It's All Good - [Romans 8:28]

Romans 8:28 in Context: The Promise of God’s Providential Good

Well, it's our privilege once again to turn to the Word of God. And so I'll ask you to take your Bibles and open to the eighth chapter of Romans. The eighth chapter of Romans, one of the most beloved and encouraging chapters in all of Scripture.

Now, tonight we're going to be studying just one verse, and a verse that you probably all know very well. But in order to look at it in context, we're going to look at verses 28 through 30. And so let's just read them now, and then we'll bow together in prayer.

Romans chapter 8, verse 28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified. This is the infallible and inerrant Word of God, and we give Him praise for its truth.

Let's bow in prayer. Lord, You are a great God and a great King, and we humble ourselves in Your holy presence. We marvel that You've delighted to reveal Yourself to us in this, Your Word. And we pray that in our worship tonight, we may have the eyes of our understanding opened, and see something of the beauty and the wonder of our God and Savior.

Hear us as we pray this day, and just be pleased to bless us to this end. And we pray in the name of Your blessed Son, and for the sake of His glory, Amen. Well, for Christians, this verse contains perhaps the most wonderful promise in all of Scripture.

And it voices one of the most glorious things that we can ever know about ourselves. For instance, do you know that as a Christian, all things are working together for good, for you? Do you know that God is overruling everything in the whole universe for your good?

Well, that's a staggering thought. And it's greatly encouraging in the daily life of the believer. So I believe that there's really a practical aspect to this verse. Now, I want to acknowledge right up front that when times are good, when we have steady jobs, when our families are doing well, when no loved ones are sick, and there have been no recent deaths, in times like these, it's easy to say, well, God causes all things to work together for good.

But what about the other times? What about the times when things aren't going so well? Well, in such times as those, we need to know that what we proclaim is true, and not just some kind of a fantasy.

And what I fear is that we too often apply this verse in a way that does great violence to its true meaning. I believe that the words of this verse are again and again misquoted and misunderstood, and that people are unclear in their minds as to the central issue which is addressed here.

And I believe that the devil would have it so. Now, the phrase that we so often quote out of verse 28 is, well, all things work together for good. And the reason that we so frequently quote it and misunderstand it is that we have some kind of a selfish idea that the good which it speaks of is that which benefits me the most.

And all things working together for good becomes equated in our minds to saying, all things will work together for my good, for my profit, for my benefit. All things will work out in the way that I want them to.

And of course, this is usually done with a focus on materialistic or hedonistic desires. Now, this is not pleasing to God, nor does it honor him. Do you understand my concern here? And so I want to tell you right up front that this verse does not support such a thought.

And it's a distortion of the central truth of the eternal purpose of God if we rise no higher in our understanding than that. Because when we think that way, it actually demeans and reduces the eternal purpose of God.

It portrays God's providence as having no greater end than in some way to satisfy our whims and our desires. As if God's number one purpose in saving you was to grant you freedom from the problems of life to ensure your success.

A better job, a better house, a better car, a better spouse, or whatever. Now, this is not his purpose. And scripture makes it quite plain. And so it's crucial that we understand what God has actually promised and what he has actually said.

And so today, what we're going to do in order to try to uncover the true meaning of our text is we're going to just ask four basic questions. I have to keep it basic. It's all I know. Four basic questions that I think will help us to unlock the true meaning of this verse.

And those questions are, how, who, what, and why? In other words, how do all things work together? Who is this promise made to? What is the good that it speaks of? Why was the promise made? Okay? And so those are the questions that we'll ask as we seek to unlock our verse today.

Romans 8 in Its Wider Context

Now, as always, it will help us if we look at the context in which this verse is found. Because really, our verse is kind of a summary of verses 1 through 27. And it's really kind of a precursor for the grand climax of verses 37 through 39.

And so because it really can't be understood except in light of the previous verses, I just want to trace the author's thought through the rest of chapter 8. So let's just look. Now, Paul has shown us in verses 1 through 8 that for those who are in Christ, there is now no condemnation.

Because they're indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who will one day gloriously raise their mortal bodies. In verses 14 through 17, they receive the assurance that they are God's children. And as such, his heirs.

Verse 18 promises that their present suffering for Christ and for his cause means that one day they will share his glory. And it's a glory that's just so marvelous that it makes all the hardships that we suffer just fade away.

And they will dwell in that new heaven and that new earth, which all creation awaits with groanings. And in fact, they themselves also groan as they eagerly await their adoption. But you know, in all their weaknesses, the Holy Spirit helps them.

And according to verses 26 and 27, the spirit intercedes for them in perfect harmony with God's will. So that his intercession will certainly be effective. And then as our verse promises, we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

You know, every time I look at it, I'm just overwhelmed to see God's sovereign hand displayed throughout this entire chapter. And so with that brief survey complete, let's just begin to unpack our text.

Let's ask our questions. And so we'll begin with how. How is it that all things work together for good? Do you see it in our verse? Look closely. What it says is that God causes all things to work together for good.

You see, all things don't work together on their own. There's no impersonal principle working in life. But God causes all things to work together for good. And so the first thing that we learn is that God is behind all of this.

But now in spite of that, this sounds like a pretty tall order, doesn't it? I mean, to make it so that everything works together for our good, that's surely a difficult task, if it's even possible. But of course, it is possible because this is God that we're talking about here.

Just listen as scripture testifies to his almighty power. In Isaiah 46 verses 9 and 10, he says, I am God and there is no other. I am God and there's no one like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things which have not been done, saying my purpose will be accomplished and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.

So we're reminded here that God is all powerful and that nothing can prevent him from accomplishing whatever he desires. Job also affirms this. Job 42, too, we read. I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

You see, if God desires to do something, nothing is going to stand in his way. The prophet Daniel wrote on this. He said, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

And no one can ward off his hand or say to him, what have you done? And so scripture is replete with language like this, reminding us that we worship an almighty God. Surely we can join with the prophet Jeremiah in saying, ah, Lord God, nothing is too difficult for you.

You see, with God, all things are possible. And so it's not a question of whether or not he can cause all things to work together for good. It's more a question, how does he do that? How does he cause all things to work together for our good?

Well, let's look into that question for a moment. Now, notice, first of all, that the phrase all things is utterly comprehensive. It's got no qualifications, no limits at all. And so if you're like me, the first thing that occurs to you is, well, what about suffering?

What about trials? I mean, we can understand how God causes all the good to work together for our good, right? But what about the evil that we see in the world? What about trials and tribulations? Are all things actually good?

Well, we know the trials and tribulations and failures and sin are not good in and of themselves. And in fact, they're bad. So how then can we justify the statement that all of them work together for good?

How can we even think such a thought? Well, the answer is that they are so used by God, so overruled and employed by God that they turn out for our good. You see, although afflictions themselves are evil, yet in their effects as overruled and directed by God, they're useful.

Now, we know, of course, that the world is filled with evil. But what this text teaches is that God uses these things to affect his own good ends for his people. God brings good out of the evil. Now, a little later in our chapter, Paul states that neither tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword can separate the lover of God from the love of Christ.

So now, knowing this, if trouble should come into the life of the lover of God, then that person can draw at least two conclusions. Now, the first is that the trouble is sent by God or even designed by God.

So it doesn't happen by accident or by chance. The second conclusion is that the arrival of the trouble has a purpose according to God's plan. And even though it may not be possible to detect the purpose, but it's one of the all things which work together for the good of the believer.

Now, that's an intriguing doctrine, isn't it? That's really interesting. But how does it work? How does God do that in our daily lives? Well, let's just think about trials as an example, okay? Trials, the first effect that trials have is that they shock us.

They awaken us. They make us think. And already, we're better off than before the trial began. Already, we're reminded of our helplessness. And so the trials and the affliction drive us back to God. Now, anything that drives us back to God is good for us.

And so that's one way in which this principle works out. You know, it's really tragic that trials and trouble should be necessary, but that's what sin has done to us. There are just some things that we learn best by going through trials and difficulties.

You know, on that point, I'm reminded of the psalmist in Psalm 119. He said, before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I keep your word. It is good for me that I was afflicted that I may learn your statutes.

So you see, there are benefits to enduring affliction. You might even say that affliction works together for our good. Now, Hebrews 12 also speaks to this issue. Hebrews 12, verse 11 says that all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful.

Yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. All discipline seems not to be joyful. That's an understatement. But what we're seeing again here in this verse is that God works for his people to bring good even out of their adversity.

He causes all things to work together for our good. Now, we can see the classic illustration of God bringing good out of evil in the Old Testament account of the life of Joseph. Joseph, you remember, was sold into captivity by his brothers.

And so he was sold into the hands of the Midianites, and then ultimately found his way into the hands of the Egyptians. And Joseph, his brothers, who had sold him into slavery, went down to Egypt in search of food.

And Joseph, by this time, had risen to a high and exalted position in the land. And when he saw his brothers, they didn't even recognize him. But Joseph, you know, he longed to unveil himself to them.

And finally, he did make himself known. He wept out loud and fell upon their neck. And he told them the story of his life from the divine standpoint. He said, you sold me into Egypt. But God sent me before you to preserve life.

So then it was not you who sent me here, but God. And so Joseph, knowing through experience that God works even in evil matters, recognized the sovereign hand of God in his life. God caused all things to work together for good for Joseph.

Now, when his father Jacob finally died, the brothers were very afraid because, you know, they didn't completely trust Joseph. And at the end, when Jacob died, they said, what if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?

But Joseph comforted them and said to them, do not be afraid. For am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me. But God meant it for good. In order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive.

And so Joseph understood that God works through both the good and the evil that men intend. All things do work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

Now, before we leave this thought, there are two scriptures that I just want to show you. And these verses really ought to fill the people of God with joy. And one of them is verse Psalm 84, 11. Just listen, I'll read it to you.

Psalm 84, 11 says, for the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord gives grace and glory. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. And then the other verse is our verse. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good.

To those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Now, just look at these two verses together and see what they're teaching us. If God will withhold nothing that is good from us.

And will overrule and cause all things, even the bad things to work together for our good. Then how could we not be absolutely and completely secure in that knowledge? Have you ever thought about it that way?

I mean, what an encouragement, what a promise that is. Now, the corollary of this truth is that nothing can ultimately work against us. Any temporary harm that we suffer will be used by God for our benefit.

You know, the apostle Paul counseled the Corinthian believers along these lines saying, therefore, we do not lose heart. But though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. You see, even when our outward circumstances are dire, perhaps especially when they're dire and when they seem hopeless from our perspective.

But God is purifying and renewing our inner man to prepare us for glorification, which is the ultimate good. And so we've seen the answer to our first question. How do all things work together for good?

Well, God causes them to. So our second question is who? Who is this promise made to? It says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who what? Love God. And so we notice immediately that there is a limitation in this statement.

Paul does not say that God causes all things to work together for good for everyone. The statement Paul is making here is not an unconditional statement, but this is a promise that is limited to those who love God.

And that, of course, is a peculiar characteristic of the Christian. The phrase is those who love God and those who are called are really two of the many titles or descriptions that the New Testament uses in reference to Christians.

Because you see, from the human perspective, we are those who love God. And from the divine perspective, we are those who are called now in God's sight. There are only two categories of human beings. Those who hate him and those who love him.

Jesus was referring to that truth when he said he who is not with me. Is against me. And earlier in our chapter, Paul says the mind set on the flesh. Well, that's referring to unbelievers. The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.

So you see, these are the only two alternatives in scripture. You either love him. Or else you hate him. And, you know, according to the Bible, we all hated God before he saved us. All unbelievers hate God.

Now, they would rather deny that statement. But scripture makes it abundantly clear. Colossians 121 says that you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind. Engaged in evil deeds. So we didn't love God.

We weren't neutral toward him. We were hostile. We were his enemies. And, you know, he's a God who is so holy that he can't even look upon sin. But in contrast, listen to what it says about us. Ephesians 2, 3 says we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh.

Indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath. So you see, we were living in our sin and we were happy about it. And the Bible says that this is true of every single one of us.

It says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And that the wages of sin is death. Did you hear that death? It means spiritual death. It means spending an eternity separated from God.

This is the second death, the lake of fire. And you see, in our condition, we were totally helpless and unable to do anything to save ourselves. Isaiah 59, 2 says your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.

And your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. So the situation was pretty bleak, just as it is for you today. If you have not yet received the salvation of God. But you know, God himself provided the solution to our dilemma.

Because God in his great mercy provided a savior to rescue us. Romans 5 tells us that while we were still helpless. At the right time, Christ died for the ungodly and God demonstrated his own love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So you see, he died in our place. As our substitute. Because we deserved death, but he paid our debt on that cross. What an act of love. What a loving God. First John 419 says we love him. Why? Because he first loved us.

So you see, believers are not saved on the basis of who they are or what they've done. But solely on the basis of who God is and what he has done. And understand that this salvation is not offered indiscriminately.

But you need to recognize your need, recognize your helplessness, and then flee to Jesus, the savior. Call out to him, throw yourself upon his mercy. And the Bible says whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And as many as received him to them, he gave the right to become children of God. Even to those who believe in his name. And so, you know, I just have to stop at this point and ask you. Have you called out in faith?

And ask Jesus to save you. If not, will you call on him today? It's not too late. But you know, the Bible says that you must be born again. For unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And so maybe before we go on, you should ask yourself some questions. You should ask yourself, do I love God? Have I been born again from above? Have I passed from death unto life? Do I have any reason to believe that I've been called according to his purpose?

Well, if you haven't, then I beg you to come and speak with me right after the service. Because it's not too late. God is still saving sinners today. But if you answered yes, then this magnificent promise that we're studying is for you.

And that should be a source of great, great comfort to you. So when our verse speaks of those who love God, it's obviously talking about Christians, right? We're talking about believers here. But now it's essential that we're quite clear in our minds as to what love includes and what it represents.

God causes all things to work together for those who love God. Well, fair enough. So what is meant by loving God? Well, it doesn't refer to a sentiment or a feeling. We're not talking about emotions here.

That's not love. John 14, verse 21, gives us a clue. It says, he who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And so you see, obedience is one of the tests of love. To love God means that our true desire is to please God and to live for his glory.

It means that we strive to keep his commandments and to be like him. And you know, there's really no point in talking about love if you're not keeping his commandments. Now, we've already seen that no man would ever have loved God unless God had first of all loved him.

And we can be sure that if any man does love God, it's because God gave him the grace to do it. But the one who does love God will desire to please him by obeying his commandments. They will want to use all of the all things which come into their life to express their love and their obedience to God.

And so now think about it. If we love God, then that is irrefutable proof that God loves us. And therefore we can be absolutely certain that everything in our lives will ultimately be overruled by God for our good, for our benefit, and for his glory.

Well, now knowing this to be true, you are wise to consider how it applies to you. Do you love God? It's a valid question. Do you love him not with lip service, but with heart service? Do you love to give him honor and glory?

Do you love to have communion with him? Do you frequently visit his mercy seat? And do you abide in his commandments and desire to be conformed into his image? Well, if you do, then you can be confident that this promise was intended for you and you can rest in the comfort that it brings.

And so we've answered another of our questions. Who is this promise made to? Well, it's made to those who love God. Our third question is what? What is the good that it speaks of? It says all things work together for good.

Well, what is this good? What does it mean by good? I mean, if all things are going to work out together for my good, why am I not healthy? And why am I not wealthy? Well, although Paul likely has in mind here, both are good during this present life and in the future.

I believe that he's primarily referring to our ultimate good in the life to come. We know from the account of Joseph and other passages that there is a temporal aspect to this. But we can see also that the primary focus of it is in verse 29.

It says, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son. So Paul is not saying here that those who love God will get everything they want. Or that they'll be perpetually happy.

But what he is saying is that the lives of those who love God are ordered by God, and they are ordered for the purpose of conforming the believer into the image of Christ. Molding them into the moral and spiritual character of his precious son.

And this, of course, is the process we refer to as sanctification. It's the process by which we grow in Christ like this, day by day and year by year, being molded into his image. And I'll tell you that material wealth and physical health are of infinitely less value to us than that.

In fact, it's impossible to think of a higher good for the creature than to be made like his maker. And, you know, making you into his image is God's will for your life. 1 Thessalonians 4, 3 tells us, for this is the will of God, your sanctification.

And so he desires this for you. He has willed it for you. And God will continue this blessed work until he completes it. Until that moment when we're finally brought face to face with the Savior and are instantly changed into his image.

1 John 3, 2 says, we know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is. And so just being in his presence will affect the transformation of the believer. And the life of the lover of God will end in glorification, which is the ultimate good which God is working toward.

What a glorious hope we have when we understand this promise. Uh, it's the perfect plan of a loving heavenly father. And sort of the question was the good that it speaks of, we answer conformity to the image of Christ.

Which is the ultimate good for each of us. Okay, so now we've answered three of our questions. How do all things work together for good? Well, God causes them to. Who is this promise made to? It's made to those who love God.

What is the good that it speaks of? Conformity to the image of Christ. And so now we come to our final question. Why? Right? The question a two-year-old always asks, why? Why was the promise made? Why was it made?

It says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Now there's one concern in particular that may have occurred to you.

As we considered what it means to love God. And that's the fact that none of us does love God perfectly. None of us love him like we ought to. Scripture says that you should love the Lord, your God, with all your.

And with all your soul and with all your might. In fact, Jesus called that the greatest commandment. But, you know, we fall short of obeying it. In fact, we fall far short of obeying it. And so you may have wondered, does this promise found in our verse still apply to me even when I don't love God like I ought to?

Well, I want to point out that the promise is not that all things work together for good. As long as you love God. Right? Obviously, we don't love God as fully as we ought to. We're still we're imperfect and we're we're contaminated by sin.

But the promise still applies to us. Because we are called according to his purpose. And this is a most important distinction. Because all believers, without exception, are called according to his purpose.

Now, it says that we're called according to his purpose. And when we look at that, we can see that really the statement tells us a lot. Because if God has called us according to his purpose, then we know two things, right?

We know, one, that he has a purpose. And that, two, he has a place for us within it. But what is his purpose? What is he ultimately going to do? Well, verses 29 and 30 go on to tell us that. Actually, those verses are an exposition of the phrase according to his purpose.

The final blessing for every Christian is that we are to be conformed to the image of his son. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. So then God's ultimate purpose then is the glory of Christ.

The preeminence of Christ and the exaltation of the son of God. That's the ultimate end of salvation. In fact, that's the ultimate end of everything. And so the guarantee that all things will work together for our good, that they always have done so, that they are doing so now, and that they always will do so, lies in the fact that it's all a part of God's great purpose with respect to us.

In other words, it all boils down to this. If we are in God's plan and purpose, then nothing can be against us. It's as simple as that. Now, it might seem that Paul's teaching here is likely to produce fatalism, right?

That's probably occurred to you. I mean, if all of the events of life inevitably lead to our conformity to Christ, then why should we care? I mean, what possible responsibility could we have in this situation?

But this is not fatalism as if there's a blind chance behind the things that happen to believers. But rather, it's the plan of a loving father. And that makes all the difference in the world between the doctrine of fatalism and this doctrine that is taught in the word of God.

And furthermore, God has ordained the means as well as the end. And we know that his will for us includes our obedience to his commandments. So we should joyfully obey them knowing that this too is for our good.

Living by What We Know, Not by What We Feel

Well, now, before we come to a close today, I want to consider how we can apply this truth to our lives, right? Let's get really practical here. How can we apply this? And so to do that, I want to go back to the beginning of our verse and to notice a little word that should have a big impact on us.

It says, we know that God causes all things to work together for good. It doesn't say that we feel all things to be good, does it? Often, we don't feel that God is doing good at all. We feel exactly the opposite.

Because most of the time, we don't perceive the good that God is doing or how he might be bringing good out of the evil. But the text simply says, we know it. We know it because God has told us that this is what he's doing.

And so we can know it and we can be comforted in the knowledge that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. And we will be wise if we learn to stop letting the appearance of disorder in our lives keep us from trusting that God is indeed fulfilling this promise to us each day.

God is working all things together for our good, regardless of appearances. Now, along these lines, the story is told of a preacher who is one day visiting a lady from his congregation who had been in deep, deep trouble.

She had lost her husband and she had lost her children, and now a sorrow worse than death itself had overcome her. And so he was trying to comfort her, but he was not having much success. And so anyway, she was engaged over working over a piece of tapestry for a pillow or a cushion or something like that.

But at any rate, it was lying on her lap with the wrong side facing up. And now he was not getting anywhere in the conversation. So guided by the Holy Spirit, he said, well, I must say that that is an ugly and ill-conceived design.

If indeed it's not without design. Well, then with a slight note of resentment that he had so rudely criticized her handiwork, she said, well, what do you mean? So he replied, well, I'm surprised that a sensible woman like you would occupy herself working over such a senseless piece of work as that.

I can see nothing but a lot of confused ends and bits of wool apparently massed together without any order. And furthermore, without any reference to color, there's no pattern, no design about it at all.

Well, she told him why that's absurd. You're confused, you're looking at the wrong side. Of course, it looks ragged and disorderly on this side. And with that, she turned it over. Now, what do you think?

So he said, well, it's a beautiful pattern, I must admit. But I must also tell you that you are confused. Because you've been looking at your life from the wrong side. You've been looking at it from the human standpoint, not looking at it from the divine standpoint.

God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. To those who are called according to his purpose. These things that have been happening to you are the confused bits and ends and pieces of your life looked at from the human standpoint.

But one day, when we get to heaven, you'll look back and say, what a beautiful design God wrought in my life. Well, we can be greatly comforted if despite how unsettling our situation appears, we simply take God at his word and trust him.

After all, hasn't he proven time and again how well-placed our confidence is when we depend on his faithfulness? Let's thank him for it. Father, when we consider the precious promises found in your word, this has to be paramount among them.

And we can draw so much confidence in knowing that you are working all things together for our good. Lord, we desire more than anything to be made into the image of your son. Would you help us to turn our lives over to you and to just pursue Christlikeness with all of our energies?