More from Romans 8 (The Message):
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. An then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the ed, gloriously completing what he had begun.
I love the part about God calling people by name (emphasis MINE). Another part of Romans talks about how God calls us by name, and that we aren’t just a number to God. (I’m sure I’ll quote that another day!) Personal, intimate, real. Luke 12.7 tells us that God has numbered the hairs on our heads – He knows us that well! I love it.