GUARANTEED BY GOD
Romans 8:29
Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor
April 27, 2003
THE CONTEXT OF GOD’S GUARANTEE:
• The statement – Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” – it is impossible for any ultimate
evil to come to any believer! – this is God’s guarantee Christians – the Rock of Gibraltar – the calling of
God is our cause for hope – without being called we have no assurance God is in control – not true for any
unbeliever – no guarantee stated or implied!
• The reason – verse 29 – Why does God state verse 28? – two reasons – 1) We are becoming “…conformed
to the image of His Son…” – secondary reason – 2) to make Christ pre-eminent – primary reason – He
conforms us to the “…image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren…” – i.e.
– He would save many – God wouldn’t save us unless we were conformed to the image of His Son – in
holiness, in suffering and in glorification
• The process – verses 29-30 – “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined … .and these whom He
predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He
also glorified.”
• The result – verses. 31-39 – Paul defies anyone to tell him how anyone who is a child of God can ever be
separated from the love of Christ
So – why the guarantee of verse 28?
I. TO CONFORM US TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST – secondary reason
We will deal with pre-destination next week – but for now – notice that Christians are predestined to
“…become conformed to the image of His Son…” – this is not a possibility or even God’s desire – it is
inevitable – and it makes perfect sense – God would not save someone and leave him/her in the state of his/her
sin – How could He treat us as the bride of Christ, elect before the foundation of the earth, a people for His own
possession – and leave us in our state and condition of sin?
Actually, this is a restoration of the image of God in us – Genesis 5:3 says man was created in the image of God
– but that image was tarnished in every way in the fall – physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually – now
that image is being restored
Secondly – notice who does the conforming – we don’t – it is the act of God – there is nothing of our special
talents – our hard work – or our spiritual desire that brings this about – it is God who “…predestined us to
become conformed to the image of His Son…”Romans 8:29
Image – what does He look like? – He is absolutely holy, so how does it come about that we are made holy? – 2
Corinthians 5:21 – it is through a forensic declaration by God that we are declared holy – having exchanged
our sins for the righteousness of God
A. Through justification – the past
This is through justification – Romans 3:25 says “This was to demonstrate His righteousness” – not ours –
verse 28 says, “…a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.” – Justification is a legal
transaction that changes the standing of the sinner before God.
• God declares the repentant sinner to be innocent – Romans 8:1
• God imputes righteousness to the sinner – Romans 4:5,6 – The perfect life and standard of Jesus
Christ Himself is applied to the repentant sinner (logizomai – “to reckon, charge, or conclude”)
• God regards him as completely worthy – 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He made Him who knew no sin to
be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
• God treats him as if he deserves to be in His presence – Ephesians 2:6
B. Through sanctification – the present
1. It is our present reality
In essence – “Sanctification is becoming in behavior what we are in reality”– Notice the present
realities for the Christian from Romans 8:
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GUARANTEED BY GOD
Romans 8:29
Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor
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April 27, 2003
No condemnation - Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus.” – eradicates guilt and shame
The presence of God’s Spirit – Romans 8:9, 16 – “…you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if
indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you…” – verse 16 – “The Spirit Himself testifies with our
spirit that we are children of God.”– all believers have all of the Holy Spirit of God all the
time
Our status as children of God – Romans 8:14-17 – we are adopted as children of God, “…heirs
of God and fellow heirs with Christ…”
The intercession of the Holy Spirit – Romans 8:26, 27 – the Holy Spirit “…intercedes for the
saints according to the will of God…”
The sovereign intervention of God – Romans 8:28 – God “…causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose.”
2. It can’t be separated from justification
From the time of their salvation – every believer moves surely and inevitably toward becoming more
like Christ – from foreknowledge to predestination to calling to justification to sanctification – Calvin
wrote, “Christ … justifies no man without also sanctifying him. These blessings are conjoined by a
perpetual and inseparable tie.”
3. It reflects the Lordship of Jesus Christ
There is much false evangelism today telling people all they have to do is believe and be saved – Lewis
Sperry Chafer suggested that “in all gospel preaching every reference to the life to be lived beyond
regeneration should be avoided as far as possible.” – said we shouldn’t tell unbelievers to “repent and
believe,” “believe and confess,” “believe and be baptized,” or “believe and surrender to God.” – but the
Bible says to do all of these
• Mark 1:15, Jesus said, “…repent and believe in the gospel.”
• Romans 10:9 – “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
• Acts 2:38 – “…Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins…”
• John 3:36 – “…he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on
him.”
Being conformed to the image of Christ means it is impossible to deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ –
Martyn Lloyd Jones – “You cannot receive Christ as your justification only, and then, later, decide to
refuse or to accept Him as your sanctification. He is one and indivisible, and if you receive Him at all,
at once He is made unto you "wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." You
cannot receive Him as your Saviour only, and later decide to accept or refuse Him as your Lord; for the
Saviour is the Lord who by His death has [bought] us and therefore owns us. Sanctification is nowhere
taught or offered in the New Testament as some additional experience possible to the believer.”
“The only reliable evidence of a person's being saved is not a past experience of receiving Christ but a
present life that reflects Christ.” – John MacArthur
4. It is work
Sanctification means work – many Christians think it just means kicking back and letting God do His
thing – not so – Philippians 2:12, 13 – “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is
God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” – doesn’t mean “work for”
your salvation – God has already done that – the word means “to work out to the ultimate conclusion”
– like working out a problem in mathematics – we are to work out our salvation to the ultimate
conclusion – i.e. – being conformed to the image of Christ – and we are to do this with “fear and
trembling” – “This fear is self-distrust; it is tenderness of conscience; it is vigilance against temptation;
it is the fear which inspiration opposes to high-mindedness in the admonition, ‘be not high-minded but
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GUARANTEED BY GOD
Romans 8:29
Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor
April 27, 2003
fear.’ It is taking heed lest we fall; it is a constant apprehension of the deceitfulness of the heart, and of
the insidiousness and power of inward corruption. It is the caution and circumspection which timidly
shrinks from whatever would offend and dishonor God and the Saviour” (Vincent, quoting Wardlaw
On Proverbs).
This point to our human responsibility to sanctification – this is a consistent teaching of Scripture –
Romans 6:19 we are told to dedicate our bodies as instruments of righteousness – 1 Thessalonians 4:3
we are told to abstain from sexual immorality – Hebrews 12:14 – remain faithful to God’s Word
But that work is neither moral reformation nor moral discipline – moral reformation is
psychological manipulation and moral discipline is legalism – neither is God’s pattern for being
“…conformed to the image of Christ…”
So how does God combine our responsibility with His plan? – John MacArthur points out, “How does
He do that? By using two things to conform our desires to His. The first is holy discontent. God makes
us dissatisfied with our fleshly nature.… The second thing God uses to conform our desires to His is
holy aspiration. That's the flip side of discontent.… Holy discontent leads to holy aspiration, which
leads to a holy resolve to do what is right. That leads ultimately to holy behavior.”
5. Sanctification means suffering
Romans 8:17 – we are “…fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be
glorified with Him.”
We cannot be conformed to the image of Christ without suffering – suffering was an essential part of
His life – this is one of the greatest themes of Scripture – Philippians 3:10 says we are “…conformed
to His death…” through the “…power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…” –
Colossians 1:24 – “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on
behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”
Jesus walked the path of suffering to glory – and so does every believer who is conformed to His
image.
Augustine said, "God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full — there's
nowhere for Him to put it." Suffering empties our hands so that God can give us Himself, the true
treasure of life.
C. Glorification
The ultimate conformation – in heaven when all the supernatural, spiritual, and celestial qualities, are
stamped upon all the children of God when they are adopted into His family – Heaven will guarantee that –
John MacArthur – “For a believer to lose his salvation would be for God to fail in His divine purpose and
to condemn to hell those whom He had sovereignly elected to redemption. It would be for God (who cannot
lie) to break His covenant with Himself, made before the foundation of the earth. It would mean that the
divine seal of the Holy Spirit, imprinted by the King of kings and Lord of lords upon each of His elect
children, would be subject to violation and abrogation.”
Questions for Further Study
1. How is Romans 8:29-30 related to Romans 8:28?
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GUARANTEED BY GOD
Romans 8:29
Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor
April 27, 2003
2. How do the following verses from Romans 8 tell us we are conformed to the image of Christ?
Verse 1
Verse 9
Verses 14-17
Verses 26-27
Verse 38
3. If we are “…predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” what does this mean in light of
Romans 8:17?
4. What implication does the phrase, “…predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” have
regarding losing our salvation?
5. According to Romans 8:29, how is Christ seen as pre-eminent?
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