Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

to Adam the First, who represented all in the Fall. Our Savior is not only very God, but perfect man,
having a human soul, mind and body. Hence in His glorification which characterized His ascension
into heaven He represents the perfect and final restitution of humanity. He is the first thus born into
glory, not simply numerically, but pre-eminently, Enoch and Elijah having gone on before,
confirmatory heralds, thus giving the world these ominous star gleams anticipatory of the glorious
rising sun. Hence we see that this glorification of spirit, mind and body is the triumphant ultimatum
of the redemptive scheme, thus verifying the original and eternal “purpose” of God to populate
heaven with perfected and glorified human beings.
30. “But whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also
justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Why does not sanctification appear in this
specification of graces? Neither regeneration nor sanctification are mentioned, but only the call of
the gospel through the Spirit, followed by justification and glorification. Regeneration is implied in
justification, and sanctification in glorification. Again, you must remember that in this chapter, e.g.,
verse 1, as well as elsewhere, justification has the broad signification of complete deliverance from
all the penal consequences of sin, both actual and original, in which sense it can only follow entire
sanctification, expurgatory of inbred sin. You must remember that foreknowledge stands at the head
of this entire catalogue, culminating in glorification. Hence we see the impertinency of recognizing
here an unconditional election and absolute predestination, from the simple fact that knowledge of
character precedes all these appointments. Now, you must remember that all knowledge with God,
whether appertaining to the past or the future, is in the present tense. Omnipotence is certainly
absolutely and unconditionally illimitable. Yet you must remember that knowledge does not
determine anything, from the simple fact that it is not influence. Therefore we must not identify
things which are utterly dissimilar. From the fact that human knowledge is limited and imperfect,
it is difficult to illustrate this problem. All of our knowledge of the future does only proximate; e.g.,
an old pilot, who knows every track through the Atlantic Ocean and every submarine rock, stands
on the wharf of this city (New York); seeing a ship sail, he knows by her bearings that she will be
wrecked on those formidable and impassable rocks. Yet his knowledge of the fact does not cause the
wreckage. You see your own son daily wallowing in debauchery and sensuality, and know to your
sorrow that he is going to the dogs and the devil; yet your knowledge does not expedite him on his
hellward-bound career. Hence you see in all this election and predestination there is not the slightest
interference with the freedom of the will. Why? These pre-appointments simply follow as a logical
sequence from the moral and spiritual character of the parties appointed, God, from the beginning,
having a perfect knowledge of those characters. Yet it is a fact of universal recognition that we freely
choose good or evil, and in this way determine our own characters. Now, is it possible for human
destiny to turn out differently from the prediction? We have clear light on that question in 1 Samuel
23:1-13. During David’s memorable flight from Saul he takes his refuge in Keilah, the men all
fawning on him with flattering attestations of conservatism, assuring him that they will be true and
stand by him on the battlefield. David, very happily enjoying that gift of the Holy Spirit denominated
“discernment of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10), suspecting their fidelity, goes aside and turns the
problem over to God in prayer (v. 11). “Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hands? Will
Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee tell thy servant And
the Lord said, He will come down” (v. 12). “Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and
my men into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up” (v. 13). “Then David
and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could