(Romans 8:28)
“For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb; I will confess and praise you for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are You works, and that my inner self knows right well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes saw my informed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:13-16). God’s sovereignty and wisdom demonstrated here is out of reach of the human understanding. In the formation of our body, God planed our future. “And in Your book, all the days were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them” (vs.16). God has always loved us. Even while He was creating us. However, man has left the comfort of God’s love to do their own thing. But among many, there are a few who have been faithful to Him. Their love for God has rewarded them with His calling and choosing them to be justified, sanctified and glorified. “Work together for good,” The good mentioned here is in reference to the spiritual good of justification, sanctification and glorification. The verses 29-30 explain in detail the “good” referred in verse 28 of Romans: For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning to be molded into the image of His Son (sanctification) [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren and those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified. And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
The word molding has a strong connotation; it denotes strong action to conform anything to what it must be. We have an example in the book of Jeremiah the Prophet, when the Lord sent him to a potter’s house. Jeremiah said, I went to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working at the wheel; and the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so, he made it over, reworking it into another vessel it seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me; O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? Says the Lord. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel (Jer. 18:1-6). This is a perfect picture of the meaning of Romans 8:28. As a pot is made of clay, so are we. God, our Creator, has the power to mold us into His likeness, as He told Jeremiah, O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? This is a painful process, for our soul is never willing to surrender to the holiness of YAHSHUA. The unrenewed soul cannot be saved. Sometimes, our Lord takes hard measures to call our attention in submission to His will. The letter to the Hebrews says, You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not train and correct and discipline? Now, if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all share then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons (Heb. 12:7-8). Yes, all things work together harmoniously to bring about God’s holiness into the life of every believer to make them partakers of the image of God.
Light from the Word 