Called by God

 - Part Two of Study Note for Galatians

Someone said that the book of Romans is the crown of the Bible, and the chapter 8 of Romans is the diamond on the crown.

We may agree or not agree this analogy, but we Christians know the importance of the book of Romans, and the great insights in chapter 8, and especially the verse 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. – Romans 8:28

So many of us memorize this verse, and quote it and mediate it, and hold fast this God’s promise no matter what happens to us, even the bad things we encounter, God will always make all things together for good for us. We often talk about Jesseph in old testament how his brothers sold him into slavery, and meant evil to him, but God used that for good for Jesseph, and the entire race of Israel.

It is natural tendency that we accept as good when we experience good things in life, but we will have second thought when we are in bad situation. Romans 8:28 gives assurance and comfort that all things including the bad things will work out for good for Christians who love God.

We hold fast this God’s promise. We love Romans 8:28. But we often only quote this single verse and stop reading the following verses. What a missing of the great insights presented by verse 29, and verse 30, which explain to us why all things work for good, and how all things work for good for Christian who love God and called according to God’s purpose. We often try to find the “why” and the “how” in other places, but we ignore the verses after verse 28. We do read and research verse 29 and verse 30. But we use these two verses for a different topic, not together with verse 28. Let’s look at verse 28 and verse 29.

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. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. – Romans 8:29 – 30

Someone called it the golden chain, which starts God’s foreknowing the elects and follows God’s predestining, and sends out call to the elects, and justify them, and glorify them. I would agree to use these verses to elaborate the theology of the election. But when we read these verses with verse 28, we can see another great insight. Verse 29 – 30 are to explain verse 28. Pay attention to the “For” starting in verse 29. Paul gave us the “Why” and “How” all things work together for good for Christians in verse 29 and verse 30 because Christians are elected before they are born, and all things are heading to the justification and glorification, which is the greatest good. 

As I am writing the study note of Galatians, let me land the plane on Galatians 1:13 – 24

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.  And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.  (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.

Paul gave us his personal testimony why and how all things work for good for him in his life, and he used his personal story to demonstrate that God foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies. Paul was set apart by God before he was born, and called by God’s grace. But Paul was a persecutor of church. Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and changed his life forever. Paul went to Arabia desert, and spent quiet time with God. Paul glorified God with his dramatic conversion from the persecutor of the church to the greatest evangelist in history. God used Paul’s entire life working together for good for Paul to be comforting with the image of Christ.

Not just was Paul’s life in Roman’s 8:28 – 30, but also are all Christians who are elected before coming to this world. Christians may not all be aware the chain from foreknowing to glorification, but this truth is in every Christian’s redemption journey, and this truth tells us why and how all things work together for good for Christians love God and called according to his purpose. What an awesome God who inspired Paul in writing these letters to give us this great promise, and used Paul’s life to demonstrate this perfect plan for us.

Before I came to Christ, and before I read the Bible, there are some many things in my life seems making no sense to me.

I had great start in my career at my middle of 20s, and rode high in my early 30s, and I had great family life and stable income with no worry about my finance. But I sent my wife and kid to America, and a few months later I quitted my good job and came to America and joined my wife and daughter. My wife worked as waitress and I was a bus boy. after I got out of college in China, I had applied for study in American university. I got admission from a very reputable university for a world class mater program. But I couldn’t come because the professor didn’t secure the funding for my study, which resulted no study visa for my coming to the States. But why did I give up everything I had achieved and forced myself and my family to come this foreign land?

In the past years it has become making perfect sense why I made decision to come the America. It is part of God’s awesome plan for my salvation. I will never forget how stubborn I was when God first called me. Even though I was repelling against His perfect will, He continued to call me with a loud voice, and a louder voice in a life threatening car accident. I surrendered to God’s call after years’ resistance, and I was justified by God’s grace. God works all things for good for me by His foreknowing me, predestining me, calling me, justifying me, and glorifying me. Praise God. Amen!