Now turn back to Romans chapter 8. I pray the Lord will bless us together for just a few minutes. You think of all the hours that go on in the week, and how many days go on in a week, and we just take just a small segment of our week and come together for an hour, hour and a half. And I hope we can worship Him. I hope we can worship Him in spirit and in truth.

In Romans chapter 8, I'm taking a title with a message from what is said in verse 30. Three words that are said in verse 30. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. That's the first word. He called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And whom He called, them He also justified. So He called us. He justified us. and whom He justified, then He also glorified." So those three words will be our title. Called, justified, and glorified.

And we know this is all because of His purpose and grace given us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We'll go back to verse 28 for just a moment. Romans 8, 28, and we know, we know, It's not speculation, it's not theory. We know that all things, all things in the life of God's people, all things, everything is working together in unison, in harmony for good, our spiritual good and our eternal good. To them that love God, we only love Him because He first loved us. To them who are the called, according to his purpose.

Our God whom we worship is a God of purpose. He's the God of purpose. The God of all grace is a God of purpose. The God of all hope and mercy is a God of purpose, sovereign God. He's the God of predestination, and he's a God of providence. Believers can say, well, Thomas As the Lord, resurrected Lord, appeared unto Thomas, remember his confession, my Lord and my God. Believers can say with David, the Lord is my light. in my salvation, whom shall I fear? And we know, and we know. I know, as Paul said, I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

These next verses given unto us is God's description of those that he loves, he calls, And He justifies in Christ according to His eternal purpose that He purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. Those who are called according to His purpose. Look at verse 29. For whom? He's talking about people. He's talking about His elect. You talk about His chosen. For whom He did foreknow. Now how long has God known His covenant children? He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. For whom He did foreknow. And that word foreknow has a sense of love, loving eternally. Those for whom He did love eternally in the Lord Jesus Christ, He also determined their destination. He predestinated them to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Predestination has to do with God choosing a people and determining to make a people just like the Lord Jesus Christ. God so loved his only well-beloved son that God determined from all eternity to populate heaven, to populate his kingdom with many sinners who were made in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. When God speaks from heaven and says, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, he's speaking that of every sinner redeemed by the grace of God and put in Christ Jesus, redeemed by his blood. The Lord our God, in his eternal wisdom, determined to choose, elect, foreknow, love, and predestinated people to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. He says there, for whom? For whom he did foreknow. Who are these people? Look down at verse 33. They're called the elect of God. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God elected a people unto salvation from all eternity. The Scriptures plainly, clearly teach that, that God chose a people before the foundation of the world, gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ as the surety of that covenant, and He redeemed them by His blood, for whom He did foreknow, or love eternally.

We read this in Jeremiah. God says this of Jeremiah, and He says this of every one of God's covenant children. Jeremiah 1 verse 5, Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew you, I loved you. Before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee to be a prophet unto the nations. The Lord has loved his people with an everlasting love. in Christ Jesus. His love has no beginning, His love has no end. He loved His own with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness He draws us to Himself.

The foundation of God standeth sure. Peter writes this, or rather, the Apostle Paul writes this in 2 Timothy 1.19. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. How long has he known his people? According as he has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We call that the Bible doctrine of election. God sovereignly choosing a people unto salvation, and He did it from all eternity.

Paul writes it this way, Beloved, we are bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you unto salvation. That's for whom He did foreknow, forelove, He also did predestinate His covenant children. God has and does love His people eternally in that covenant of grace. And as we read in verse 39 of this chapter, nothing, nothing in heaven, earth, or hell, no demon, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sinners are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and predestinated to be just like Christ, conformed to His image. Our Lord talks about that many times in the gospel. He says, all that the Father has given to me, they will come to me. And those that come to me, I'll never cast them out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, which He has sent me, that of all He has given me, I'll lose nothing and no one, but I'll raise them up at the last day.

God chose a people in eternity. He gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ as a surety of that covenant. He came in time. died for their sins according to Scripture. He justified them by His blood. Do you reckon they'll be saved? Absolutely. Absolutely they will be. His elect are predestinated to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ.

John writes about it this way, 1 John 3, Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Don't be afraid of this term, predestination. It's used in the Bible four times. Twice here in Romans and twice in the book of Ephesians. Believers are predestinated to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. Conformed to His image. This is what we call the election of grace is according to God's foreknowledge. His foreknowledge of all things is based upon The decree of all things. God knows all things based upon His eternal, unchangeable decree and eternal purpose. God knows all things because He decreed all things that come to pass. The elect of God. There's an election according to God's foreknowledge. Let me show you that. Turn over here to 1 Peter. Hold your place there in Romans. Turn over here to 1 Peter.

elect according to the foreknowledge of God." Now, that's not God looking down through time and seeing who would believe and then predestinating them. That's not what this is saying here. 1 Peter 1, verse 1, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, elect according to the foreordination the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience in the sprinkling of blood of Jesus Christ, grace be unto you, and peace be multiplied." So election is according to God's eternal foreknowledge, foreordination of all things.

Now back to Romans chapter 8. Moreover, verse 29, "...whom he did Forno. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, receive all the honor and glory for all things in our salvation. And here's the bottom line in all that God's grand design of redemption is this, His Lordship, His Kingship, His Glory, that He might be the firstborn Lord and Master, Redeemer, and Savior of all God's covenant people.

Christ is the elect. We are chosen in Him. The first time that word elect is used in Scripture, Isaiah 42 verse 1, Behold my servant, my elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Christ is the elect. We are chosen in Him. And that choice took place before the foundation of the world. One old hymn writer said, Christ be my first elect, he said, and then he chose us in our head. Christ is the head of the body. We read that in Colossians chapter 1. Christ is the husband. We are his bride. We studied that Wednesday in Isaiah 54. Christ is our husband. Christ is the head of his body. Christ is the surety of the eternal covenant of grace. And He's the Savior of His people. He bought us with His own blood. The Lord Jesus Christ came in the fullness of time, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem us from the law. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us.

For whom He did predestinate, He also did call. And whom He called, then He justified. Whom He justified, He glorified. Let's look carefully at verse 30 for just a minute. And all this is that Christ might receive all the honor and glory and all of our salvation. That's the bottom line. God is determined to give Christ all the honor and glory. Verse 30, moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. Now notice, these are all past tense. Whom He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom He called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Now, salvation is a done deal. It's been done and finished from the foundation of the earth, from the foundation of the world. Notice these precious promises of the gospel. By the unchanging decree of God, have already been accomplished in His eternal purpose and will be experienced by the elect in due time, this is God's unchanging decree and purpose that shall be done. Those God did predestinate, what it says there, He called them. He called them. How does God call His people? What does He call them with? It's not with strange dreams and visions. God calls his people with the word. God calls his people out of darkness into his marvelous light through the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls them. It's called in scripture a high calling, a holy calling, a heavenly calling. This calling here is a call of God that's irresistible and effectual, powerful, and get the job done. He calls them out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Make your calling and election sure. How do we know anything about this calling? By believing him. It's evidence. Those he called in that covenant of grace, those he called out of darkness into his marvelous light, it's a personal call. It's a powerful call. It's a prevailing call. It's a persevering call. He's still calling on us. And we call on Him, don't we?

Those for whom He did predestinate them, He also called. The second word there, He said, those whom He called, He called them because He justified them. Now what does it mean to be justified? It means to be cleared of all guilt. How does He justify us? Let's see if we can find out. Turn back to Romans 3. Romans chapter 3. So we are the called of Christ Jesus, called out of darkness into his marvelous light.

In Romans chapter three, what does it mean to be justified? Look at verse 23 and 24. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. whom God set forth to be the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice, through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." So we're justified freely by His grace.

Right there in Romans chapter 5, you got it right there? Verse 6. Romans 5 at verse 6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God committed his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, much more than being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

He was delivered for our offenses. It says in Romans chapter 4, look at there, Romans chapter 4, verse 25. You have it right there across the page. Romans 4, 25. who were delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. So God elected the people unto salvation. He calls them because He justified them in Christ by His blood. And those whom He justified, look at verse 30 again, Romans 8. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. and whom he called, them he also justified, were called with the gospel, the effectual call of God, thy people shall be willing in the day of God's power. He justified them by his grace, the redeeming blood of Christ, and then it says he also glorified them.

This is already done. This is already taking place. I have not experienced that glorification in my person, but in my representative, the Lord Jesus Christ. The head of the body, where's the head? When he by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God, our forerunner has for us entered in and he seated where our believers already glorified in Christ my substitute, Christ my representative, seated in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's see if we can find that and read it. It turns in the book of Ephesians. Notice, those whom he did predestinate, he called. And those he called, he justified. And those he justified, he glorified. Every believer is already seated in the heavenly place in the Lord Jesus Christ. In my substitute, in my representative.

Ephesians chapter 2, look at verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace are ye saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Raised us up and made us sit together in the heavenlies in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now back to Romans 8. He called them, he justified them, and glorified them. Now, look at verse 31. What shall we say then to these things? What do you think about these things? What shall we say to these things? Well, here's a good answer. If God be for us, who can be against us? If God be for us in the eternal covenant of grace, if God be for us in the Lord Jesus Christ laying down his life for us, if God be for us in Christ ever living to intercede for us, who can be against us?

What shall we say then to these things? I know what a lot of religious unbelievers say. They speak against those things. They say, well, I don't believe in that doctrine of predestination. Well, do you believe the Bible? If you believe the Bible, you have to, because the Bible teaches that. God's elective grace, his predestinating purpose. A lot of unbelieving, lost religious people like to speak against those things and say, well that's not fair, that's not right, that's not what I think, that's not what I've been taught. Throw it all away. What does God say? That's the bottom line. What does He say? That's the only thing that matters. Who are you to reply against God? Who are you to bring into question the sovereign will of God?

Every believer does rejoice and bow to the sovereign, eternal purpose of God. Had He not chosen me in that eternal covenant of grace, I would never believe the gospel, and no other sinner would as well. But who are you to reply against God? Paul gives an answer to that over here in Romans 9. Turn over here to Romans 9. Look at verse 16. Well, verse 15. Romans 9 verse 15. For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. And that's from Exodus 33 when Moses asked the Lord to show me your glory. He said, I will, I will, I'll show you my glory. I will have mercy on whom I will. I'll have compassion on whom I will.

Verse 16, so then, It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and on whom he will he'll harden. Thy will say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? Verse 20, but nay, O man, who art thou that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What if God willing to show his wrath and make his power known endured with much longsuffering the vessels of the wrath fitted made up to destruction that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had upboard prepared unto glory."

Who are you to question God? He does as he will, with whom he will, when he will, for his own eternal purpose. and the good of God's elect.

If God is before us, who can be against us? Not the law. The law of God has been honored. He redeemed us from the curse of the law. Who can be against us? Not Satan. He defeated. The woman's seed crushed the dominion of Satan. Who can be against us? Not our sin. We read in Romans 8, verse 1, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Who can condemn the believer? None. None. None whatsoever. There's no condemnation to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not the law, not Satan, not our sin.

Verse 32, He that spared not, Romans 8, 32. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. For us all. Now who are we talking about here? Who's the all we're talking about? For whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate. That's the all. It doesn't mean all men everywhere without exception. The Scriptures do not teach what we call universal redemption. The Scriptures teach a particular redemption of God's the Lord Jesus Christ giving His life for the sheep.

He that spared not his own son, when our sin was found upon the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary tree, what happened? What did he experience? He experienced the just, holy wrath of God. And the wrath of God spent itself on the Lord Jesus Christ. He was punished for our sin, our iniquity, He that spared not his own son, but he delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Now, I love that word freely, don't you? He freely gives us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Everything that God requires of us is found in Christ. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

We read a moment ago in Romans 3, 24, justified freely by His grace. Because the Lord Jesus Christ, at great cost to Himself, He bought us with His own blood, He laid down His life for us, and because He fully paid our debt, brought in everlasting Redemption, everlasting righteousness, He freely gives us salvation by His grace. Now I like that, don't you? It's the only hope this sinner has, that God would justify me freely by His grace in Christ Jesus.

Verse 33, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justified us. No one can lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Because he justified us by his blood. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, his chosen, the elect of God? It's God who justified us. Read on, verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? Christ has already been condemned for our sin. No one can lay anything to the charge of God's elect because we're justified by His blood. Verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ. It is Christ that has already paid our sin debt, the just for the unjust that He might bring us unto God. Yet rather, He's risen again. I think I quoted before Romans 4.25, He is delivered for our offenses and raised again because He did what He justified us. How do we know that everything He said and everything He did was accepted of the Father? God raised him from the dead.

And not only that, he lived among men in the resurrected body 40 days, but after that he ascended to the third heaven, paradise. We see the first heaven, where the birds fly and the clouds are. We see the second heaven, the vastness of space and outer space and the Milky Way and all the other galaxies. But there is that dimension of the third heaven, Where is that? It's where he is. Where he took that thief. Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise. Paul said he was caught up to the third heaven. That's mysterious, isn't it? But that's true.

It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? Verse 34. It is Christ that died. He is risen again. seated at the right hand of God, who is even at the right hand of God. What is the right hand of God? A place of privilege, a place of power, a place of kingship, lordship. Think about this, and I can't wrap my little puny brain around this. The God-man mediator, he came forth from that tomb that third morning with a real body, a glorified body, just like we're going to have someday. And He ascended in that body, the body of a man, a resurrected man, the God-man, mediator. He ascended to glory and He's actually, literally sitting on the throne as the God-man. What's He doing there? Look what it says next. "...who also makes intercession for us." Now, He ever lived to intercede for us.

There's one God, one mediator between God and sinners. Who is that? The Lord Jesus Christ. He's our advocate. He's our mediator. He is our intercessor. He ever lived to make intercession for us. In Hebrews chapter 7, we read, Wherefore He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Think about it. Right now, Our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, is sitting on the throne of glory, making intercession for us as we worship our God.

Well, we need a mediator, don't we? We need an advocate, don't we? And we have one that God has given to us. He ever lived to intercede for us? Let's read the rest of this. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who can separate us? Who can break this chain of God's purpose and grace? Who can separate us from Christ? He said, I lay down my life for the sheep and I give them eternal life. Who shall separate us from this love of God in Christ? And he mentioned tribulation. Trouble doesn't separate us from him. The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked, stoned, beaten with rods and whipped. Did that separate him from the love of God? Did that separate him from salvation in Christ? The trouble you're going through right now, the problems you're enduring right now, does that separate us from the love of God? Absolutely not.

Shall tribulation or distress, persecution for the gospel, famine, nakedness, peril, A sword? As it is written, Psalm 44, for thy sake we're killed all the day long, we're counted a sheep for the slaughter. Nay in all things, verse 37, nay in all things. Now get a hold of this phrase right here. We are more than conquerors. Now Christ is a mighty conqueror. He won the victory for us, right? Thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

Now, we do love Him. We can say with Peter, Lord, you know all things. You know that we... Lord, we do love you. The only reason that a believer loves the Lord Jesus Christ is because He first loved us. He first loved us. He loved us with an everlasting love. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. We had the victory. We're on the winning team. He's won the victory for us.

And then he says, verse 38, I'm persuaded. I'm persuaded. Remember what Abraham said? He was fully persuaded, knowing that all things that God had promised, He's able to perform. I'm persuaded. How about you? Are you persuaded that salvation is of the Lord? Are you persuaded that the Lord Jesus Christ is everything in salvation? He that hath the Son hath eternal life.

I'm persuaded that neither death... Death doesn't separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Death separates us, our soul, from this body. The body goes back to the dust, but the soul goes back to God who bought it with His own blood. From persuaded that neither death nor life. Some will be living on this earth when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. And will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. And so shall we ever be with the Lord caught up together in the clouds. Neither death nor life.

How about angels? elect angels or fallen angels. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing can defeat us, because we're more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Principalities, powers of the earth, powers, principalities or powers, Government power? The government thinks they've got a lot of power, don't they? They can legislate rules and do these different things. There's no power but that given of God. Powers, earthly powers can't separate us from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nor things present, nor things future. Things present or things to come. We are more than conquerors to him that loved us. Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? You got it? Nothing. Things present or things to come. No height, nor depth, nor any other creature. It's just an exhaustive list. Can you add anything else? nor height, nor depth, nor any of the creatures shall be able to separate us from the love of God, the love of God. God committed his love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, God does not universally love all men everywhere. That's not so. The love of God is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father loved the Son and given all things into His hand. Thank God it includes His elect. Those who are predestinated and calm. Isn't that a comforting Scripture? You see, salvation is completely out of my hand. Completely out of any sinner's hand. I was thinking about this the other day, and if I can find it here, I wrote it down. There's no condemnation in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no accusation against God's elect, and there's no separation. No condemnation, no accusation, and no separation. No separation.

Now, I thought about this. You've all heard that term about a 3D, three-dimensional, 3D. That's 3D. You know, we have the 3Ds of salvation. You know what they are? Salvation is always dependent upon Him, determined by Him, and done by Him. That's 3D salvation. Dependent upon Him, determined by Him, and done by Him. I have no part in it. It's whom He predestinated, whom He called, whom He justified.

And I thought about this. We all get that advertisement from a AAA auto club, right? Well, we have triple A redemption. We have triple A redemption. He's our advocate. He's our atonement who accomplished salvation. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Affectual, eternal, sovereign love. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.