the extension of the belief says. But that's not what Paul says, not here anyway. So, let's take a deeper look.
Paul starts off saying this, "God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose." I want us to stop right there, because that verse seems to hold a particular tension. 1) God works all things together for good, but that seems to be conditional, 2) for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. If you're like me, you hear that and go "for those who love him" that must mean that God works all things together for good as long as we love God, which by extension means that when we stop loving God, God stops working things together for good. So, we can probably look around at who is having trouble and know that they haven't been loving God. (buzzer sound) Wrong. God's love isn't conditional and contingent upon our love for God. Paul doesn't create that dichotomy—it's something later Christians read into it, God as one who dishes out trials and tribulations is not how Paul understands God.
The passage starts: God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Did you get all that? It says God, foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. That's a lot. And I think it's worth breaking down.
1) The first thing God does here is FOREKNOW. God knows us from the very beginning. God knits us together in the womb. God knows us before we are ever known by anyone else. And who does that include? Everyone. God foreknows us all. There's no one that shows up as a surprise to God. God knows each of us before we are even formed.
2) And for those who foreknew, he also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the image of his Son. For those God foreknew, which is everyone, God also predestined for a particular purpose, which is to be like Christ. God predestined us. (This isn't about predestination as in our eternal fate and are we going to heaven or hell, this is about pre-determining our purpose). God predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son. In other words, God's purpose for us is to be like Christ. God's dream for our lives is that we would be loving, compassionate, caring, attentive to the poor, inclusive of the outcast, healers, faithful, and merciful. God designed you. God designed me. God designed each of us with a purpose. It wasn't haphazard. It wasn't last minute. It was deliberate and decided from before we were called into existence. God gave you a purpose in your life, so that you might be a reflection of God....conformed to God's image.
3) And those he predestined, he also CALLED. In giving you that purpose, God also called you. There are a variety of ways to understand "called" as a word. To understand it best for this passage we have to look at other scriptures. And when we do we see that God calling someone primarily means two things 1) they are "called" into existence—they are created. 2) They are "called by name"—they are given a name, which in biblical terms means they are identified in character or work.
a. God called Abram, Abraham, which means Father of many
b. God called Jacob, Israel, which means persevere with God
c. Jesus called Simon, Peter, which means Rock.
Each is called by a new name, and in understanding their names, we come to understand their identity. Father of many. Perseveres with God. Rock. For us to be called by God, is to be identified for our purpose and by our character. It sets our life in motion to do and be according to God's plan.
4) Those he called, he also JUSTIFIED. We are called by God and given a purpose, we are then justified. This is what we talked about the last two weeks—basically, we are set right with God. We are offered forgiveness, before we ever even know we need it. We are offered redemption.
5) Finally, those he justified, he also GLORIFIED. Once we are redeemed, we are then also glorified. We are welcomed into God's eternal glory. There is a heavenly place for us, a place that has already been prepared and set aside for us.
So, God knows all people, designs them for the purpose of being like God in character and action, and calls each one by name for a specific plan, and makes sure that we are given a clean slate and a place in the kingdom. Alright, that was the uphill climb of this passage! Now it's coasting through the rest.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Seriously, if God did all of these things, before we were even born, then what can stand in God's way? Nothing. What can overthrow the work that God has already done for us? Nothing. Who can take away God's love that has already been given to us? No one. Nothing and no one can stop God's plan, because it has already been enacted. It's already been decided. God knew you, created you with a purpose, called you with a plan, redeemed you, and saved a space in glory for you. It's done. God isn't waiting to do something, it is already done. And who can overthrow what has been done by God? No one.
Will they try? Absolutely! All kinds of things will try and stand in the way.
trouble
hardship
persecution
famine
nakedness
danger
sword?
death
life,
angels
demons,
present
future,
powers,
height
depth,
anything else in all creation,
All kinds of things come against us in this life. Does God's love prevent them? No. But is God's love greater than all of them? Undoubtedly. What can stop God's love for you? Absolutely nothing. It will try and it will tell you that it's greater. But the greatest truth is that nothing can stop the love of God through Christ Jesus.
Not grief. Not foreclosure. Not divorce. Not addiction. Not abuse. Not brokenness. Not failure. Not disability. Not depression. Not disease. Not suffering of any kind. Nothing can undo what God has done for you.
I don't know about you, but I think that's some pretty amazing news! Guaranteed there have been times and people in my life that have told me God wasn't on my side. They told me God had forgotten me. They told me I wasn't worth it. That God wasn't listening. That God didn't care. That I had failed. That I was faithless. But I know the truth.. The truth I hear proclaimed by Paul is that they were wrong. God's love for me, God's love for you, has been present from the very beginning of our lives and there isn't anything you or I or anyone or anything can do to change that. We're stuck! In a good way! We're stuck as designed with a purpose, called with a plan, set right to be free to walk in righteousness and destined to enjoy eternal glory.
God has created us. God has given us a goal. God has equipped us for that goal. God has freed us to live into our purpose. AND God has already created a place for us in heaven. Once again we are reminded, it's not about us and how good or how bad we are. It is about the goodness of God and God's infinite love for us.
God's love doesn't stop suffering...suffering and pain happen...it's part of our human condition. BUT, God's love does not stop because of our suffering. Nothing can stop the love of God. Not one single thing.
Some of us are inclined to object...."yeah, but..." Paul says no. NOTHING, nothing can stop the love of God. Were you listening to that long dense part....we were created, called, given a purpose, redeemed AND glorified by God, before we were even born...and you think that something here on earth can get in the way of that profound love on our part?! Nope, sorry. it can't. Not sickness. Not failure. Not angels or demons. Nothing. God's love is greater than anything we face here on earth. So when you're struggling, come back to this passage...remind yourself...God's love is greater...always greater than anything we will face here on earth.
Thanks be to God.