THE ‘ALL THINGS’ OF SALVATION

Monday 9 June

And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us ALL THINGS? Romans 8:32 (NKJV)

When we read the Word of God, it’s important for us to have an accurate and precise knowledge of what is being communicated. Too many wrong doctrines have been created simply because the rightly divided word of truth is not being taught. It’s actually very easy to make the Bible say whatever you want it to say out of context. In context however the Bible should still mean what it meant at the time it was written and what was in the author’s mind when they were inspired to write.

A case in point is our opening scripture. We need to remember that the Bible is a literary work and as such adheres to the guidelines of literature. The phrase ‘all things’ does not mean all things as in everything. If we at go to verse 30 of the same chapter we will see 3 things that were being referred to here for the believer and 5 things for everybody. JUSTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION and GLORIFICATION. These are the all things in context of what was said earlier for the child of God. Why? Because it says in verse 28 ‘all things work together for good for them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose’

Who are the ‘them’ that love God? Who are the called according to His purpose? For both, believers in Christ.

Everyone is called but not everyone accepts the call to become ‘the called’. I hope you caught that.

Many Christians have been taught that all things means even the bad and the ugly things are somehow working together for your good. Things like sickness, poverty or tragedies in general.

If you think logically it makes no sense. Does cancer work together for your good? Or worse still do you believe God inflicts his children with diseases to work good out of it? No. God only blesses. He doesn’t have to use anything negative like sickness to teach his children or anyone else a life lesson.That’s what His word is for. Remember He’s a good Father and a good God.

These 3 things that are working together for your good are everything that you will ever need for your life in Christ. These are inexhaustible spiritual realities in content and application. Far beyond any other ‘thing’ you may hold as valuable.

JUSTIFICATION- the product of being declared righteous and found not guilty of any sin.

SANCTIFICATION - the act of having been separated from the world and set apart or made holy for God.

GLORIFICATION - the finished work of the Holy Spirit in us ‘Christ in me the hope of glory’. This is in the Spirit. One day our physical body will experience glorification also.

‘and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also JUSTIFIED; and these whom He justified, He also GLORIFIED’ Romans 8:30. You will see how sanctification by the Spirit applies a little further on.

In other words; Salvation.

Our second verse talks about ALL THINGS but notice the context is different. It says about the Father that ‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us ALL’. This means for the whole world here. It talks about the Father freely giving US (everyone) ALL things. What are they?

FOREKNOWLEDGE, PREDESTINATION, JUSTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION and GLORIFICATION in Christ.

FOREKNOWLEDGE - He began at the beginning having already seen the ending. This is why He is the Alpha and the Omega or the A-Z. The one who knows the end from the beginning.

Isaiah 46:10 spoke of it this way,‘ Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’

ALL ‘elect ‘according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE of God the Father, IN SANCTIFICATION of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.’ 1 Peter 1:2

In Romans 8:30 Paul says ‘For whom He FOREKNEW, He also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.’

PREDESTINATION is only realised in Christ. There is no predestination outside of Christ. God doesn’t play favourites. All are called, chosen and predestined to be in Christ where there is justification, sanctification and glorification for those who accept His gift of salvation.

It’s important to add that predestination is intentionally placed outside of God’s sovereignty by God Himself as he put our right to accept or reject Him completely above His will. He also never tampers with our will and has limited His sovereignty to the plan of redemption as salvation is not personal until we choose to personalise it.

What are the ‘all things’ working together for the Christian? Justification, sanctification and glorification.

Foreknowledge and predestination was at work ‘in us’ the moment we believed the gospel.

What are the ‘all things’ that have freely been given to everyone? the gift of foreknowledge of Christ and predestination, justification, sanctification and glorification in Christ.

Don’t just believe anything you are told if you can’t find contextual evidence of it in the Word of God. It is our personal responsibility to search the scriptures in the Old Testament and the revelation of the scriptures in the New Testament to see if these things are so.

APPLICATION

Don’t let emotionalism, experience or hearsay steer you in a direction of a gospel that is inconsistent with the message of Christ and the word of His grace.