8:28-30 What exactly does this passage teach?

This is one of the most debated passages of scripture in Christendom. V28 is generally used to teach that God works through every circumstance of life for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And this is a valid teaching in line with other scripture (CP De 8:15-16; Ro 5:3-5; 2Cor 4:17-18; He 12:3-11; Jas 1:2-4; 1Pe 1:3-9; 4:12-14).

However, in the context of Ro 8, V28-30 refers to the church - them that love God…them who are called according to His purpose - being predestined by God to be called and ultimately glorified with Jesus in eternity (CP Ro 8:16-18; 1Cor 1:21; Ga 4:4-7; Eph 1:3-14; 2:4-7; 3:1-12; Col 1:12-22; 2Ti 1:8-10; 4:8; Tit 2:11-14; 3:3-7; He 2:9-10; 5:9; 1Pe 2:6-10; 1Jn 5:11-12).

This is the good that all things work together for in God's eternal purpose to those who love Him - God has predestined them for future glory with His Son, Jesus. According to His purpose refers to God's eternal purpose in Jesus as the Saviour through whom His plan of redemption would be accomplished (CP Isa 2:2-4; 4:2-6; 9:6-7; 53:11). God has predetermined that all who accept Jesus as their Saviour will be saved.

The conjunction for in Ro 8:29 underlines the assurance of V28 that God's eternal purpose will be worked out in those who love Him: He will conform them to the image of Jesus (CP Php 2:12-13; 2Th 2:13-14; 2Ti 1:12; 1Jn 3:1-3).

Many in the church believe that Ro 8:29-30 refers to God sovereignly choosing certain ones from among mankind to be saved (and thus rejecting the others). But this is not correct as scriptures clearly teach. God has universally called everyone to salvation and has undertaken to save all who of their own free will, under conviction by the Holy Spirit, respond affirmatively to His call (CP De 30:15-18; Isa 1:16-20; 8:13-15; 45:22; 55:1-7; Joel 2:32; Mt 11:28-30; Jn 3:16-18, 36; 6:27, 35, 40, 47, 51-54; 7:37-38; 8:12; 10:9; Ac 2:21; Ro 10:9-13; Rev 21:6; 22:17).

Whom He did foreknow simply means that God foreknew who would accept Jesus as their Saviour and He predestined them to future glory with Jesus. It does not mean as some teach, that God predestined them to salvation. Predestination in scripture does not refer to salvation at all, but to the future of those who are already saved, which is the church (CP Eph 3:1-19).

When repentant sinners, under conviction by the Holy Spirit, accept Jesus as their Saviour they are called by God into the Church. Then they are justified, and at the future resurrection of the just, they will be glorified. That is the divine order: first foreknowledge, second predestination, third calling, fourth justification, fifth glorification.

In closing this study we could say that calling and predestination are analogous of a great ship on its way to heaven. The ship (the church) is chosen by God to be His very own vessel. Christ is the captain and the pilot of this ship. All who desire to be a part of this elect ship and its captain can do so through a living faith in Christ, by which they come on board the ship.

As long as one is on the ship in company with its captain he is among the elect. If he chooses to abandon the ship and captain he ceases to be one of the elect. Calling is always only in union with the captain and His ship. Predestination tells us about the ship's destination and what God has prepared for those remaining on it. God invites everyone to come aboard the elect ship through faith in Christ. That is the sum total of foreknowledge, calling and predestination (Analogy by courtesy of Full Life Study Bible - p1846/7).

See also comments on Mt 11:28-30, 13:10-11, 20:16; Jn 3:14-15, 3:36, 6:37, 12:37-40, Ac 2:37-38, 13:48, 28:23-29; Ro 1:16-17, 3:24-26(A), 9:7, 9:10-13, 9:14-18, 9:19-21, 10:14-17, 11:2, 11:4, 11:7-10; Eph 1:3-6, 1:11-14, 2:8-10; 1Th 1:4; 2Ti 1:8-9; 1Pe 1:2; and author's studies Salvation - A Free Will Choice or Predestinated?==== and Chosen by God?==== in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).

"Romans"