God’s Plan Was to Save and Shape You to be More Like His Son

God’s Plan Was to Save and Shape You to be More Like His Son

I have been a Christian for about 20 years, nearly half my life. I can’t tell you how many times God has redirected my path in order to spare me some type of pain. From career choices to relationships, the Lord has shown his sovereignty and wisdom in my life time and time again. Scripture is replete with the truth that God is in control and has a good plan for the lives of His children. From before the bedrock of the earth was laid and the oceans had a drip of water, the Lord had a plan for our lives. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, his rich theological work, he encourages us with the particular sovereign grace of our God in salvation. Several verses in chapter eight deserve treatment here. To start, Paul speaks of God’s perfect plan for us in verse twenty-eight: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God’s calling is to bring about good in the daily rhythms of life. The wrestling with children at home, the late nights at the office, the late night study sessions and the routine visits to the emergency room are all laced with grace. Grace-empowered, grace-infused, grace-motivated sovereignty shores up every event in your life. The bottom will never fall out on your suffering. Although life may be destroying you, it will never defeat you. God has the final say!    

Saving and Shaping

To reinforce his claim, Paul turns to the beautiful doctrine of election in verses twenty-nine and thirty: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Wow! What a powerful, dynamic passage! Due to the prior, complete, divine knowledge of God, he chose believers to be rescued from sin. This is one way in which we are conformed to the image of Christ. Not only are we graciously chosen, we are eternally sealed for the day of redemption. We will be glorified in our glorified bodies when Christ returns. God’s gracious plan was to secure us for himself for all eternity. What hope! So the disruptions that God puts in your life are avenues of divine blessing. Every setback is a setup for conformity to Christ. Just as a potter molds a lump of miry clay, God shapes us on the wheel of adversity. He is using all things to shape you into a more effective representative of Christ. And it’s all by grace. Amen.