God Works All Things for Good
Set Apart for God: Growing in Christ’s Holiness • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:16
0 ratings
· 21 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
To help us grasp Romans 8:28, we’ll consider three truths. First, God Himself causes all things to work together for good—it’s His sovereign hand at work. Second, “all things” truly means everything, even the darkest moments of suffering or sin against us. Third, this promise is for every believer who loves God and is called according to His purpose.
My aim isn’t to bring something new, but to help us see this verse in its context and to encourage us afresh. Remember how Romans 8 began: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I deserve condemnation, but Christ was condemned in my place. A few verses later we read that the Spirit testifies we are children of God and heirs with Christ—yet heirs who must suffer with Him before being glorified with Him.
Romans 8 is glorious, but it’s also honest about suffering. We may be tempted to ask, “Lord, where is the glory? Why so much pain now?” Paul answers in 8:18: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed.” The glory will far outweigh our suffering—but suffering remains real, and Paul knows we need reminding. Creation itself longs for that day when all will be set free (vv. 19–21). For now, we wait with perseverance and hope (v. 25).
Meanwhile, we struggle with weakness—even in prayer. But the Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will (v. 26). And so, in light of all that we don’t know, Paul gives us something solid we do know: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (v. 28).
Let’s start with our first point:
1) God causes all things to work together for good.
1) God causes all things to work together for good.
How does it happen? Because God does it. Look at the beginning of 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.
This is not the idea that all things just happen to work out. You will occasionally hear even an unbeliever, who doesn't embrace the gospel of Christ, say, “everything will work out, it'll all be okay.” And when I hear that I think, no, that's not true.
That is true for followers of Christ, but that's not just true of life in general. Because as our text makes very clear it's God who causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him.
Even in suffering, when we don’t understand God’s will and wonder, “Where is the glory You promised?” there is one thing we do know: God Himself is working all things together for our good.
Consider the story of Joseph. Think of what he endured—betrayed and beaten by his brothers, sold into slavery, taken to a foreign land with an unfamiliar language and culture. Just when things seemed to improve, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison, then forgotten. Yet, in God’s providence, Joseph was eventually raised up to become second in command over all Egypt. Later, when his brothers came seeking food, they were stunned to discover that the very brother they had mistreated and sold was now ruler in Egypt—and standing before them.
And what does he say? Incredible verse, Genesis 45:5.
“So now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Notice the words of Joseph, “God sent me.”
You say, but I thought the brothers sent him. Well, in one sense, that's true. There is no getting around the fact that Joseph’s brother’s were guilty of mistreating their brother very cruelly.
But Joseph is taking the divine perspective. God sent me before you. And there was a reason to preserve life, a famine's coming. And God in his providence decided it would be Joseph who would be the one to organize all the setting aside of food for that famine so that people in general wouldn't starve, so that God's people wouldn't starve, so that the line from which Messiah would come would continue to endure. That's the testimony of a man who believed the message of Romans 8:28 before it was written.
Let's jump down two more verses to verse 7. Genesis 45:7
God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
Here is Joseph, and he's telling his brothers, God sent me. Question. When bad things happen in my life, who does it? Well, a lot of people would say, God permitted it. And that's fine, if you wanna say it that way.
I'll simply make the point, that's not how Joseph explains it. Joseph said, God sent me. Look also at verse eight (Genesis 45:8), now therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
“So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God...
Joseph seemed pretty eager to make sure that we all get this point.
Some of you might ask, ‘If God causes all things to work for good, does He cause evil?’ No. God doesn’t cause sin, but He’s so sovereign that He takes even the worst evil done to you—like Joseph’s brothers’ betrayal—and uses it infallibly for precisely what he sovereignly intends for us according to His good purposes.
Joseph seemed pretty eager to make sure that we all get this point, that even when things are happening in our lives that we don't like, it's not like God just says, well, people are gonna sin against you, and I'll wait till they're done, and I'll try to think of something good. That is how many people view the sovereignty of God. I will simply make the point that that is not Joseph's view.
Joseph's view is God is active even when we're suffering wrongly and unjustly as Joseph was.
Well, the story continues and their father dies and the brothers are still nervous that Joseph is going to seek revenge against them. And it's repeated again in Genesis 50:20. Joseph says yet again,
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.
Joseph understood that there is a God who is in control and He is actively at work. And because of that, we have this wonderful promise. 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 our second point
2) What does ‘all things’ mean?
2) What does ‘all things’ mean?
Let’s keep it in context. Now, you might be thinking, okay, that applies to Joseph being thrown in the pit and beat up. I got it. How about when people sin against me? How about when people take advantage of me? How about when people hurt me? Is that included? Well, all I know to do is to look at our text. Romans 8:28
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
If I just take this text literally, not only number one, does God do it, number two, it applies to all things.
According to verse 17 it certainly would apply to our suffering, right? Verse 17 (Romans 8:17),
if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Does it apply to your suffering? Yes. Now look at verse 18 (Romans 8:18).
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
So if we're gonna take this in context, all things certainly has to include suffering.
What kind of suffering? Notice verse 35 in Romans 8. Same context.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
I don’t think we should limit Romans 8:28 only to suffering, though that is clearly Paul’s main focus in context. God’s people are struggling under the weight of suffering, and Paul is showing us how to endure. But notice—Paul doesn’t say only sufferings. He says all things. Every single thing in your life, God works together for good.
That doesn’t mean evil isn’t real. This verse doesn’t excuse sin, deny the wrong done against you, or forbid seeking justice when appropriate. Wicked things do happen, and some of you know that firsthand. But Paul’s point is that even the most wicked act against you is still under God’s sovereign hand, and He can weave it into good.
And if that’s hard to believe when you think of deep wounds in your life, consider the ultimate example: the crucifixion. What greater evil has ever been committed than sinful men nailing the sinless Son of God to a cross? Yet Peter declared at Pentecost (Acts 2) that even this was according to God’s definite plan.
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—
this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.
You did that, and it was wrong. It was the greatest sin ever committed. And yet it was all by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.
Beloved, God did not passively watch as the Jews and Romans crucified His Son and then scramble to bring good out of it. No—He ordained it from the beginning. And if He could take the greatest evil in history—the murder of His perfect Son—and turn it into the greatest good, our salvation, then He can take the worst sin committed against you and work it for your good as well.
Apart from the cross, we would all be condemned forever. But through the very sins committed against Christ, forgiveness was purchased for all who believe. That’s how powerful God is—He works all things for good. And “all things” truly means all things, even the deepest wounds you’ve carried silently for years.
So what is the “good” God is working toward? Romans 8:29 tells us: to conform you to the image of Christ. Every trial, every loss, every wrong suffered is shaping you to be holy, whole, and ready for glory. That’s why we can pray, “Lord, I trust You’re using this to make me like Christ,” even when we can’t yet see the outcome.
Think of a tapestry: the underside is tangled and messy, but the front reveals a beautiful design. From our perspective, life may look like the underside, but God is weaving every thread into a masterpiece for our good.
This doesn’t mean we excuse sin or hide abuse. Evil is real and must be dealt with rightly. But the promise stands: God is sovereign over every detail, and He will cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him. That truth can change your life. It won’t stop people from sinning against you, but it will give you grace to say, “Thank You, Lord. I trust You to use even this for my good.”
So the question is—does this verse apply to you? If you are in Christ, the answer is yes.
Finally, our third point:
3) Who gets this promise?
3) Who gets this promise?
Paul says this promise is for “those who love God” and “those who are called according to His purpose.” Sometimes believers read that and worry: Do I love God enough? Am I really called? But Paul is not describing two separate categories of Christians—he’s describing all Christians. If you know Christ, this verse is for you. Can you show me that in the Bible?
Many places:
But just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” But to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
Paul could say this is true for those who love him. It's just a way of saying Christian.
but if anyone loves God, he has been known by Him.
Known intimately. If you love God, you're known by Him. That's just another way of saying you're a believer. Only believers love God and all believers love God. That's the assumption of the Bible.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
Christians love God and people who love God are Christians.
Jesus in John 8:42 talking to the Pharisees says,
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me,
Jesus is saying, you don't know God because you don't love me. They were trying to kill him, which proves they didn't know the Father. But if God were your Father, you would love me.
If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.
That's what Paul was saying in Romans 8:28. All things work together for good to those who love God. Now, He doesn't stop there. And I think there's a good reason because I think all of us, I think in our hearts, are very much aware, Lord, I don't love you enough. I don't love you as much as I should. And there are times where I don't even maybe feel like I love you. Well, maybe I do a little bit, but Lord, there are times I disappoint you and I sin against you.
And I actually think that's why Paul doesn't stop, verse 28 there. But he finishes with this, to those who are called according to his purpose.
And no doubt there are believers who would say, Man, I hope I love God enough, and I wanna keep loving God, but what if I don't, and will I ever stop? And maybe there's some uncertainty here, but no. All things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose. If you're a believer, you've been called. If you've been called, you're a believer. There are so many ways we talk about being a Christian.
I could say, are you a Christian? Yes.
I could say, have you been born again? And you would say, I hope, yes.
I could say, have you been redeemed? And you could say, yes.
Have you been justified? And you would say, yes.
Have you been called? Are you one of the called? That's no different than saying, are you born again? Everybody who's been born again is one of the called, and those who are the called have been born again.
That's the language of Paul consistently through the New Testament. Just two verses ahead, in verse 30 we see the same word again (Romans 8:30)
and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.
Who are the justified? Those who were called. What happens to the called? They're justified. Do all of the called get justified? Of course. That's what Paul says right there. Those whom he called, he justified.
What about those who are called but they never get justified? They don't exist. Not with this kind of a call. When God calls a person to salvation, that person becomes a Jesus lover. And do you know why you love Jesus? Because I'm awesome. Wrong answer. Because God called you to salvation. That's why you love Jesus. It's not because you're so smart you figured it out. It's because God called you. And the called are justified and the justified are those who are called. If words mean anything, that's what Romans 8:30 means.
Do we find that in other places? How about 1 Corinthians 1:23 -24?
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block
Paul's saying, I'm preaching to all of these Jews, and they're saying, I don't believe it, the Messiah can't be crucified, no way. Now, what's the second part of the verse? It says, to Jews a stumbling block
and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Paul is preaching the gospel to Gentiles, and they're saying, I don't believe any of that. I don't believe in a resurrection. I don't believe Christ rose from the dead. Ridiculous!
Would you please look at the verse closely? But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks... (1 Cor 1:24). When someone whom God has called hears the gospel, something happens. They say, Yes, I believe. To them, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. They believe in Jesus.
And yet all around them, people are laughing: That’s ridiculous. You’re such a fool to believe that old Bible. But there is something within the believer’s heart that says, I do believe. Jesus is my Savior. He died on the cross and rose again. Even when the world mocks, they still believe—and they know it is true.
Why? Because that’s what Paul says happens when the gospel is preached: those whom God has called hear, and they recognize in it the power of Jesus Christ. Friends, this is New Testament language.
Let’s keep going—
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
Did He save us? Yes. Does everyone He saves make it to heaven? Yes. Did He call us? Yes. And does everyone who receives that holy calling make it to heaven? Yes. Why? Because it’s not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.
And:
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
Who are the called? They are the beloved of the Father. And Christ Himself will keep them.
It’s all through the New Testament. Am I a believer? Yes. Am I forgiven? Yes. Have I been born again? Yes. Am I redeemed? Yes. Am I a child of God? Yes. Am I an heir of salvation? Yes. Am I one of the called? Yes. These are all describing the same glorious reality from different angles.
And I could go on for another hour, but let’s just add one more—Ephesians 4:1
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
What about those who are called but not saved? That doesn’t happen. Paul is clear: those He calls, He justifies. This “call” isn’t a general invitation like Come to me, all who are weary (Matt. 11:28). That’s a universal call that can be accepted or rejected. When I preach, I can only give that kind of call—I can invite, but I can’t change hearts.
But Paul is talking about God’s effectual call. When He calls, He saves. All who are called in this way are justified—no exceptions.
And this is why Romans 8:28 is here—not to burden you with theological puzzles, but to bless your soul. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Even when you feel weak in love toward God, remember this: the God who called you will keep you. If you have repented and trusted Christ, this promise is yours—not just for “super-Christians,” but for every believer.
Let me close with a picture. Salt is made of sodium and chloride. Each by itself is poisonous. But together, they form something essential for life—you can’t survive without it. That’s how God works in our lives. Even things that seem bitter or harmful, when joined by His hand, work together for our good.
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Even though we suffer, even though people sin against us, even though we are hurt or taken advantage of, Paul assures us: we will be glorified. Our suffering is not random or meaningless. It wasn’t meaningless for Joseph. It wasn’t meaningless for Jesus. And it’s not meaningless for you.
When I’m wronged, my first impulse is to fight back. But God reminds us: I haven’t stepped off My throne. I am still King, and I promise to work all things together for good. That’s His word to every believer who loves Him and is called by His purpose.
So here’s my question: Do you believe this? Do you really believe that all things work together for good for those who love God? By God’s grace, I do—and I pray you do too. Because if that’s true, we don’t need to live in depression about the past or anxiety about the future. Everything is covered in those two words: all things.
But hear me: this promise is only for those who belong to Jesus. If you don’t know Christ, it’s not yet yours. But it can be. You can come to Him today—turn from your sin, trust that He died in your place, and believe He rose again. If you do, this promise becomes yours forever.
And for my brothers and sisters in Christ—be encouraged. This verse is for you. Whatever comes, whatever you’ve faced, whatever you will face—God Himself promises to weave it all for your good and His glory.
Let’s pray.
