452-1 GOD HAS PROMISED YOU A PIE IN THE SKYNOVEMBER 5, 1978
Henry F. Kulp
Romans 8: 28 - 34 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Again, we can stress this is a portion of Scripture that many people quote but few understand. And this morning, I want you to understand this passage because it is so beautiful. Many people say God does not promise you a pie in the sky, by and by. But when we are finished this morning we want you to see He promises you a pie in the sky now and one by and by. When you put the two together it is then that you can rejoice.
1/ The future and the present are closely tied together. You CAN’T live properly in the present unless your eyes are on the future.
2/ God is talking about suffering. The suffering of God for the child of God, and we told you there are two attitudes the believer is to have. First of all, in Romans 8: 18 he is to make a comparison. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
The problems, the sufferings, the disappointments, trials are only for a very short time on earth and the glory will be ours throughout eternity.
3/ Then in verse 28 we have the second attitude, and this is the knowledge we need at the present time. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God, right now, mixes all our suffering with His program, His purpose, and it always produces intrinsic good, absolute good.
4/ I Thessalonians 5: 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Here we are commanded, because this is imperative mood, and we are told in everything to give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. This verse is again something you must understand. You can’t possibly give thanks for everything unless you understand Romans 8: 28. For the two Scriptures go hand and hand. It is not possible to thank God for everything unless we realize everything that happens to us is to be mixed with God’s provision, with God’s program, with God’s purpose, and out comes absolute good.
5/ Have you been thanking God for all your suffering, and your trials, that you have faced. You can and you should if you understand Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
When you have the right mental attitude, you can give thanks to God for everything, for all those discouraging things that are happening to you are being mixed with God’s program and they are coming out for your good.
6/ It is necessary to see, TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD. This is simply a title for the believer, or a description of the believer. He is not talking about them that love God a lot or a little, He is talking about them that love God. It isn’t how much you love Him or how little you love Him, but that you love Him. This is a blanket statement.
I Corinthians 16: 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
It is absolutely necessary that you love Him, and you love Him because He first loved you. It is necessary to see your love and the depth of your love depends upon how much you know about Him in Bible doctrine. Sometimes people who are always saying how much they love the Lord Jesus Christ, really don’t love Him at all because they don’t know Him—they don’t know Bible doctrine. You can’t love someone you don’t know.
7/ TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD—ONE WORD IN THE GREEK, and this is a participle, and it is dative case of advantage. It is to our advantage to love God. Then it is plural—there is more than one person on the face of the earth who loves God—in fact, everyone who is saved, loves God.
8/ Then it is ACTIVE VOICE and this speaks of the believer’s volition. This is a relationship with God.
9/ TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED. To them who are called are elected. The verb, ARE, is I-Me and it means ALWAYS TO BE. So we would translate this—to them who are always the called—the called should be translated, THE ELECTED. The word, Elected, is a technical word which says we are in the plan of God. At the moment we received Jesus Christ as Saviour, we are always from that time, elected.
Let us spend a few moments and look at the doctrine. How it has been abused by man.
(1) All members of the human race are potentially elected to the plan of God by unlimited salvation, II Timothy 2: 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
(2) Christ was elected in eternity past.
Isaiah 42: 1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles.
I Peter 2: 4 - 6 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of
men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay
in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall
not be confounded.
Actually, if you study Your Bible carefully, He is the only person who was ever elected. Billions and billions of years ago, God the Father with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit had an eternal life conference—a meeting. They were billions of years away from the creation of Adam, yet they knew everything that would ever happen including your existence and my existence in the 20th Century. Having done that, they decided to make a plan, and the plan is based upon the Lord Jesus Christ. They, all three, agreed on this plan, this purpose, and Christ is the center of this plan, of this purpose.
(3) Every believer shares the election of Jesus Christ. It is important that you see that every believer shares the election of Jesus Christ.
(4) There are two main programs in the Bible—the nation Israel which is prophecy, the Body of Christ which is the mystery. Every true Jew is elected and shares in the election of Jesus Christ in the kingdom. When Christ becomes King of all, and He is part of Christ in the Kingdom. In the Body of Christ, everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, shares the election of Jesus Christ, by becoming part of Jesus Christ as the Body of Christ. It is necessary to see to have the elected to be the elected of Christ, we must have relationship with Him, and both Israel and the Body of Christ have relationship with Jesus Christ.
(5) We became part of this election at the moment of salvation. In other words, we share in the election of Jesus Christ, at the moment of salvation.
10/ Romans 8: 29, 30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
In these two verses there are five great steps to glory, five steps to God’s plan which brings us from the gates of hell to the glory of Heaven. So we are involved in five steps, but they are actually five things that God does for us. They are the work of God, and therefore they are the grace of God.
11/ Step one—foreknowledge. The first step is that God thought about you billions and billions of years ago before you existed. Foreknowledge is the Father’s Omniscience—God, of course, knows about everyone. Billions of years ago, He knew about every individual that would come into this world, and if He couldn’t do this, He couldn’t be God, so his plan began with thinking—God’s thinking is perfect, therefore, His plan is perfect.
12/ There is no excuse for anyone to cry or whine that anyone has forgotten him. Name one person who ever thought about you before you were born—who ever had you in mind. Did the devil? Of course not—he is a brilliant genius, but he couldn’t know about you. No angels, no person, the devil could never know about you before you were born. This would have to be God.
13/ And God knew that you would be saved. That shouldn’t trouble you in any sense of the word. This is the foreknowledge of God—the thinking of God, and the first thought He had about you, was in love.
14/ STEP TWO—Predestination. Predestination is one of the most misleading words in the Bible. Most people think this means some are predestined to go to Heaven, and some are predestined to go to hell, but that is not true. No one is predestined to go to hell. Christ died for everyone.
15/ The Greek word translated predestination, means TO MARK OUT A BOUNDARY. So you can see even our English word, the prefix, pre, means before, destination means your arrival point. And we are predestined, notice, to be conformed to the image of His Son. So we see that predestination is built on God’s foreknowledge and it means the believer one day will share the destiny of the Lord Jesus Christ and be like Him. Let me ask you—is that good or bad? Of course it is good.
How do I face suffering? I know God had me in mind billions of years ago, and He knew—He knew I would be saved, and He has a plan marked out for me that one day I will be like the Lord Jesus Christ.
16/ How could God do any more for you? Can you think of anything more glorious that God could do for you than to make you like Jesus Christ?
How many believers have come to me and said, Pray for me that I might be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, and everyone who is spiritual has that longing in his heart, I want to be like Jesus Christ. God predestinated you to be like His Son, and didn’t He do a good thing? Of course, He did. If God had waited for you to do it, you couldn’t predestinate yourself to be Christ like. There is no way you could do that.
17/ How am I eternally secure? I am part of God’s program, and it has been before decided what my destination shall be, and I cannot make myself share in that destiny. It is God’s program for me, because I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
18/ You will notice know that it is all in the past tense. Whom He did foreknow, He predestinated, and those He predestinated, He also called, whom He called He justified, and whom He justified, He also glorified. You might take that last link and say, are we glorified now? Oh yes, we are already glorified in the mind of God, just as if it had taken place.
19/ STEP THREE—ELECTION. Every believer is in the plan of God, the word, called, REFERS TO AN ASSIGNMENT – God assigned to us a time in life. He put us in the 20th century.
20/ STEP FOUR—JUSTIFICATION. Justified? Oh yes, we are just like God, we have been robed with the righteousness of God. Man is still a sinner, in God’s sight he is a saint.
21/ STEP FIVE—GLORIFICATION – One day we are going to be glorified. We are even going to have a glorified body.
Philippians 3: 20, 21 For our conversation (manner of life) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
There is not much glory in this world, it is soon gone, but there will be glory throughout all eternity.
…and we shall all be changed, Hallelujah!
AMEN
Ref: 11/05/1978 / 452-1 GOD HAS PROMISED YOU PIE IN THE SKY / 02/25/2021
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