Romans 8:29 Predestined Period?

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

There are some disagreements among honest, seeking Christ-followers about the role of humans in the work of God. To put it too simply, some believe God does everything, and some believe people have a role. I know this is too simple, but stick with me, if you would.

Why does it matter? Well if I am responsible for nothing, since God does everything, then what I think I am choosing isn’t really my choice, it is God doing His thing in me. I am just a puppet with Him pulling my strings.

But if you think people have some role to play in the direction that life proceeds, then you will be conscious of the decisions that you make and don’t make. You will put weight to them, instead of just waiting for God to do His thing. I think there is a difference in motivation for those who believe they have a role to play in God’s work here.

Now I know that what I have just written is simplified! But I think the point is still valid. I have seen the difference worked out in the lives of many people over my years. I have noticed that those on the side of God’s work alone tend to be cerebral in their approach to Scripture and life. Those on the side of human contribution tend to be practical in their approach to Scripture and life.

Our text comes in the triumphant chapter in the letter to the Church in Rome written by Paul. Paul has spent the first seven chapters laying out the reasoning, the logic for believing that faith, people trusting, is the key to entrance into the Kingdom of God. And because of that this eighth chapter begins with a triumphant “therefore”.

Some people when they read our text for today do something strange in there minds. The place a period after the word “predestined” and pause there for a theological discussion. This is a grave mistake in reading of the Scriptures. We are not predestined period.

We are predestined to have a process begin and come to completion of conforming. We are meant to be molded and made something other than what we are. We are to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Now the idea of humans being the image of God starts on the first couple of pages of the Scriptures. We were made in God’s image and in His likeness. We were designed to be His representatives here on Earth, doing work here like He did in the Universe. We were to bring over out of chaos.

God has a plan for humanity, that we would pick up the mantle and be God’s servants here on Earth, doing His work His way. We were never meant to be on our own, doing our own thing. We were to be allowing the LORD to guide and direct us, enabling His work here.

And just as Adam and Eve had the choice to enjoy the abundance of the Garden, so we have the choice to allow God to define good and evil. This is what Christ did. “Not my will but yours be done.” This is the end goal of being predestined. This is what predestination is all about.

Predestination isn’t about in or out of God’s Kingdom. It is about being the people we were designed to be from the beginning. And I don’t know about you, but there is a lot of ‘me’ that needs conforming! ‘I’ show up way too often, instead of submitting to the image of Jesus.

Predestination is about the trajectory toward a goal and the journey along that path, not about the size of the barrel of the weapon being fired. It is about the target, not the firing position. When we place a period in our thinking after predestination, we miss the whole point.