This summary message of the passage shows the connection between being chosen in Christ, conformed to Christ, and completed for Christ. Emphasis is placed on the recognition that Christ occupies the central position in this unbreakable sequence of divine links. The golden chain of salvation points to much more than just our security. The guaranteed certainty of glory is emphatically in and to and for Christ, which is purposed to induce and fortify both hope and holiness in us.
Certainty marks the purposes and promises of God. And all the promises of God find their “Yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). The Christian’s hope for glory is exclusively anchored here—in Christ. Here, Paul grounds and explains the golden guarantee (8:28) as a certainty in and for Christ (8:29-30). While these verses have been rightly recognized as the golden chain of salvation, they point to much more. Christ occupies the central position in this unbreakable sequence of divine links. The guaranteed certainty of glory is emphatically in and for Christ, which is purposed to induce and fortify both hope and holiness in us.
