All things work together

“All things work together”

5. The Purpose of God, 8:28

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

Paul turns to the way the purpose of God is worked out in believers. They may be depressed at the harsh conditions of their lives, but they should bear in mind that through it all God is working out a great purpose. No matter what the circumstances that purpose will not be overthrown, and it culminates in final glory.[2]

A more important question is how we should take the words translated as in all things God works for the good.…

Whatever happen in your and my life the Lord is working it out for our good.

· No matter this morning if you are sick god is working it out for the good according to his purpose.

· No matter if you have lost a love one the Lord is working it out for your good according to his purpose.

· No matter if thing not going your way the LORD is working it out for the good according to his purpose.

Luther commented, “the Spirit makes all things, even though they are evil, work together for good”, and in recent times a number of scholars have taken up this view. They understand the “he” that is the subject of the verb “works together” to mean the Holy Spirit and take the sense of the passage to be, “He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God and he makes all things work together.…”[3]

Paul does not explain what he means by the good, but we must clearly understand it in the sense “final good” or “true good”; it certainly does not mean in all the things we count for good, such as our pleasures. And it is good for “those who love God”, words which are in an emphatic position. Paul is not writing about the general public but about believers, here described in terms of their love for God. This is a most unusual way of referring to Christians;132 it is much more common to find references to God’s love for them.[4]

In verse 28. there are

There are three elements that require specific attention.

The first element is the meaning of the phrase, ‘in all things’. One natural conclusion from such a statement is that every single thing which happens to us, by us, with us or for us, in this world, is added together by the sovereign God and brought to a great and wonderful conclusion. Well, I am not denying that God does that.

The Gospel of God: Romans God’s Sovereignty and the Christian Response (8:28–39)

Rather Paul is using this phrase ‘all things’ in the same way he uses it throughout his writings, as a summary statement to capture the essence of what he has just said. So if we are going to understand what he is saying here, we have to apply the ‘all things’, not to a universal sense of all things, but to the ‘all things’ that he has just described.

Obviously what the apostle has in view is the infirmities and the sufferings of the people of God. These sufferings that we endure in this world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that God has laid up for us in the future. These present sufferings are the ‘things’ that Paul has in mind. They are actually in a sense blessings in disguise, because the sufferings in this world are used by God for our ultimate good and for our ultimate benefit.

The Gospel of God: Romans God’s Sovereignty and the Christian Response (8:28–39)

The second thing we need to note is that there is a restriction here. God is not promising to bring goodness out of all suffering for everybody. Rather he says, that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (verse 28b). It is not in the final analysis a matter of mental assent but of affection for God. Obedience, discipleship and living the Christian life are a consequence of loving God. If you love me, Jesus said, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Our obedience is based upon a prior love. The love of God is the motivating force for living a Christian life. It is not the desire to merit one’s own salvation, nor even an altruistic beneficent attitude towards our fellow men. The ultimate motivator for Christian service, Christian ministry and Christian obedience, is a personal affection for God.

The Gospel of God: Romans God’s Sovereignty and the Christian Response (8:28–39)

The third aspect of this verse to be noted is a second distinction that makes it a passage of particular rather than universal application: who have been called according to his purpose (verse 28c). When the Bible speaks of God’s call, it never means simply the external call whereby the invitation to fellowship with God is given. Those who are called by God experience, what we call in theology, effectual calling (see comments on 1:1).

The Gospel of God: Romans God’s Sovereignty and the Christian Response (8:28–39)

The last clause does not refer to a different group from the clause preceding. All those whom God calls according to his purpose love him, and all those who love God have been called according to his purpose.