There are humans that will someday leave this universe to live in a majestic new home. They are the privileged few that have been accepted for a life of beauty and love in a massive city called Heaven. The ruler of this grand metropolis is God the Father. His plans for this city were made long before the creation of our own world. God knew what kind of people would eventually become His family. Have you ever wondered what kind of a family you would have picked? Anyway, God knew exactly who he needed because only Holy beings can exist in His home. The English word “predestinate” does not exist in the original Bible. A translation of this Greek word is “I have set boundaries ahead of time”. We must understand that the main reason for our selection is to meet a standard.
Our language is creating some misunderstanding. Some folks like to say that God chooses his children. What is not being said, in this statement, is what kind of children. They are not little babies. Babies cannot live within boundaries. God is adopting people with cognitive powers who are willing to live a Holy life. The question now becomes, how can we accomplish this Holy life. The Scripture says, Those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many (Holy) brothers. (Ro 8:28,29) This verse plainly states that people who love God will be conformed to the likeness of God’s son. This is the boundary that was set for us.
A long time ago, God gave us Jesus Christ who gave his blood to redeem people from there sin. Our Savior is the tremendous act of grace that allowed the salvation process to proceed. Remember that we are not talking about walking to the front of a Church. What we need for Heaven is walking with God in a Holy life. This actually takes another act of incredible grace. After Jesus returned to heaven, God sent his Holy Spirit to live inside of us. This enables the children of God to conform to the likeness of Jesus. There is no other way to have the will God revealed to us. In order to live a godly life we must have this information available through the Spirit.
Many people misunderstand this plan of God and it is sad that the good news has been distorted. God’s will is to complete the creation age by receiving his family to Himself and judging all others that do not receive the truth. Out of all the creations of God, we are the Holy ones selected to be his family. We are selected to be a Glory to the Almighty forever. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Ro 8:30) The people that God knows will live within the set boundaries, God calls, and He makes them clean so they enter into the Glory of His Son. The Holy people who are the body of Christ are the inheritance of God. They are guaranteed a glorious eternity.
If this truth is difficult to understand it is because only a spirit filled person is given the meaning of it. Paul said it this way, We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. (1 Cor 2:6-10) The Lord will bless those who trust in His truth.
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