Called According to His Purpose

God’s plan of salvation spans the ages; in fact it stretches from eternity to eternity. It has been unfolded in a nutshell in a few Bible verses in Romans 8:28-30. This plan aims at a special class of people, namely “those who love God.” Who are they? They are His people, God’s own children, born of Him and of His Spirit. They enjoy the divine promise, the divine assurance: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV). The Apostle Paul bases the assurance of which he speaks on the firmness of God’s eternal plan of salvation for His own.

The apostle’s purpose in writing these words is that we should learn to see everything in the light of God’s plan of salvation, that we should learn to view everything from the heights of His own plans and thoughts. That is the basis of the joyful assurance: “And we know.” Our assurance is based on the consciousness of all that God is, and does, for us.

For it is God who determines the course of all things. He holds all things in His hands. Nothing can happen which would change His plans or would detract from His counsels.

All things cannot but work for good even though everything might seem to go wrong. Nothing can thwart God in the execution of His eternal plans of love, and nothing can rob us of the assurance of His love. He expects us to be aware of the riches of His love and to love Him in return. He expects us to take the place of loving children and sons.

Christians may see everything from an eternal perspective. They are on their way to glory, and everything that they encounter along that way works for their good. It contributes to their reaching the goal. In the light of God’s eternal purpose everything looks different. All emphasis is laid on the divine plan of salvation. When the apostle speaks about “those who love God,” he is quick to add that they are those “who are the called according to His purpose.” The one goes with the other.

To raise us to the position of sons and heirs, much had to take place. God’s purpose was to bless us, but our fallen state prevented Him from doing so. We had gone astray, we were far from God. God calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). He calls us out of the spiritual and moral darkness, in which we walk by nature, to bring us into the light of His presence.

This calling is also life-giving. We have not only been called out of darkness into His marvelous light, but also out of death into life. The portion to which we are called is eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12).

 —Hugo Bouter