UASV’s Daily Devotional All Things Bible, Monday, April 21, 2025

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What Does It Mean to Be Called, Justified, and Glorified by God?

A Daily Devotional on Christian Living Based on 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.” — Romans 8:30

In the heart of one of the most powerful chapters in all of Scripture—Romans 8—the apostle Paul lays out the unbreakable sequence of God’s redemptive work, often called the “golden chain of salvation.” This verse provides a sweeping panorama of the entire process by which God brings sinners to eternal life (zōē aiōnion, ζωήν αἰώνιον), from His eternal foreknowledge to their final glorification. It is not speculative theology or detached abstraction—it is a deeply personal and pastoral affirmation, written to assure Christians that nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

Romans was penned around 57 C.E., while Paul was in Corinth during his third missionary journey. By this point, the gospel had firmly taken root among Gentile believers, and Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians serves both to strengthen their understanding of salvation and to clarify how Jews and Gentiles alike are recipients of God’s mercy through faith in Christ. Romans 8, in particular, transitions from the struggle against sin in chapter 7 to the triumphant life in the Spirit. It does not promise a life without suffering but instead offers assurance in the midst of it—assurance that God is at work in all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Verse 30 continues that line of thought, listing five actions of God in sequence: predestined, called, justified, glorified. These are not isolated events, but a unified whole. Each flows from the one before it and leads inevitably to the next. For the believer, these are not merely theological concepts—they are the story of their own salvation, a story authored and completed by God through their faithful response to the gospel. And yet, the inclusion of these terms demands careful, scriptural clarity, free from human traditions or doctrinal distortions. This devotional will explore each word as Paul intended, in harmony with the rest of Scripture, emphasizing both God’s initiative and human responsibility in the journey of salvation.

Predestined: God’s Foreknowledge and Purpose

The verse begins, “those whom he predestined…” The Greek term προώρισεν (proōrisen) means to determine beforehand, to mark out in advance. It is rooted in God’s eternal wisdom and foreknowledge, not in arbitrary decree. The previous verse (Romans 8:29) defines the scope of this predestination: “For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son.” God’s predestination is not about selecting individuals for salvation apart from their will; it is about His predetermined purpose to shape those who would respond in faith into the likeness of Christ.

Paul affirms this idea in Ephesians 1:5, where God “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” But again, this is not about unconditional election. The entire New Testament affirms that salvation is offered to all (Titus 2:11), and that only those who respond in obedient faith are saved (Hebrews 5:9). God foreknew who would believe, and upon that knowledge, He ordained a destiny of transformation—conformity to Christ’s character and ultimately eternal glory.

Predestination is not a rigid script but a divine plan available to all, activated by faith. God “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), but only those who seek, believe, and obey will reach the destination He has planned (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 2:40). This keeps human responsibility intact while giving full honor to God’s sovereign wisdom.

Called: The Invitation Through the Gospel

“…he also called…” This second link in the chain refers to God’s active invitation. The Greek word ἐκάλεσεν (ekalesen) signifies a summons, a divine calling. This call is not mystical or inward—it is specific, vocal, and always made through the gospel. As Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The call of God is extended universally, but it must be answered. Jesus illustrated this truth in the parable of the wedding feast, where “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). The call goes out to all, but only those who respond in faith and obedience become part of the chosen, the faithful remnant. The “chosen” are not pre-selected individuals, but those who, by hearing and obeying, meet the conditions God has set.

To be “called” is to hear the gospel preached, to be convicted of sin, to be urged toward repentance and baptism, and to respond in trust. It is not an inner whisper or personal revelation but the public, external proclamation of the Word. The Holy Spirit convicts through this Word (John 16:8), not through abstract impressions. And only those who respond to the call—like the 3,000 on Pentecost (Acts 2:41)—enter into justification.

Justified: Declared Righteous Through Faith

“…he also justified…” The Greek term ἐδικαίωσεν (edikaiōsen) means to declare righteous. Justification is not an infusion of moral goodness, nor is it legal fiction—it is God’s righteous declaration upon those who meet the gospel’s terms. Paul has already laid out in Romans 5:1: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This faith, however, is not mental assent; it is trusting obedience.

James clarifies that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). This is not contradictory to Paul’s teaching but complementary. Paul speaks against works of the Law; James speaks of active obedience. When someone believes in Christ, repents of sin, and is immersed in baptism, they are justified. Not because they have earned salvation, but because they have met God’s revealed terms.

Romans 6 explains this process in detail: we are baptized into Christ’s death, buried with him, and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–4). This is when justification occurs—not before, not after, but through this faithful act of surrender. It is here that one is clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27), forgiven of sins (Acts 22:16), and declared righteous by the Judge of all.

Glorified: The Future Reality Declared in Past Tense

“…he also glorified.” This final link may seem puzzling because glorification is a future event, yet Paul speaks of it in the past tense. The Greek word ἐδόξασεν (edoxasen) points to exaltation, honor, and transformation into a state of eternal glory. Why the past tense? Because for those who remain faithful, glorification is as certain as if it had already happened.

Paul uses this device to emphasize the certainty of God’s promise. Romans 8:17 says we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” This condition—“if indeed”—reminds us that glorification is not automatic. It requires endurance, faithfulness, and perseverance. Matthew 24:13 says, “The one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.”

Glorification refers to the final state of the believer—resurrected, perfected, and fitted for eternal life. For the faithful who inherit the heavenly calling, it means being transformed to share in Christ’s heavenly image (Philippians 3:21). For those destined for the renewed earth, it means participating in the age to come under Christ’s righteous reign (Revelation 21:1–4). Either way, it is the culmination of God’s saving work.

This glorification is not earned but received by grace, and yet it is never unconditional. Hebrews 10:36 warns, “You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” The golden chain ends in glory, but only for those who remain in Christ, walking in the Spirit, producing fruit, and resisting the pull of the world.

Assurance in God’s Faithful Plan

Romans 8:30 is not a proof-text for predestined individual salvation. It is a pastoral promise. Paul is assuring believers that those who love God and walk according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) can rest in the assurance that God is working to complete their redemption. The entire passage is an encouragement to press on through suffering, persecution, and weakness, trusting that God is bringing His purposes to fulfillment.

This assurance is not based on subjective feelings or a sense of being “chosen.” It is based on the objective reality of God’s Word and our response to it. If we have obeyed the gospel—been baptized into Christ, are living according to His Spirit, and are producing the fruit of righteousness—then we can trust that God, who began a good work in us, will carry it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

But the warning remains for all: this chain is only unbroken for those who remain in Christ. Paul himself expressed concern about becoming “disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27), and Hebrews 3:14 reminds us, “We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”

Conclusion: Walking in the Certainty of God’s Plan

The message of Romans 8:30 is not mystical, Calvinistic fatalism, or a denial of human agency. It is the inspired declaration that God has established a pathway of salvation, from foreknowledge to final glory. He has called all through the gospel, justified those who responded in obedient faith, and promised glorification to those who persevere.

Let every believer rejoice in this calling. Let us walk worthy of it, remembering that we were not called for impurity, but in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). And let us never become complacent, but “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

We are not passive spectators of our salvation—we are active participants, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), knowing that God is at work in us. And if we remain faithful, we will one day be glorified—completely conformed to the image of the Son, and united with Him in eternal joy.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).