Laatst kwam ik een erg mooie en verhelderende uitleg tegen over uitverkiezing en geroepen zijn.
29. Want hen die Hij van tevoren gekend heeft, heeft Hij er ook van tevoren toe bestemd om aan het beeld van Zijn Zoon gelijkvormig te zijn, opdat Hij de Eerstgeborene zou zijn onder vele broeders.
30. En hen die Hij er van tevoren toe bestemd heeft, die heeft Hij ook geroepen, en hen die Hij geroepen heeft, die heeft Hij ook gerechtvaardigd, en hen die Hij gerechtvaardigd heeft, die heeft Hij ook verheerlijkt.
Onderstaande uitleg komt uit Jon Courson's Application Commentary. Het is helaas in het Engels en dat heb ik voorlopig zo gelaten. Gebruik zo nodig de vertaler van je browser.
29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called...
Romans 8:29, 30 (a)
Suppose you had absolute foreknowledge. For you, playing the lottery wouldn't be gambling because you could pick the winning numbers with absolute certainty. The same is true for God. When He predestined you before the world began, He knew you would make it (Filippenzen 1:6). Folks, God is not in heaven biting His nails saying, "Boy, I hope that gang makes it." No, God foreknows, then He predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies. It is tremendous news to me that when God looks at me, He sees a winner.
Now, although He has predestined us, concerning His people, God says, "I'm choosing you. I'm going before you. I'm guaranteeing victory to you, but it's not because of your righteousness, for you are a stiffnecked people" (see Deuteronomy 9:6 ). In other words, the Lord was saying, "I know what you are. So when you come into the Promised Land and experience victories, watch out that you don't think they're because of your righteousness or spirituality. No, you are a stiffnecked, hard-hearted, uncircumcised people. However, knowing you are but dust (and some are a lot dustier than others!) - I have compassion on you" (see Psalm 103:14).
I know God loves me. He's elected me. Therefore, He's going to see me through and usher me into eternity. At the same time, however, I recognize it's not because of my righteousness or anything I am or have done that causes Him to elect me into the kingdom. Quite the contrary. We are all trophies of His grace. Angels will scratch their heads with their wings and marvel perpetually at the grace and goodness God demonstrated in choosing a guy like me. You see, wanting to illustrate His grace to all of creation through all of the ages to come, the Father chose not righteous people, but sinners and rebels and stiffnecked people like you and me.
"I don't get down on myself," said Paul. "I did that in my Romans 7 days when I was under the law - religion, rules, and regulations. But now I realize I am a trophy of His grace, and that He, by His goodness and because of His big-heartedness, chose people like me in order that all of eternity might marvel at His mercy."
"If a person is indeed predestined, what choice does he have?" you ask. "What about free will?"
Picture with me two chess players. One is a master, the world's best. He knows hundreds of opening and closing moves. Having only learned to play a week ago, the other player forgets which way the pawn goes and how the horse hops. These two players are engaged in a match, the master and the novice. Now, the novice has free will. He can move wherever he wants. But, by playing against the master, he's going to find that any move he makes is countered brilliantly. In the end, he will find himself boxed into a corner, surrounded by the master's men. Thus, although the novice is exercising his freedom, he really doesn't have a chance.
The same is true, as it relates to our freewill vs. God's election and predestination. Man has free will - but he's boxed in because the Master will inevitably corner those He chooses and bring them into the kingdom.
"That's great," you say, "if you're part of the chosen. What about the person who's not elected?" Jesus said,
18. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.
19. And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
You see, the singular issue concerning predestination is neither intellectual nor theological. It's moral. Through His foreknowledge, God sees the person who wants to continue to walk in darkness - and doesn't choose him. So, too, before the foundation of the world, He saw those who, like you, wanted to walk in light - and chose them.
... and whom he called, them he also justified...
As we saw in Romans 5, "justified" means "just as if I never sinned."
...and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
The word "glorified" is in the aorist tense - meaning it's taking place right now. This is great news! You see, Paul didn't say, "Whom He justified, them He will glorify." No, he said, "Whom He justified, them He is glorifying right now." Why? Because God - who transcends the time/space continuum, God who is light, God who lives in the eternal now - sees our glorified state as if it has already taken place.
What is the implication for us? Suppose you knew the person sitting next to you was about to inherit fifty billion dollars next week. Not only that, but he would have the heart of a philanthropist as well. Wouldn't you be just a tad bit nicer to him? Understand this: The one you're sitting next to is richer than that. He or she is a joint-heir with Christ (Romeinen 8:17 (c)).
From our vantage point, we all have a long way to go. But from God's perspective, our glorification is a done deal. Therefore, before we pick on one another, it would be wise to stop and look at one another through our Father's eyes.
Bron: Jon Courson, Jon Courson's Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 942–943.