The Ultimate Promise

Romans 8:28 is one of the most famous and most frequently quoted verses in the entire Bible. The promise that God is at work for our good has provided a foundation of Hope for Christians in the most trying circumstances.

Romans 8:28 ESV

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.

‌In 1982, Nick Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare genetic disorder.

Nick has no arms or legs, although he has two small feet attached to his torso. Growing up, Nick struggled emotionally and physically to accept his condition. But today as a follower of Christ, Nick has what he calls "a ridiculously good life." Nick writes:‌When I'm asked how I can claim a ridiculously good life when I have no arms or legs, [people] assume I'm suffering from what I lack. They inspect my body and wonder how I could possibly give my life to God, who allowed me to be born without limbs. Others have attempted to soothe me by saying that God has all the answers and then when I'm in heaven I will find out his intentions.

Instead, I choose to live by what the Bible says, which is that God is the answer today, yesterday, and always.‌When people read about my life or witness me living it, they are prone to congratulate me for being victorious over my disabilities. I tell them that my victory came in surrender. It comes every day when I acknowledge that I can't do this on my own, so I say to God, "I give it to you!"

Once I yielded, the Lord took my pain and turned it into something good ….. He gave my life meaning when no one and nothing else could provide it. [And] if God can take someone like me, someone without arms and legs, and use me as his hands and feet, he can use anybody. It's not about ability. The only thing God needs from you is a willing heart.

‌“And We Know”‌Notice that the statement “we know” shows itself in verse 22 which started with “we know.” So here are two assertions that are being made of Christian knowledge.

What We Know!

1). We know that “Creation has been Groaning as in Childbirth.” ‌

2). We know that God has Providential Care over those who are His.‌There are many other things that we do not know. ‌

What we Do not Know!

1). We do not how to pray as we ought to pray‌

2). We do not fully know God’s final plan in our suffering. ‌

3). We do not know when Christ will return, thus our groaning.

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It would be be foolish to claim to know things that we do not know. In fact, Christians have been guilty for centuries of trying to come up with explanations for things that we do not know.

We are all caught in this continuous tension between the things we know and those that we do not know. Have you ever had someone try to stump you on a ridiculous question that they know we cannot fully answer?

It is also foolish to try and suppress or hide those things that we do know about God.

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WE KNOW: This expresses a knowledge of faith.

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1. We know that God’s work is not Divided

“All things work together.”

God does not divide those things that He wills to work in and then find Himself somehow detached or removed from His creation in things that He does not will to work in.

When was the last time you Recognized a Tragedy as Something Good?

Note: A keyword in the Text is “All Things.”

DUALISM: this is the philosophy that says good and evil are two equal and eternal forces; this is shown to be false in the Word of God.

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From the very 1st verse of scripture: Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The word heavens is a synonym for “all things.” In the beginning, God created all things; including the Devil. Although he is very powerful, Satan is ultimately a finite creature who is by no means a match for our Lord.

Even though He created the Devil, God is by no means responsible for evil. Like everything else, if Satan was originally created “very good”, then how Satan could fall when there was no evil present in creation is a great mystery. Still, we know our Creator cannot be tempted with evil, nor can He ever tempt anyone, James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is being tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil.”

Satan, as a created being, understands that He is in complete subjection to the Lord, who uses him to fulfill His good purpose. The Devil is God’s Devil and never operates outside of the Lord's decree.

Even though in the hard truth that God rules over Satan without Himself being guilty of sin, it is also a great comfort to know that what we suffer now at the hands of Satan is not purposeless but will lead to our good and God’s glory.

‌Problematic verse: ‌We know that this is difficult to wrap our mind around, because, we have all heard someone say during a time of crisis that “in the end everything will turn out all right.”

And we know that it does not always end up alright at least as far as we can see in the present sense of right and wrong, just and unjust. The Good does not always imply that things will turn out to be rainbows and fluffy bunny’s. ‌

What about Job I think He would disagree that the Good was a pleasant experience.

He lost His family, his income, his health, all for Job was literally all things God is using for our good. ‌Notice that in the preceding verses the Spirit designated as “He” is the subject of the text, and is the one who intercedes on our behalf with groanings which are beyond words. Many scholars have put the subject of the following text “All things,” not “God.” This would place things in God’s all embracing providence all things work together for good to those who love God.

“All Things,” - Cooperate for Good

We must separate this verse from our feelings and emotions. Even when we do not feel that God is working for our good, we know that He is working. The cultural problem we find ourselves in is when we assume that God is working in certain things and then in other things, such as the effectual calling of the Spirit. He somehow removes himself and is no longer actively working.

Or, when evil is taking place in the world, that must be a time when God removed Himself from the situation and is no longer working for the good.

‌Divinely Directed and Ordered by God‌

1) The Good Angels: Those ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are His children. (Heb. 1:14). 

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2) Satan and His Host of Demons: these are those sent out to destroy and cause chaos and confusion in our lives. (Rom. 16:20; Eph. 6:10-16). ‌3) The Nations and Rulers of the World: Job 12:23.

Job 12:23 ESV

23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.

‌This is the theme that happens again, and again: God being the one who brings nations into being, He makes them great or large, and then just as swiftly removes them from the face of the earth never to be heard of again. God does that.

Psalm 22:28

Psalm 22:28 ESV

28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

‌4) God Controls the Rain and Thunder: (1 Samuel 12:18-20) God is in control of all things including the weather and climate of the earth. Some have questioned whether Satan could have control over the weather when a natural disaster happens. I would say if Satan could impact the weather it is is only in so far as God allows it to happen for His greater good purpose. It is God not Satan that controls the weather. Psalm 135:6-7

Psalm 135:6–7 ESV

6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. 7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Jeremiah 10:13 Psalm 24:1-2

Jeremiah 10:13 ESV

13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

5) God controls the streams, mountains, and clouds: When the Christian mind turns to nature it turns to God. Psalm 24:1-2

Psalm 24:1–2

ESV

1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,  the world and those who dwell therein,  2 for he has founded it upon the seas  and established it upon the rivers.

‌Every blade of grass, every rock that is set in its place, every cloud that fills the sky was set in place and are held in control by God’s mighty right hand.

‌6) God even controls the Stars it its course:

Isaiah 40:26

Isaiah 40:26

ESV

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:  who created these?  He who brings out their host by number,  calling them all by name;  by the greatness of his might  and because he is strong in power,  not one is missing.

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2. We know that the end result of God’s work is for our Good.

“Work together for the Good.”

God does not pick and choose which parts of our life He is working for our good and which parts we are left all alone. There is nothing in this world that we can do good apart from God. He is the one who is taking even what Satan does in our lives and working it for our good.

What do You Recognize as the Goodness of God?

‌Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington ‌At a November 2015 church banquet he urged his listeners to live in a constant attitude of gratitude for God's goodness:‌

Give thanks for blessings every day. Every day. Embrace gratitude. Encourage others. 

It is impossible to be grateful and hateful at the same time. I pray that you put your slippers way under your bed at night, so that when you wake in the morning you have to start on your knees to find them. ‌And while you're down there, say "thank you." A bad attitude is like a flat tire. Until you change it, you're not going anywhere.

‌What is the Good of God? ‌agathos (good) Denotes the significance or excellence of a person or thing, frequently in the moral sense. Rich young ruler called Jesus good, Jesus response was “no one is good but God alone.” Jesus response does not so much deny Jesus goodness as it exalts God’s goodness.

‌Pastor Note:‌It does not always so much look or feel like good. It is often hard to discern God’s goodness in the midst of extreme pain or grief or in the uncertainty of a messed up world. However, at the end of history, in light of a glorious eternity, the goodness of God’s purposes will be fully understood. ‌

Augustine Memorable Quote: “God is so good as to permit no evil to exist, except that God is so powerful as to be able to draw something good from evil.”

Everything that God made was originally good: “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” God’s goodness is showcased in the Law He gave to Israel; the Law is holy, righteous, and good: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights.” (James 1:17).  God can create what is good because He is fully good in who He is.

The goodness of God should lead to thankfulness on our part: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever.” ( Psalm 107:1). People do not naturally want to follow or thank God. Instead, people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. In the OT the Israelites continued to take the goodness of God for granted. “They forgot what He had done, the wonders he had shown them.”

Ultimately, God’s goodness is seen in His plan for our redemption from sin and death. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance.

How many times this week did you stop to thank God for His goodness towards you?

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Who is the Good of God for?

‌God’s goodness in Scripture is one of the most mentioned Divine attributes of God, but it is also one that is most often misunderstood.

‌As an attribute, goodness is first a description of God’s essential character. It means that the Lord is not evil, that He does not love sin and, indeed, he cannot even be tempted with evil. ‌So, the divine goodness of God is closely related in scripture to the divine holiness of God, which refers to both God’s being set apart from everything else and to His moral character.

Divine goodness is also closely connected to Divine judgement. Goodness abhors evil, therefore, punishing evil is intrinsic to what it means for God to be good and just. In fact the Lord forbids His human judges from perverting His justice, and for us taking the justice of God into our own hands, “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.” ‌

Note: Divine wrath in the service of divine justice is one way in which God manifests His goodness to His Creation.

How does God show His goodness to His Creation?

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1). God’s Goodness is shown in His Benevolence towards all People.

God’s benevolence is God’s kindness the Lord bestows on all people and includes such things as His giving rain to both the just and the unjust alike (Matt. 5:45b). God has a specific love only for believers, and by this love, He works out all things for the good of His people John 1:12-13

John 1:12–13

ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

God’s benevolence is a more generalized display of goodness that is not the love that leads to salvation.

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2). God’s Goodness is shown in His Special love for His Adopted Children.

Romans 8:15–16 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

This love is a holy love, which means that our sins are punished, but they are punished in Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins.

So, in saving us God does not set aside His love for what is good and His hatred for what is evil, but He judges us in Christ so as to save us without compromising His justice. In His holy love, God also disciplines us for our good and His glory (Heb. 12:5-11).

God’s mercy is manifested in His goodness. The Lord would still be good even if He never showed mercy, for mercy is not an obligation of God. Look at what Paul proclaims in

Romans 9:14–24

ESV

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.  19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

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3. We know that God’s Work has a Master Plan

“Those who are called according to His Purpose.”

What is the Alternative if God is not in Control? What is the Alternative if God does not have a Master Plan?

If we can control our own fate apart from God, that somehow God is detached from His creation at times, then Romans 8:28 makes no sense. All things could not be all things, we would then have to change the text to “some things,” God is working for our good and other things He has no sovereign control over. Some things he leaves in our hands and our control.

How do you know if you are in God’s Plan?

‌God’s Effectual Calling‌ God’s purpose is seen in His call to conversion. “Those who have been called according to His purpose.” God’s purpose pertains to that which God resolved in advance to do for you and me.

Ephesians 1:11 ESV

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,

Romans 9:11 ESV

11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

Ephesians 3:11 ESV

11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

‌We will even look deeper at God’s purpose in the next couple of weeks as we dive into verses 29-30.

Note: God’s greater Purpose is for His glory and our Good.

‌God’s Plan will not be derailed: ‌So, we a part of His plan, having been called according to His purpose. When we trust God and His way, we can be sure that He is active and powerful on our behalf. ‌God knows the future and His desires will be accomplished.

Isaiah 46:10 ESV

10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

‌Look at Paul’s life‌: Paul is a great example in the New Testament of God working all things together for good.

Paul suffered shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, murder attempts, temporary blindness, and more - all within God’s plan to spread the gospel. ‌For Paul God trumps everything that comes against Him and those who belong to Him.

The Christian has the complete assurance that nothing can separate us from God’s love. ‌I think if Paul were here he would tell you at the time he was persecuting Christians he genuinely felt that he was in the right.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CALLED BY GOD?

What does it mean to be called? Roll the question over in your mind for a while. Perhaps there is more to the question than we see at first glance.

‌Sinclair Ferguson - ‌“called” is one of the New Testament’s most frequent one-word descriptions of the Christian. When God repeats himself, men should listen up.

‌Those who Love God are those who have been Called by God‌

Paul is speaking of those who have not only heard the call but have also responded to the call. ‌

Think about the first phrase, “those who love God,” the meaning is this, they and they alone have the right to be comforted by this fact.

They are the ones that Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls....”

‌We Love God because He first Loved us.

‌So, these are the ones whose hearts and minds were so influenced by the Holy Spirit that they became aware of their sinfulness, began to understand their need of Christ, and embraced him as their Lord and Savior. ‌No one can love God unless He is first called by God.

‌On March 10, 1876, the first phone call was made. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, called his assistant, Thomas A. Watson.

“Come here,” said Bell to Watson in the historic call, “I want to see you.”‌Watson never assumed that the first call to him was really about him.

He didn’t jump from his seat and go all NFL, spiking the phone to the ground and pounding his chest like a franchise superstar after a spectacular catch.

No, Watson saw the larger picture. The first phone call happened not because of the guy being called, but because of the inventor.‌The creator called; the recipient responded.

1). God Calls us to the Savior

First and foremost, the Biblical call is something that is done for us. It is God’s summoning us to the Savior and to His service.

Can you remember the day, the event, the message, or the year when you felt directly and personally drawn to follow Jesus? For some, it was dramatic, a life-defining moment that was marked by emotion and fanfare. For others, it was a slow dawning, like the morning sun that scrubs away the dark shadows of the night.

For me, it was seasons of stops and starts, irresistibly toddling toward God for reasons I could not comprehend. But regardless of your story, it is an unmistakable and undeniable arresting of your attention that you cannot deny is taking place: God called you to himself.

It is tempting for us to think this calling is more about us and what we have done than about God and what He has done. Make no mistake that the creator called; the recipient responded. God’s effectual call to salvation says far more about him than it does about the ones he has called.

The first call moves us into the second call. With our identity now established in Christ Jesus, the second call now plots the course of our lives.

2). God Calls us to His Service

The second call of God is not like that of Mr. Bell. His call is not a one-time event. His posture towards us is one of a continual calling. Make no mistake, Christians you are called into service of the king.

Service is never about you or what you want or do not want, it is never easy, and it is always messy.

You are called to live the life that the Lord has assigned you to live. If you go a week without being in service of the Lord, you should feel as if something is missing. “This is who you are,” “This is what you were saved to.”

There is work to be done. But this, too, starts with God. God is the first and greatest worker, and the Scripture reveals a God who enjoys working for you. He pronounced his creation as “good,” and now He is working all things together for your good.

You were custom-made to fulfill what God has created you for from the very beginning.

Closing

God’s Greater Purpose in the Story of Ruth

‌I believe there is no greater picture in the Bible of Romans 8:28 lived out than in the story of Ruth. The story of Ruth is mainly about the providence of God int he middle of calamity and sorrow. ‌Ruth 1:1-5 shows the misery of Naomi. The book opens with a great famine in the land and Naomi knows good and well who caused the famine. She would have read it in her Old Testament

Leviticus 26:3-4 says: ‌If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” ‌Or what about Psalm 105:16-17? ‌“When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. ‌

So, where did the famine come from when it was all over the world, it came from God.

It is God who manages calamity, and God who manages rescue from Calamity. ‌He does both. We should not just believe, “The devil does calamity and God does rescue.”

That's a dualism that will not carry today. It won't work in a world like ours, and it doesn't work in the Bible. It's not how Ruth is written. Naomi knows good and well that the famine is from God, as you will see her theology in the rest of the book. It is a massive theology. She says that famine has come at God's hand.‌In Moab Naomi’s husband dies and her sons marry pagan women. One marries Orpah and on marries Ruth, and then both of her sons die. So, Naomi’s husband is dead, there is a famine in the land, she is moved to a foreign country, her sons married women they should not have married in the first place and now they have died. ‌

1. Naomi’s Misery: Naomi tried to spare her daughter-in-laws her misery by encouraging them to leave her as she heads back home in her anguish and misery. Doesn’t this sound just like Job to you. There are half a dozen reasons they could bring to mind right now, you might say, it appears that God is against me, like he is mad at me.” ‌

2. Signs of Hope in Misery: All seems hopeless and lost. The Jewish custom according to the OT law says that if a man died, then his brothers or some close relative was supposed to marry the widow to preserve the name of the dead man. It is a strange custom. The window of hope appearing on the horizon. Implications for you and me, when you are depressed, because it feels like everything is going against you, you are almost always unable to see the signs of hope. Naomi could not see signs of hope. The famine had been lifted. Ruth was going to say yes and go with her. There is still a Boaz, though she had totally forgotten about Boaz when she said, “I do not have anybody for either of you. ‌NOTE: This is one reason by the way that you need each other in community. Our tenancy is to pull away and wallow in our grief and sorrow. We need to be in ministry together in our times of struggle. ‌

3. The Sovereignty of God in our Suffering: Now they both go back together, and the towns people see Naomi coming and greet her, she has been gone for 10 years. The women said is this Naomi, she say’s “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara (bitterness), for the almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.....‌She is not reading her circumstances accurately, but when it comes to her understanding of God, she is got it right. ‌*She believes He exists. ‌*She believes that He is absolutely sovereign. ‌*She believes that they are ultimately coming from the hand of God.

God is not a sinner. God is holy and in him, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Yet, God very clearly ordained the worst sin that ever happened, the murder of the son of God, according to Acts 4:27-28.

God planned, ordained, and saw to it, that the worst sin of the universe happened. Therefore, if the cross, which was the worst sin of the universe, could be meticulously ordained in Scripture, then it's not hard for me to say to Naomi:

You are right; God has afflicted you: But you need to open your eyes to the evidence of hope in the darkness.

However, God is going to use Ruth to show the whole world the kind of ancestors that he wants feeding into his Son’s bloodline so that nobody gets an uppity attitude about being Jewish, or white, or black, or brown, or any other ethnic race or culture. God is doing things that Naomi could not even dream of in her wildest imagination.

Church I want you to know this morning that when we hear that “all things are working together for your good, for those who love God, and are called by God,” you can rest assured that He is doing things beyond what you could ever imagine in your wildest imagination.