“Whom He predestined, these He also called” (Romans 8:30)

The “golden chain of salvation” is “whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Notice, nothing is left to chance. Every saint God predestined is called, justified and glorified by God. That doesn’t mean everyone who is called is saved, for “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). According to Christ’s parable of the soils, only one of the four groups of people who initially received the Word of God in their heart were saved…what looked promising for a time, didn’t bear fruit, the Biblical evidence of salvation (Matthew 13:3-23).

How can you tell if someone was only called, but not saved? “The children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God” (1 John 3:10).

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:4–5).

He “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

The holy calling results in believing on Christ alone for salvation. The saint’s conscience is cleansed from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14).

The holy calling results in holiness, not only legal, but experiential. “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16).

If you’re saved, “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” (Romans 6:11). If you’re not saved, “repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

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