Stauron

Called to Glory Through the Cross

Jim Nance

he apostle Paul has, by God's will, written for the Roman Christians and us inarguably the most profound and logical exposition on the cross in the inspired scriptures. The logic of Romans is demonstrated by PaulŪs systematic unfolding of the gospel, starting with the problem of sin, moving into the solution of justification by faith, followed by the answering of certain objections, and closing with practical applications. This systematic, logical exposition of the gospel is reflective of the logical order in which God redeems man unto salvation.

Romans 8:30 identifies four aspects of the application of redemption: predestination, calling, justification, and glorification . Clearly this is an unbroken chain of events: everyone who is predestined is called; everyone who is called is justified; everyone who is justified is glorified. Let us look briefly at each of these aspects in turn.

God does not predestine men arbitrarily. His predestination has a set purpose, as Paul writes, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). God purposed to conform men to Christ's image and has planned and acted accordingly. His intent is to bring men to glory through salvation. How can He do this, when He has declared, "My glory I will not give to another" (Isa. 42:8)? The answer must be that He will receive glory Himself by glorifying men in Christ. For He did this "that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called" (Rom. 9:23-24). God predestines men unto glory that He might make His glory known.

God carries out His predestining purpose by calling sinners: "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called." Who are those called? They are the ones prepared beforehand for glory . This calling comes before justification; it comes to men who are yet dead in sin. Paul shows that without Christ men are steeped in sin, from their heads, through their mouths, and down to their feet (Rom. 3:11-15). Those outside of Christ are carnally minded, and "to be carnally minded is death . . . . Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be" (Rom. 8:6-7). But God's call is a resurrecting call, a call that brings the dead to life that they might believe unto salvation. Paul writes elsewhere that God "has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Tim. 1:9; cf. 1 Pt. 2:9). This calling is a gospel calling. God empowers His word as it is proclaimed, which is why Paul is "not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom . 1:16). Thus, God's word does not return to Him void, but accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it.

"Whom He called, these He also justified." Justification -- the imputation of God's righteousness to sinners -- is the heart of the gospel; God predestines and calls men as sinners in order to justify them. Paul writes, "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe" (Rom. 3:22). Paul declares both the channel through which God's righteousness flows, "through faith in Jesus Christ," and the receptors of His righteousness, "all who believe." God justifies believing sinners through their faith.

Paul emphasizes that this righteousness comes not just to some who believe but to "all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:22-24). Just as believers were once all under sin, Jews and Greeks alike, even so through faith in Christ are they all under righteousness. Righteousness must be imputed by faith for both Jews and Greeks, because they have all sinned, and so cannot be justified by obedience to the law (cf. Rom. 3:20). There is thus no room for boasting on the part of believers, for faith is according to grace (Rom. 4:16). On our own we have done nothing to make God justify us, for justification is by grace and not in any way given as payment of a debt. "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:4-5). God never owes any man justification.

The righteousness that is imputed by faith is not our own, but the righteousness of Christ: "It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead" (Rom. 4:24). The ground of our justification is Christ's righteousness, "for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rom. 5:19). Just as Adam's sin was imputed to all his descendants, so Christ's righteousness is imputed to all of His.

"And whom He justified, these He also glorified." The result of justification is the glorification of the justified. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:8-9). While we were sinners, in love Christ took our sin upon Himself and died for us. The purpose of Paul's "much more" is to show unambiguously that everyone for whom Christ died is saved from wrath. All who are justified receive the benefits of justification: salvation unto glory. God will not fail in His purpose, as Paul says in the next verse, "for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."