by Paul Tautges
Editor’s Note: When I heard that Doris Day died, my first thought immediately ran to the song she made famous, Que será, será. As I pondered her life and the song that she sang, I considered heaven, eternity, and her present reality. I hope she had a personal relationship with Christ. When I think about her at 97 taking her last breath, the reflux of my heart is to ponder whether she had asked Jesus Christ by faith to save her, forgive her sins, and be her personal Savior/Lord forever.
Yesterday, my friend and great writer at counselingoneanother.com, Paul Tautges, wrote about her death and eternity. As he says in his opening paragraph below, I doubt many of the readers were old enough to see her in her prime. However, my grandma loved watching her and hearing her voice. As young children, my siblings and I would watch Doris Day’s movies with her. Day had a beautiful voice. You can watch her sing this Academy Award winning song, Que será, será, down below Paul’s article. I commend this article to you and appreciate my friend’s thoughtfulness. As well, I encourage you to check out his other blogs at his site.
Last month, the legendary actress and singer, Doris Day, died at the age of 97. This means that many of you don’t know her name, since the peak years of her career were the 1950s. But some of you are like me…probably…in that you are too young to have grown up with her music, but old enough to have a mom who was a Doris Day fan. Because of my mom’s love for her, I remember hearing one song in particular…perhaps her best known song…Que será, será. For it she won an Academy Award and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Que será, será means “whatever will be, will be.” Though it is closest to Spanish in translation, the phrase is actually Italian by origin, and later was added to the lexicon because of the fame of the song. In each of the three verses, the singer asks questions about the future, each time answering with the refrain…
Que será, será
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que será, será
What will be, will be
There is some truth contained in those words. The future is not ours to see…in its details. As believers in Jesus, we walk by faith not by sight. However, the words are incorrect in the way they basically leave all to fate. Que será, será. “Whatever will be, will be…” as if all is left to chance.
As believers, we have an infinitely greater, more secure assurance. Nothing is left to chance, but all things fall under the sovereign governance of a kind and good God. And all things are being used by God toward the fulfillment of His goal to remake us into the image of His Son. In Romans 8:28-30 our eyes are directed to the Lord who alone is worthy to receive all glory.
The truth revealed in these three verses establishes unshakable confidence in our hearts as believers. God’s redemptive purposes will be accomplished in the hearts of those whom He has determined to save by divine power and grace. This is displayed for us to consider in two ways.
God’s Unifying Purpose (v. 28)
God’s eternal purpose comes first. It comes before any of the more specific works mentioned in verses 29-30.
God’s Unbreakable Chain (vv. 29-30)
Here the apostle lays out for us an unbreakable chain of five links. Please notice that this chain is unbreakable because it is God who—in every case—performs the work in a way that moves toward the fulfillment of His unifying purpose.
- Foreknowledge
- Predestination
- Calling
- Justification
- Glorification
God has purposed to save. And His plan will incorporate all things toward His intended goal, which He will accomplish. Nothing is left to chance. From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God. He is the initiator and provider of relationship with us. By empty-handed faith, we respond to the call of the gospel, repent, and entrust ourselves fully to Jesus Christ our redeemer.
This being the work of God, you are secure in Christ. And you can be assured that God who began a good work in you, through the gospel, will continue that work. He will remake you more and more into the image of Jesus…until you see Him face to face.
About the Author:
By God’s grace, I am a husband, father, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Cleveland, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
Original Post: The Unbreakable Chain of Redemption from Counseling One Another June 3, 2019. Used with permission.
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