 |  |
heavenly in resurrection glory (I Cor. 15: 49), the teaching in this pass being associated
with the two Adams. While in Rom. 8: 29 the subject of the two Adams is in the
foreground (see Rom. 5: 12 - 8: 39 as a whole), a closer, family, figure is used of the
Lord, namely: "that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." The following
passage in Heb. 2: vividly comments on this truth:--
"It became him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which
cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren . . . . . Forasmuch then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same"
(Heb. 2: 10-14).
The reader will remember that the structure of Rom. 8: as a whole (given on
page 74 of Volume XXV) throws into prominence the words "Son" and "Sonship".
Whether it be deliverance, life, peace, growth or victory, the spirit of sonship must never
be forgotten. To attempt entry into the position of Rom. 8: in any other spirit is to
court disaster. The Lord foreknew us, and He predestinated us to the glorious goal of
conformity to "the image of His Son". May He see of the travail of His soul, and be
satisfied now, even as He shall be when we shall stand in all the glory of His resurrection
before God our Father!
#63. The Goal: Conformity to the Image of His Son.
(2) Four links in the chain of Purpose (8: 29, 30).
pp. 76 - 79
Having attempted an explanation of the two great words "foreknowledge" and
"predestination", and having seen that their goal is "conformity to the image of His Son",
we must now move forward to the expansion of this theme which is dealt with in
Rom. 8: 30.
"Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called,
them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Rom. 8: 30).
It will be observed that the calling, the justification, and the glorification of the
believer are all spoken of in the Aorist tense, which is usually translated by the past.
While due regard must be paid to Greek grammar, we must never forget that behind the
Greek of the N.T. is the Hebrew of the O.T., and that through the LXX version the
Hebrew has influenced the usage of the Greek in a thousand ways. It may be of service
to give a few examples of the way in which the past tense of the verb is used in the
Hebrew O.T. to denote the certainty that something will take place in the future:
"Unto thy seed have I given this land" (Gen. 15: 18).
"Thou hast become a father of a multitude of nations" (Gen. 17: 4).