What is the Good, God is Working in Romans 8:28?

 You don’t need to be around me long in any setting where a discussion of life and faith is present to know that I quote Romans 8:28 a lot. I don’t like to say I have one favorite scripture—the Bible is just too full of incredible passages to choose only one—but I do believe Romans 8:28 is a truth we must hold onto and turn to almost every day of our lives.

Suffering is a real fact of life. No one escapes life without seasons of trials and storms. Far too many Christians have yet to grasp the theological implications and aspects of suffering. To understand these truths, one must believe the biblical fact that God is sovereign. The Bible teaches repeatedly that everything in our lives—whether good or bad—is completely under the sovereign hand of Almighty God. As R.C. Sproul once said, "There is not one maverick molecule if God is sovereign." The Bible declares that God is sovereign. And that settles it.

Look at Romans 8:28:

"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."

We should never make Scripture say what it does not say. This verse does not promise that life will be easy or trouble-free. The Bible is clear on that. Jesus stated this truth in John 16:33, saying:

"In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

What a great verse and promise! But also within that promise is the assurance that we will experience tribulation. Romans 8:28 assures us that despite our sufferings—whatever they may be and for whatever reason they happen—God is working them for good.

But for what good? Most of us have been through things, or at least know people who have endured things, that seem to have no apparent good outcome. I could provide many examples, but I think we can all recall times when something happened, and we just couldn’t see its purpose or understand what good could come from it.

So, isolating Romans 8:28 from the rest of Scripture doesn’t give us the full picture. But I have good news—Paul answers that very question in the next verse. Unfortunately, many people spend so much time arguing over doctrine that they miss the answer, which is quite clear once you see it. And this answer explains suffering and why it even exists.

Take a look at Romans 8:29:

"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."

If you missed it, let me highlight it for you:

"To become conformed to the image of His Son."

So why does God cause all things to work together for good?

So that we would "become conformed to the image of His Son."

God is using every event in your life to do the work of sanctification. He is not wasting anything. Romans 8:28 tells us that God causes all things to work for this purpose. Even our sins, the sins of others against us, and the most painful experiences in life—God is using them to shape us into the likeness of Christ.

Your cancer, your grief over the loss of a loved one, your job loss, and every other hardship you face—God is using all of it to conform you to the image of His Son.

Our sole purpose is to glorify God, and the best way to do that is to become more like Christ. The most powerful witness to the world is when they see Jesus in us.

Romans 8:28 is my go-to verse when life overwhelms me with sorrow and fear. But understanding that everything happening in and around me is being used by God to make me more like Jesus helps me endure each day. My faith grows because I know what God is doing, even if I don’t always like it.

My prayer for all of you reading this is that you will make this promise of God real in your life. Memorize Romans 8:28. Study it. Meditate on it. Share it with others. Believe this truth and rejoice in it. It is truly life-changing.

All Things New

 This morning as I look out into the day, I see the sun is shining. The past several days have been dark and dreary filled with many periods of rain. It has been hard to get motivated. I think it could be easily said, it’s been a bit depressing.

But the way God works in the lives of His children, those who call Jesus Lord, is to work in the times of despair and suffering. Romans 5:3-5 explains this to us saying,  “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

We are called to rejoice in our sufferings, because it is in them that we are becoming like Christ. The Apostle Paul has written about suffering and resurrection in Philippians 3:8-11. Take a look.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

In order to know the power of resurrection, we must share in the sufferings of Jesus and become like Him in death. The transition of winter to spring is a picture of that process. Just as the seasons come and go here in the Midwest, so our lives have seasons of suffering and seasons of resurrection. But we have to die to be resurrected. 

The promises of God as found in the Bible are many. One of those promises is that we will have suffering. Jesus gave this promise in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Suffering is simply part of life. But we need not lose heart, for in the suffering and the death, comes resurrection. 

Just as winter is making way to spring, so is God working in the lives of His children. I close this morning with a promise from God.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5 

This morning look out and see how God is making all things new. 

Joy In the Suffering

In the midst of these difficult days, the question of suffering is ever present in many of our minds. Each of us is enduring through this time of trial, some are even dealing with severe illness and death. The Bible actually does answer the question of why suffering exists. This morning I am continuing to study 1 Peter and in this scripture reading, is both an explanation and a command regarding our troubles.

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Wow, there is so much here.

First, it says we are to rejoice even though we are grieved by various trials. But it says “In this” we rejoice. In what? Go back to the beginning of 1 Peter and we see that “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.”

We should rejoice because God has saved us and given us eternal life.

Peter then tells us that if necessary, God is grieving us by various trials. We don’t all experience the exact same trials and grief, but we can trust in our God, who knows what we need to test the genuineness of our faith. Our faith, because it is results “in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” is more valuable than gold. Why? Gold, like everything else in the life, will perish. But not our salvation; it is eternal and will never pass away.

But we must admit, we have a tendency to lose sight of the eternal life to come. We get too focused on this life. Our money, our comfort, our plans and dreams, and even our loved ones, become what we focus on. Peter reminds us that we don’t see Jesus in person, like we do everything else in this life. But true faith, results in loving Jesus even when we don’t see Him. True faith gains its joy in the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

This is what Jesus is talking about when he said this in Luke 14:26,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus isn’t telling us to hate our family, that would contradict everything God calls on us to do in loving others. He is telling us that the focus and center of our entire being, must be upon Him. Then then the overflow of our love will pour out on those around us and they will be cloaked in our love.

In order for us to have joy, which supersedes happiness that is dependent on circumstance, our faith must be proven to be genuine. And in the most difficult of trials, our faith, if real, will result in rejoicing, because real faith has its hope in the eternal life, not this one.

So, take heart, brothers and sisters in Christ. God does not waste anything. This trial you are facing, no matter how painful, will prove the genuineness of your faith. And the result of that is “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” which is more valuable than gold.

If in this trial, you don’t have this joy, then you need to humble yourself before God and seek His face. Open up your Bible and find the promises He has to offer. Go to Him in prayer and cry out to Him.

Psalm 34:18  

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

He wants to bring joy to your heart.

Finding Hope Even in the Midst of Evil

Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is the pinnacle of the yearly calendar to the Christian. Even many of the unsaved will flock to churches today in response to the holiday, not because they believe in Jesus or in His resurrection, but for varying reasons, such as, Mom asked them to, they go. Why is Easter Sunday so popular? Because whether we are avid followers of Christ or merely go to church to keep mom happy, humans need hope and if nothing else, there is hope found in this concept of resurrection.

It seems appropriate that my morning reading and study this morning finds me here.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

It is easy on Easter morning to have hope while sitting in a church, wearing your Sunday best clothes, next to your family who loves you, with a nice ham in the oven at home, where all will gather for a nice meal and a fun day watching your children hunt down little plastic eggs filled with candy on a beautiful spring day.

But what about all those out there this morning who just lost a loved one to addiction? Or whose little boy went missing last week and whose little body was dragged from a lake Saturday morning? Or whose body is made weak with cancer that has spread into parts of their body that will not only inflict severe pain, but will at its peak, take the life of someone who is only in their thirties? The truth is, this world is filled with all sorts of horrible and terrifying events. There is evil and there is suffering all across this world. How do we live with any sense of peace and hope in the midst of such dreadful suffering?

The answer is found in Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

First of all, we see that the promise is only for those who love God. We also see that it is for those who are called according to His purposes. The truth of the words that tell us this are deeply theological and profound. Maybe you do not understand them. Maybe you misunderstand them. While it is important to seek the deep theological aspects of knowing God, that is not the necessary requirement of salvation. Faith is what saves us. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Maybe you are reading this and not sure that you are called by God to have this saving faith. But I offer that if you are reading this and even asking this question, then you are being led by God, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to seek to know Him. As long as you have breath, you can reach out to Jesus and call on His name. Jesus said this in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” If you call on His name, He will never cast you out.

This is where the great promise of Romans 8:28 kicks in for those who love God. It tells us that “for those who love God all things work together for good.” This might be the greatest promise of the Bible. If you hang around with me long, you will find that it is a verse I hold dear to me heart. God has made an unbelievable promise here. He has promised that if you are His by faith in His Son, Jesus, then every single thing that ever occurs in your life, He is working out for good.

The death of Christ is the perfect example. Imagine the wonders and joy of having Jesus as your friend and teacher who you spent every day with for three years and then is suddenly arrested for doing nothing wrong, given a bogus trial and is wrongly convicted, and sentenced to death, and then killed in the most excruciating way possible, hung on a cross to die a slow death. What could be any more devastating than that?

Yet, the death of Christ was the means by which sinful, evil people, could be saved from the penalty of their own sins and would result in eternal life spent in the presence of God, where suffering and pain will no longer exist. God worked it all out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. This is the hope of Easter Sunday. We. Like Christ, can be resurrected to new life.

That new life never promises an earthly life of ease, no it actually promises Christians will face suffering, persecution, and difficult circumstances. But the promise God in Romans 8:28 is that no matter what we face on earth, He is working it out for good.

Everything. Bad or good is being worked out by God for good. Everything.

So, this morning if you are Christ’s, if you have been led to call on the name of Jesus, then you can know that whatever has happened, whatever is happening, whatever will happen, is being worked out for good by our God.

If you are not Christ’s but you feel Him calling you to reach out to Him, then He will use all these things in your life for good as He causes you to call on His name, even in desperation and a sense of hopelessness, for there is hope in Him and that hope is a sure hope.

Today is Easter Sunday. It is Resurrection Sunday. Call on Jesus. He will resurrect you to new life and cause you to be born again. The promise of scripture will be yours and you can live in joy no matter the circumstances you find yourself in.

I leave you with this wonderful description of the life of the Christian as we are led by our Great Shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Happy Easter!

How to Survive in a Den of Lions

One of the hardest questions for many to answer, is the question of suffering. Why does God allow so much pain to occur in this life? If what we believe about God is true, then He is omnipotent. He has the power to prevent horrible events from occurring. For the Christian, we might be tempted to allow that God would be just in allowing suffering to occur into the lives of the wicked, those who willfully reject Him and make it their life’s passion to cast aspersions upon His name. But what about the faithful Christian? Many Christians wrestle with this dilemma.

One place to find great comfort in the problem of suffering, is the Book of Daniel. It is clearly, a story of a faithful servant of God being tossed into one of the most fearful situations we could contrive of in our minds. Daniel, a great man of faith and integrity, was a man of prayer. Embedded in this story is an example of how we are to come to God as we pray. Despite the attempts of those jealous of Daniel’s favor with King Darius to get back at Daniel by having the king outlaw any prayer that did not go towards the king, Daniel remained faithful to His God.

Daniel 6:10
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Daniel had been a faithful man of prayer and even under threat of death, he prayed and gave thanks to God as he had always done. On the surface we might be thinking that certainly God would look down with favor upon Daniel and save him from the perils of the king. But not so. Even King Darius wanted to keep Daniel from facing the consequences of his having violated the decree that now threatened his life.

Daniel 6:14-15
Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.  Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

We study our Bible and in it we find that God is sovereign over all, even kings.

Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

Isaiah 14:24
The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.

Ephesians 1:11
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

Yes, God is in control. He could have prevented Daniel from being tossed into the Lion’s den. Whatever trial we might find ourselves this very day in, whatever storm we face, one thing is clear; God has the power to keep us from it. Yet see what he allowed Daniel to face.

Daniel 6:16-17
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

So Daniel spent an entire night in the lion’s den where he faced not one, but an entire den of nearly starved lions. Imagine the terror of that night. Most likely none of us know what that feels like, but we all have had those nights when we had no idea how we would survive. Maybe it was pain, or sorrow, or simply gripping fear of what was to come the next day. But listen to what happened.

Daniel 6:19-23
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”  Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel was delivered from the den of lions. Why?

First, it says Daniel was blameless. Blameless not mean he was perfect, no man is. Blameless means that Daniel believed in God’s law and his moral code and did his best to live by it.

But the reason Daniel could live a blameless life and the reason he came out unharmed was “because he had trusted in his God.” That, my friends, is faith. Trusting God, in spite of the fact that you are sitting in a den of lions.

The most important lesson we can learn here is this; God does allow us to face suffering and danger. But we also can see why in this story.

Daniel 6:25-27
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.  I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Why did God allow Daniel to face that horrible night? Because God knew that by Daniel’s faith, amid sure death, a pagan king would declare to the entire world, the witness of our Great God. The world expects us as Christians to offer all glory to God, yet like the Jews, we often fail to do so. Daniel’s story was part of the bigger picture of God’s glory going out to all the world.

I cannot say why you face the troubles you do this very day. But in the story of Daniel, I can promise you that if you simply dwell in the den by faith, God will be glorified, and God will deliver you. Whether your deliverance is during your time here on earth or it comes in eternity, is up to Him. But know this, He will be glorified.

Read the story of Daniel. Spend your time praying with thanksgiving even if that might bring peril. The life of a Christian is a life of faith and a life that seeks to bring glory to God. If we live with an eternal perspective as bringing glory to God being our end goal, we can find peace, even in the midst of suffering.

Christians, encourage each other in these difficult days. Turn to His Word for the way to do so. I leave you with His instruction to live with peace, even if you are facing lions that wish to shred you into pieces.

Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Daniel lived this way. Even through a night in the lion’s den. God bless you.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 112

Well, I spent a lifetime lookin' for you
Single bars and good time lovers were never true
Playin' a fools game, hopin' to win
Tellin' those sweet lies and losin' again

Those are the lyrics of a good, ole country song sung by Johnny Lee back in 1980. They still ring true today. We live in a society where people just cannot find the love they need and happiness escapes them. Alcohol, drugs, and sex are just three of the vices that we seek in the quest for happiness. But as Johnny Lee sang, we are looking for love in all the wrong places. Psalm 112 is a wonderful reminder of how to find happiness.

Psalm 112:1
Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments.

The word blessed means happy. Though this psalm is written in view of the physical promises God made to Israel through the Old Covenant, they apply in spiritual basis to the New Covenant believer. Listen to what life is like for the one who fears God and delights in His commandments.

Psalm 112:2-6
His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches are in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.  Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.  It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment.  For he will never be shaken; The righteous will be remembered forever.

The righteous will be remembered forever. The false prosperity teachers who fill our televisions at night and tell us God will give us anything we want because we deserve them, misuse scriptures such as these. They leave out the story of Job in their preaching. There will be plenty of suffering in the life of a believer. Some believers will not be wealthy in terms of money. But because of this promise, the righteous will be remembered forever, God has guaranteed to those who fear Him and turn to Christ for salvation, an eternal blessedness. Though you may live in a shack on earth, listen to this promise from Jesus in John 14:2
 

“In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Psalm 112:7-8
He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is upheld, he will not fear, Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.

Believers need not fear anything. We can trust the Lord, even in the midst of the scariest storm.

Psalm 112:9
He has given freely to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor.

We can trust in God to provide all we truly need and are free to give in His name. Psalm 112 ends by explain what happens when the wicked see a Christian living his faith out.

Psalm 112:10
The wicked will see it and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked will perish.

Christians, we must stand in awe of God and worship Him with all our being. That worship must be cloaked in reverence of God and in delight of His Word and the commandments within It.

Looking for love and happiness?

Psalm 112:1
Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments.

Amen