1. Examine Romans 8:28-30. Define and contrast
the terms foreknow and predestine.
"Foreknew" means "to know ahead of time;" however, the Greek word for foreknowledge
means "to have a loving regard for." Those whom God had regard for, Paul said, He predestined. God had
a loving regard for certain ones whom He in His grace chose (elected) to save.
"Predestined" means "to determine the end result beforehand." The end result is
that we will be conformed to Christ’s image. We are not just saved by Him, we will be conformed
to Him. God is not satisfied that we be like Christ is some superficial way, but that we would
have a genuine likeness in sharing His splendor.
Predestination does not mean God has planned out all the details of our lives and
that those plans can't be changed. Instead predestination maps out ahead of time the end result
of our salvation.
2. Who are the elect? Is it possible to know if you’re of the elect?
The elect are those whom God chose to save. But His choice was not made on the basis
of any merit or goodness on the part of those He chose. His election is all of grace, which is His undeserved
favor. Election is often mentioned in the Bible. We can't get around it. If it were not for His electing
some people to be saved, NO ONE would be saved. Our salvation is all because He took the initiative to
woo us to Himself. No one deserves heaven; we all deserve hell.
No one knows if he is one of the elect until he is saved. So no unsaved person need
ask himself if he is one of the elect. Instead he should realize he is a sinner and can't save himself.
3. How would you define "those who are called?"
We are called in the sense of God giving us salvation. In the Bible "to call" means
more than to invite; we are summoned to be given salvation.
4. What does justification and glorification mean?
"Justify" means that God pronounced free from guilt and declared righteous by crediting
Christ’s righteousness to those who have accepted God’s gift of salvation.
"Glory" and "glorification" are similar terms that may cause some confusion. When
we speak of glorifying the Lord, we mean exalting His attributes. To "give Him glory" means to extol who
He is - to outwardly praise His inner perfections. This is why Jesus Christ is called "the radiance of
God's glory" (Heb. 1:3). Everything a Christian does
should reflect the Lord's splendor (1 Cor. 10:31).
But what does glorification of the believers mean? This is the final step in our
salvation. When we are in heaven we will be glorified (Rom. 8:30),
that is, we will display God's perfections as trophies of His grace. His glory will be revealed in us
(Rom. 8:18). He "has called us to His eternal
glory by Christ Jesus" (1 Pet. 5:10). This is
obviously far different from the common practice today of "glorifying" an athlete or other celebrities.
Our glorification as believers refers to our being in God's presence, delivered from the very presence
of sin, and thus exalting the Lord, not ourselves. All glory belongs to Him.
Glorified is in the past tense, because God looks from and through the lens of
eternity. To us these things take place as steps in time; to God they are as good as completed – we
cannot undo His work.
Note: God takes the initiative in the regenerating and convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He foreknows,
elects, predestines, and calls all whom He will save. This message, within the context of the passage, as
we will see in Summons with Eternal Security : part 2, reveals how much God
loves you. He loved you before you were born and before you could do anything toward God. Directed toward
believers, Paul’s message affirms the eternal security of God’s gift of salvation, and removes any uncertainty
of whether one is saved or not.
Dr. Roy. B. Zuck is Senior Professor Emeritus of
Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught for 23 years, including seven and a half
years as Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is the editor of Bibliotheca Sacra, Dallas Seminary's
theological journal, and the copy and theological editor of Kindred Spirit, the Seminary's popular
magazine. He has written or edited seventy books and written scores of magazine and journal articles on
biblical, theological, and educational subjects.
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