For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.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.For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
11 sermons cite this verse
… and who are called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified. What then, Paul says, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It's God who justifies. Who is he that condemns Christ Jesus who died? More than that, has raised the life and is at the right hand of God. Right now, he's interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it's written, for your sake we face death all day long. …
… things, in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. And those he justified, he also glorified. What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Christ Jesus, who died, more than that, has raised to life, is at the right hand of God, interceding for us right now. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …
… How's this? He predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he called. And those whom he called, he justified. And those whom he justified, he glorified. Right there, says Piper, he foreknew their faith. and so he chose and predestined them. That's just what you just denied. You denied that. that's not what that means that for know right there doesn't mean that the biblical language of knowing is very rich and multi-layered for example Amos 3.2 you Israel you only have I known of all the families on the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities. What in the world does that mean? When God says to Israel, you only have I known, doesn't mean you only have I been aware of. He's God. Known means chosen. Numerous times in the Old Testament. The closest I can get in English to how we use the word like that is the word acknowledge or recognize. …
… very core of sanctification, progress in the Christian life, then it's what Paul says in Romans 8 29, isn't it? God's purpose is that we should be conformed to the image of His Son. Well, how does this transformation take place? Well, says Paul, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. And if you think about it, if there is nothing in our minds, then our lives are not going to be renewed or transformed. So, what we're doing when we study Christian doctrine is in forming our minds so that by their renewal our lives may be transformed. I remember in the days when I used the old King James Version when I was a teenager, those lovely words in the Proverbs, as a man thinketh in himself, so he is. And we understand that, I think, nowadays, that the way you think and what you think and what shapes your thinking is going to come out in shaping your living. So, that's one important verse, Romans 12 verse 1 and indeed verse 2. Second important verse, I think, is Jeremiah 9 verses 23 to 24, a passage that I think the apostle Paul loved because he cites it. Remember, at the words of Jeremiah, he says, let not the wise man boast in his wisdom or the strong man in his strength or the rich man in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he knows me, that I am the Lord. I wonder if it's true that in our modern age, many of us as Christians, …
… now what about brothers that's a picture of a wife being made beautiful here's brothers from Romans 8 29 God predestined the church to be conformed to the image of his son that's beautiful in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined he called and those whom he called he justified and those whom he justified he glorified. So our glorification, our beautification as the church is conformity to Christ and it is as sure as predestination. Those whom he predestined he called Doesn't mean called, he justified. Doesn't mean justified, he glorified. It is as good as done, even though it is happening incrementally, according to 2 Corinthians 3.18. Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory, the same glory to another. Your people and you are already undergoing glorification. and its completion is absolutely certain. as certain as predestination is real. We are being made glorious with the very glory of Christ. …
… in chapter 8 verse 29 it says those whom he foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. You're going to be conformed to Jesus if you're a Christian. You're going to be like him. You're going to shine like the sun in the kingdom of your father. Jesus said. now we can see maybe, I hope that the glorification of the children of God includes new glorious bodies like his glorious body why? because the physical material creation is yearning and hoping and groaning to participate in and celebrate your bodily glory. It will be there. The new heavens and the new earth will be there because you're there. It will be material because you're material. It will be glorious because you're glorious. The whole universe will lift up the children of God and celebrate the bride of Christ as she She reverences her bridegroom. I get a little bit bent out of shape when I hear a lot of talk in the last 20 or 30 years about the rediscovery of the materiality of the new age the new heavens it's just right there in Romans 8 and it's not the point Thank you. …
… good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose listen to what verse 29 says though for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those he predestined he also called those he called he also justified and those he justified he also glorified so basically what Scripture's telling us this from the very beginning, God has predestined for us to look more like Jesus, to be conformed into the image of Christ. Turn over two books to the right to 2 Corinthians. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 3. What we're seeing is the agenda of the Bible. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Look at verse 18. it's a key verse here. Listen to how it's similar to Romans 8, 29. It says, We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. …
… When the sanctification that began in our regeneration is consummated, when God's purpose for us, that we should be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers, the day for which the apostles longed when we see the Lord Jesus face to face and are finally made like him, that day will be the consummation of sanctification. And what we are thinking about is the space in between, the progress in between, between the D-Day of our conversion and the V-Day of our final glorification. And one of the wonderful things to think about as Christians is the note that the New Testament strikes that we will actually be glorified together with Christ. Yes, we will enter into glory when we die. We will be with the Lord. but the final glorification, which is not simply the transformation and purification of our spirits so that we become the spirits of righteous men and women made perfect in the great present assembly in the heavenly Zion, but when we are glorified as whole people, body and soul, that will take place not only instantaneously when Christ comes, but it will take place corporately. …
… to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified. That is the sum of everything from chapter 3, verse 20 on, that we have been predestined and called and justified and will be glorified. And the Lord will fulfill that purpose by causing all things to work together for good. All things. So verse 31, what shall we say to these things? What should be our response to this astounding salvation. All the realities of our salvation described from chapter 3 on, all the issues that come across our path in life, all of it works together for our final glory. What should we say about that? The chapter began in verse 1 with the declaration that that if we're in Christ, there will never be any condemnation. …
… You say, well, what's His progressive work? Well, Romans 8, verse 29, He predestined you and me to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, which means what? that the Holy Spirit is working in your life and my life in order to do what? To bring us into such a relationship of intimacy with Him that our character begins to reflect the character of Jesus. Our behavior begins to reflect the behavior of Jesus, our conduct, our conversation. He says, listen, He predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. So, what does He do? Well, he continues some of the work that he was in when you and I were saved. Listen, it is the Holy Spirit who gives you understanding when you read the Word of God. Without the Holy Spirit, you can't understand it. And this is why some people say, my goodness, you know what? I read that over and over again. I didn't get that. The Spirit of God. This is why you and I can read a passage many, many times, come back the 500th time. …
… Fashion into the mold of the truth we hear. What does he say, for example, in Romans chapter 8, verse 29? He says in this 29th verse, for every single believer, God has predetermined, predestined, preordained that every single believer would be shaped, that is, fitted into the mold of Christ. He says what? conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. How is God going to conform you and me into His likeness? By revealing to us the truth of His likeness, shaping us. And as I am confronted with the truth, I can do one of two things. I can resist the truth. I can refuse to be pushed into God's mold, into the likeness of Christ, or I can hear the truth, drop my guard, receive the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, yield to Him, not resist, but yield, and be fashioned into the likeness of Christ. He says we are to listen in order to comprehend and to comprehend in order to be shaped and to be, listen, to be conformed to that truth. …