Look at the Book: The Greatest Chapter - Episode 26
Official link: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/predestined-called-justified-glorified

Principle for Bible Reading:
A promise as mind-blowing as Romans 8:28 needs massive faith-sustaining truth underneath it. Romans 8:30 lays out a process in which God exalts Christ by bringing ungodly people to glory. In this lab, John Piper offers assurance in God’s invincible plan of salvation.


Outline:
Introduction/Prayer (00:00–02:35)
If you’re going to build a building as a high as the promise of Romans 8:28, you better dig a very deep foundation (Romans 8:29–30).

Observations (02:35–06:12)
1. Between predestination and glorification are two steps: calling and justification. (Romans 8:30)
2. There are no dropouts in this process. Everyone who is predestined will be glorified. (Romans 8:30)
3. The call is an omnipotent, sovereign work of God to bring into being what isn’t. (Romans 4:17)
4. God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). The only people that exist are ungodly people. If anyone will be justified, he or she will be an ungodly person.

Implications (06:12–10:24)
1. The justification of ungodly people exalts Christ, because it was by his sacrifice that we were redeemed and justified.
2. God condemned our sin in the flesh of Christ (Romans 8:1–4). Our punishment was executed in the crucifixion of Jesus.
3. We will never be righteous by law-keeping. Our only hope for righteousness is the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:9)
4. Because of our calling and justification, all the predestined will be glorified. (Romans 8:30)
5. Christ is exalted because he is both the ground of our glorification and the goal of our glorification.


Study Questions:
1. Is there any difference between the groups that are predestined, called, justified, and glorified? Why or why not?
2. Read Romans 4:5 and Philippians 3:9. Define justification in Romans 8:30 using these other verses.
3. Explain how Romans 8:29–30 ground the amazing promise of Romans 8:28. How does Paul argue that God is working all things for our good from the truths that follow?


Piper: “Redemption is a process in which God exalts Christ by bringing ungodly people to glory.”


‘The Greatest Chapter’ Series:
This lab is part of a series through Romans 8. Taking a verse or two at a time, John Piper unfolds the other-worldly realities in these thirty-nine verses, all along pointing out general, practical principles for understanding and applying the Bible’s meaning. Visit ‘The Greatest Chapter’ series page to see all the labs in this series.