And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-35,38,39
So several questions - first off, is the opposite also true that all things don't work together for those who don't love Jesus, who haven't had an effectual call? Second, when predestination is mentioned, is this predestination to be saved or just conformed to the image of Christ, or is that the same thing?
First question, are unsaved people living a random life determined by fate and luck with no divine guidance or plan? I would have to think yes except for a group of people who I would call "pre-christians". Who are they? They are the group of unsaved people who God in His foreknowledge, knows that they will someday receive Christ. God is working everything in their lives to bring them to that point, and nothing can get in His way. He is working out their life story so that they will have a unique experience so that they can serve His plan to reach all people for Christ. In other words, while they are living for themselves, they may have an abortion and when they get saved, they may have a special ministry to crisis pregnancies. They may have a substance addiction so when they are saved, they can work for recovery training. So even in their unregenerate state, He is working the bad for eventual good.
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph. 2:10
Paul, in Ephesians explains what one aspect of "called according to His purpose" means. We have a divine plan and He is accomplishing it through all things both in Christians and "pre-Christians" and nothing can interfere with that. The other aspect of His purpose is conforming us to His Son's image which He is accomplishing through "all things" in true believers.
Second question, so is predestination to conformity to Christ's image the same as predestination to salvation? That would imply that conformity to His image and salvation are inseparable. This would leave no place for carnal or back-slidden Christians who are living like the world. While this may be the case, I would have to say in the context of working all things for good both in helping lead us to fulfill our purpose in life and working all things for good in conforming us to his image, the predestination or predetermining in verse 29 refers more to his predetermined plans to bring about this twofold "good" both in Christians and Pre-Christians".
So, in summary, God knows everything ahead of time because He is outside time. He knows who the Bride of Christ will be and is calling them and working situations in their life to accomplish a plan on earth that He has uniquely gifted them for and moving them both physically and spiritually to accept the call for salvation. Once they do that, and they will, they are forgiven all their past sins and given the glory of Children of God status but also the internal glory of the Holy Spirit living in them. He then works all future situations to accomplish His twofold purpose in our life - to accomplish His works or mission for our lives and to conform us to look like His Son. He will accomplish this because if He went to all the trouble and pain of sacrificing His own Son, certainly His plans for us can't be thwarted, He is committed to them because He loves the Son and therefore loves us, too.
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