Romans 8:30

Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Those whom he predestined, he also called. Many are invited to come to salvation in Jesus Christ by faith in his atoning sacrifice. The external call goes out in evangelism and by preachers world wide every day. Sinners are called to place their trust and faith in Christ. However, because man is spiritually blind and in fact spiritually dead, he cannot see or hear spiritual things. Like a person who is deep in a tunnel with no lights, he cannot see the glorious mountaintop that faith in Jesus Christ secures. Therefore, God, through the Holy Spirit, makes this external call effectual by quickening to life and giving sinners sight in order that they may hear and respond to the external call. God calls sinners by changing them and giving them a new spiritual birth, which is regeneration and referred to as being born again. Sinners respond to this new life by willingly coming to faith in Jesus Christ. All whom God calls by this intervention come and are justified.

God justifies them in his sight by declaring them not guilty. He does this because of their faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for them as their substitute. They are counted as righteous because of Christ and not themselves. God glorifies those whom he justified by finishing the job of conforming them to Christ at their death. In all the steps leading to salvation in verses 29 & 30, God does it all. God provides all that he requires of man. As Abraham told Isaac in Genesis 22:8, “God will provide.”

Praise God that He does provide everything in salvation and none are lost on the journey to eternal life. This provision is God’s grace and it began before the foundation of the world and is present every step of the way. The proper response for redeemed sinners when talking about their salvation is to begin the sentence with “God” rather than “I”.