2017 40 Days of Prayer, Day 29
The Abiding Presence of God:
A Life of Complete Dependence
Day 29
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” Romans 8:29
God’s Perfect Knowledge and Sovereign Power
In the previous verse, Paul stated, “we know that God works all things for good.” This verse, Romans 8:29, opens with the word “for.” This “for” lets us know that this statement functions as a conclusion of Paul’s point made in Romans 8:28. In verses 29-30, Paul provided us the definitive example of God working “all things for good” for His loved ones. God possesses perfect knowledge, “those whom He foreknew.” He possesses sovereign power, “He also predestined.” With His perfect knowledge and sovereign power, He carries out His perfect, sovereign plan. This plan brings about good, both God’s good and our good. This plan brings about God’s “good” in that the plan glorifies God through the exaltation of His Son. This plan brings about our “good” because the Father makes us into the image of His Son. Herein lies the biblical principle: God works all things for good for Himself and for His children. This is the primary example of this principle: God is working to make us like His Son for His eternal glory and our eternal good even if our present experience is difficult.
It All Goes Back to the Son
How does this sovereign plan exalt the Son? God conforms us to the image of His Son so that “He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” The word “firstborn” refers to preeminence. In Greco-Roman times, the firstborn-son would possess the most significant share of his father’s inheritance. Paul, referring to this ancient custom, identified one aspect of the work of the Trinity in our salvation. In the work of our salvation, the Father sent the Son into the world to redeem sinners. The Son willingly did the Father’s will. As a response to the Son’s perfect obedience, the Father gave the Son an inheritance. This inheritance includes everything, every created thing and every recreated person, including those “conformed to the image of His Son,” thus God the Father makes everything about the Son. In doing so, the Father glorifies the Son through the Son’s everlasting worship by believers. As we will sing in the Presence of Jesus Christ, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing,” Revelation 5:12. Christ brings many brothers and sisters into His Father’s family. This perfect plan glorifies the Father through the worship of His Son. Our transformation into the likeness of the Son honors the Son and glorifies the Father for His perfect plan, both now and forever.
Prayer Focus
God, it is Your perfect knowledge and sovereign plan that is at work in my life. Though I must wait for You to perfect this plan when I come into Your presence, I ask that You would make me more like Your Son this very day. I desire to conform to the image of Your Son in the here and now. Make my words the very words that Jesus would have me speak. Make my thoughts like the thoughts of Jesus. Use my actions to model the life and ministry of Jesus. All of this I pray for Your glory as my life exalts Your Son.
DL Moody “Secret Power”
THE UNERRING GUIDE
I am told by people who have been over the Alps, that the guide fastens them, if they are going in a dangerous place, right to himself, and he just goes on before: they are fastened to the guide. And so should the Christian be linked to His unerring Guide, and be safely upheld. Why, if a man was going through the Mammoth Cave, it would be death to him if he strayed away from his guide. If he separated from him, he would certainly perish. There are pitfalls in that cave and a bottomless river, and there would be no chance for a man to find his way through that cave without a guide or light. So there is no chance for us to get through the dark wilderness of this world alone. It is folly for a man or woman to think that they can get through this evil world without the light of God’s Word and the guidance of the Divine Spirit. God sent Him to guide us through this great journey, and if we seek to work independent of Him, we shall stumble into the deep darkness of eternity’s night.
But bear in mind the Words of the Spirit of God: if you want to be guided, you must study the Word, because the Word is the light of the Spirit. In the 14th chapter of John and 26th verse, we read: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Again in John 16:13: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
“He will tell you things to come” A great many people seem to think that the Bible is out of date, that it is an old book, and they think it has passed its day. They say is was very good for the dark ages, and that there is some very good history in it, but then it was not intended for the present time. That we are living in a very enlightened age, and that men can get on very well without the old book. That we have outgrown it. They think we have no use for it, because it is an old book. Now you might just as well say that the sun, which has shone so long, is now so old that it is out of date. That whenever a man builds a house he need not put any windows in it, because we have got a newer light and a better light, we have gaslight and this new electric light, that these are something new. I would advise people, if they think the Bible is too old and worn out, when they build houses, not to put any windows in them, but just to light them with this new electric light, that is something new, and this is what they are anxious for. People talk about this Book as if they understand it. But we don’t know much about it yet. The press gives us the daily news of what has taken place. This Bible, however, tells us what is about to take place. This is news; we have the news here in this Book. This tells us of the things that will surely come to pass, and that is a great deal newer than anything in the newspapers. It tells us that the Spirit shall teach us all things. Not only guide us into all truth, but teach us all things. He teaches us how to pray, and I don’t think there has ever been a prayer upon this sin-cursed earth that has been indicted by the Holy Spirit but was answered. There is much praying that is not indicted by the Holy Spirit.
In former years I was very ambitious to get rich. I used to pray for one hundred thousand dollars. That was my aim, and I used to say, “God does not answer my prayer. He does not make me rich.” But I had no warrant for such a prayer. Yet a good many people pray in that way. They think that they pray, but they do not pray according to the Scriptures. The Spirit of God has nothing to do with their prayers, and such prayers are not the product of His teaching.
It is the Spirit who teaches us how to answer our enemies. If a man strikes me, I should not pull out a revolver and shoot him. The Spirit of the Lord doesn’t teach me revenge. He doesn’t teach me that it is necessary to draw the sword and cut a man down in order to defend my rights. Some people say, “You are a coward if you don’t strike back.” Christ says, turn the other cheek to him who attacks. I would rather take Christ’s teaching than any other. I don’t think a man gains much by loading himself down with weapons to defend himself. There has been life enough sacrificed in this country to teach men a lesson in this regard. The Word of God is much better protection than the revolver. We had better take the Word of God to protect us, by accepting its teaching, and living out its precepts.