Romans 8:28-29 “Purpose”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

²⁸And we know that all [things] are working together into good to the ones loving God, to ones being called ones according to purpose, ²⁹because whom He foreknew He also predestined [to be] ones conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be a firstborn among many brothers.

It is interesting to me to note what the Lord calls us in v.28: those “who love Him” and “have been called according to His purpose.” That is who we are. Stop and think about it. Here we are in this passage called “the pinnacle of the entire Bible.” God could have identified us by seemingly a thousand other names used elsewhere in the Bible. Yet He chooses to refer to us as those “who love Him” and “have been called according to His purpose.”

“Those who love Him.” What a difference it would make if right now, at this very second, every person in the entire world who calls themselves a Christian would stop and ask themselves, “but do I love God?” “Have I actually entered into a love relationship with the God of the Bible?” Yes or no. The problem is that our claim to “Christianity” can be based on a million other reasons: “I got saved,” “I went forward in an invitation,” “the pastor prayed with me,” “I’ve been baptized,” “I am a church member,” “I go to church,” I repented of my sins.” Everyone of those claims, however, still hasn’t answered the real question: … but have you ever entered into a real love relationship with God?

Salvation isn’t simply a matter of getting your Jesus ticket stamped. It isn’t just having gone through any “ritual,” even if it was something so sacred as praying “the sinner’s prayer.” The problem is, even that can be done as nothing more than that, a ritual. God isn’t interested in stamping people’s Jesus tickets. He wants to have a relationship with you and me. Real salvation is entering into that relationship. It is becoming one of those people who “love Him.”

Of course, none of us loves Him like we should, but those of us who are genuinely born-again would say that is one of our deepest griefs – that I don’t love Him more. The question is, do you really love Him at all? Is love between Him and yourself the most important issue in your life? Do you know in your heart of hearts that if you had to give up all else, you could never give up this love relationship you and Him enjoy? Again, we all know we are dirty little Peters who would deny Him three times in a heartbeat, but, once again, that very fact grieves my heart. I want to love Him. I don’t want to be a Peter. I don’t want to fail Him. I just know what a rotten sinner I am. In fact, my only real hope is in His grace, that in that moment of trial He would help me to stand, in spite of who I know I am.

Real born-again Christians are “those who love Him.” Even back deep in the Old Testament, David said, “Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee” (Ps. 63:3) and “You have shown me the path of life: in Your presence is the fulness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (16:11). It is real. It is a relationship. Even God Himself values it so much that here in “the pinnacle of the Bible” He call us “those who love Him.”

Then He says we are those “who have been called according to His purpose.” We are “called ones.” I like that He added this. The question above, “Do you love Him,” is of course a haunting question even for those of us who do because we are so keenly aware of what failures we are. We squeak to Him, “I do love You … help me to love You!” However, when He couples with it “those who are called,” now we’re talking about what He does, not me. “Oh, good,” my heart says! And yes, I am called. In my heart of hearts, I know I am. He is there. He’s just there. I know He is, and I want Him to be. For myself, it was crystal clear that day when I stood up from my bed and “the lights came on.” In the flash of a second, I just simply knew it was all true, that He is God, that Jesus is real, and I wanted Him in my life. That wasn’t my doing, at all. I don’t even know what I was thinking about. I just know in that second, He stepped into my life and He’s been there ever since.

I don’t know if everyone who is born again can express their confidence in being “called” the way I do, but I’m betting, if you are really born again, you’ve got your own “calling” that is undeniable in your heart. You know you’re “called,” and there is no question in your heart that it had nothing to do with you. God did it and you’re eternally glad He did. You and me are “called ones!”

Last of all, I want to note how much “purpose” there is here in vv.28 & 29. You can’t exactly see it in English, but in Greek there are three words that begin with the preposition “pro,” which, one way or another means “before.” That preposition actually does come down to us in English in words like “prognosis,” where the doctor tells you beforehand what to expect medically, or in a book’s “prologue,” those usually brief thoughts expressed before the author heads into whatever he has written in his book.

In v.28, we are called “according to [His] purpose.” The word “purpose” in Greek starts with “pro,” but then even in English we would all agree the idea of “purpose” expresses the idea of “before.”  In v.29, we are described as those He “foreknew” and “predestined.” Both of those are “pro” words, and, again, even in English, we see “fore” and “pre-.” Three “before” words. Three “purpose” words.

Here we are in “the pinnacle of the Bible,” in a passage where the obvious intention of the Lord is to comfort us in this world of suffering, and what is He telling us? “I’ve got this covered.” He’s in control. Even our very salvation itself is His doing. He called us. He foreknew us. He predestined us. I would suggest it should be one of our greatest comforts, especially in suffering, that He’s the Rock, not me. I can have hope not because I trust me, but because I trust Him.

He will elaborate this very point for the rest of this chapter, that He is quite in control, but notice for now what exactly He says is His purpose: that we should be “conformed to the image of His Son.” Notice He didn’t say, “that we should go to heaven.” He certainly didn’t say “to give us an easy life.” His purpose for which He called us and foreknew us and predestined us was to make us like Jesus. Therein is the answer to our “but, why …?” Why the suffering? All of it is very specifically for this purpose (this “before” thing) to make me like Jesus. Unfortunately, it too often takes suffering for Him to get our attention, to get us to slow down and listen.

One reason I study the Bible is exactly this, that I don’t want Him to have to crush me every time He wants to teach me something. I want to be in the Word saying to Him, “Please teach me. I want to learn.” I would like to believe it is possible for Him to teach us a lot, if only we give Him the chance. On the other hand, I am sadly aware that, sooner or later, the only way this “desperately wicked” heart will ever learn is that it has to be crushed. Sometimes I find even those things I’ve “learned” from my Bible study only truly take possession of my heart when later I have to face pain.

That is His purpose, to make me like Jesus. I want Him to. I’m glad He does. However, it is enormously encouraging to know that was His “purpose” all along. His Son Jesus is so great, He would fill heaven with people just like Him, “that He might be the firstborn among many brothers!”