Read Romans 8:28
In this well known verse, we receive one of the most astounding promises that God makes to all of those who have faith in Christ. Paul premises this promise by stating that it is not for EVERYONE, but for those who love God. The end of the verse states that same group of people from a different perspective, those who love God are the ones who are called according to his purpose. In the context of Romans 8, we know that it is those who are “in Christ” who have placed their trust in him and him alone for salvation from their sins and new life.
The promise for those who love God is that ALL things will work together for their good. After having spent the last paragraph or so describing the state of the world under the subjection to futility and the groaning for redemption, the emphasis of this passage is that all things, even the things that are part of the bondage of this present world and the suffering that it produces are working together for good. There is nothing that is outside of God’s care or control in the lives of his people. He is intimately involved in every detail and is tilting all aspects of our lives towards good.
The good that is promised in this verse is pure, perfect, beautiful and unimaginably good because it is good that flows directly from God’s character. Because God is good and all goodness is defined and flows from Him, we are certain that the fulfillment of this promise will be better than we could possibly imagine. While we might be curious about the details, we can be certain about the outcome.
Finally, it is God who is the one working all things towards good. Romans 8:28 assumes that it is God that is working all things towards good because all things do not have the ability to work themselves towards good and we certainly do not have the ability to control all things in a way that we can make them work towards good. It is only the one true God who has the power, purity, and desire to move all things towards the good of his people, and it is because He is the one working that we can know that this promise is certain.
Questions
Why is this promise difficult to believe at times and what helps push us towards believing it more?
How does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection give a perfect illustration for this verse?
Have you experienced any situations where you have seen this promise playing out in your life?
What are some ways that we can imitate God by using everything in our spheres of influence to bring about goodness?