Romans 8:30 – The golden chain (1)

Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also.

What Paul is describing here is a chain of only golden links. Gold, because GOD Himself is the only acting party. There is nothing human about this. GOD predestinates, GOD calls, GOD justifies and GOD glorifies.

This is hardly apparent in translations, but the verb form that is always used here (=’aorist’) is timeless. It is therefore not a question of the time of the action (past, present, future) but of the fact itself, regardless of when. This does not alter the fact that there is an explicit order. First it is, God designates certain people “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (:29). And those whom He predestinates, them He calls also. People are called because they are predestined. There is no merit on their part in that—He does that.

God does not call everyone to be part of this company “of his Son”. That is reserved for the highest ranking. Precisely because GOD wants to liberate all of his creation, He uses these “sons of God” to achieve that goal!

Delen: