What Good!?/Who's Image!?

Big Idea of the Series: It is all too easy to allow our cultural context to blind us to the magnificent—if sometimes hard-to-swallow—truths of Scripture. This five-week series delves into some popular misunderstandings about what the Bible has to say and what Christianity is all about. It tackles some difficult and controversial topics, but always with both eyes fixed on what the Bible actually says.

Big Idea of the Message: Our culture today tells us to be true to ourselves. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that in God’s kingdom; the gospel calls us to be conformed not to ourselves, but to the image of Jesus Christ.

All Good (v. 28)

In Romans 8:28-30 we have two opportunities for “Misquoting” or “Misrepresenting” Scripture;

How many of you have heard or maybe even said “All things work for good”;

But is that what the Bible actually says, so let’s look again;

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

So let’s look at who this verse is intended;

The Book of Romans A Present Good (Verse 28)

Who is included? The verse says “them that love God.” You must realize that this phrase is meant to include all believers. There is no such thing as a Christian who does not love God.

Understand there is no select group - no SEAL Team G - the meaning of “…them that love God...” simply means Christians;

So let’s look at the what of this verse;

The Book of Romans A Present Good (Verse 28)

What is promised them? Here it is: “All things work together for good” to these believers. The verb “work together” will be more meaningful to you if you read it in continuing action, as it was no doubt intended: “All things are working together unto good.” All the continuing, daily circumstances and events of a believer’s life are involved here.

Now I understand there days and maybe multiple strings of days that do not feel like things are working for good, they don’t even seem to be working for fair;

The Book of Romans A Present Good (Verse 28)

The verse is simply telling us that God is in control of the circumstances of a believer’s life, and that He guides all these circumstances so that they work in harmony toward the good God intends for us to experience.

In Casting Crowns song Already There released in October 2012 the first verse says;

From where I'm standin' Lord, it's so hard for me to see Where this is goin' And where You're leading me I wish I knew how All my fears and all my questions Are gonna play out In a world I can't control

This can describe any of us on any given day, week, month or year;

Another part of the song says this;

From where You're standin' Lord, You see a grand design That You imagined When You breathed me into life And all the chaos Comes together in Your hands Like a masterpiece, hey Of Your picture perfect plan

So let’s look at the why that this verse intended;

The Book of Romans A Present Good (Verse 28)

The last part of verse 28 tells us the basis for this truth: God’s purpose for us is, in fact, the “good” that He works all things toward. God’s plan for us lies behind His providential control of the circumstances of our lives.

So while “all things don’t work for good” our love for God will bring us to His final good the question is how;

The Book of Romans A Present Good (Verse 28)

Here is part of the explanation how God providentially controls all the circumstances of our lives toward the working out of His “good” purpose for us: From our hearts there always come the perfect prayers of the Spirit that are in perfect accord with that will and purpose. God hears Him pray and reckons that prayer ours that His plan will be perfectly worked out in us all the time.

Our love for God is what takes us to His final Good.

My Way (v. 29)

June 26, 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana Elvis Presley performed in his last, unknowingly, concert and sang Frank Sinatra's “My Way”;

The song encompasses living a full life with very few regrets and doing things his own way;

But how different is our world in February 2022 aren’t we, people, Christian and non-Christian alike, still seeking “My Way”;

“To thine own self be true.” Shakespeare might have said it more eloquently, but the same sentiment has seeped inside the cultural oxygen of our age: “Be true to yourself.” The great Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor has described our age as the “Age of Authenticity” (Charles Taylor, A Secular Age [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007] 473–504). The idea of “authenticity” is that each person has their own unique way of being themselves. Being authentic means that you give expression to whatever is inside of you. (Ministry Pass Misquoted Sermon Series)

But is that what we, as Christ followers, are to focus on or is there something more;

Now there many so called “Christians”, let’s be blunt cults that will use this verse to prove that they are God’s selected;

Yet is that what these verses actually address, the answer is no;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

These verses speak specifically of the good purpose God has for us, presenting that purpose as an ultimate goal toward which our spiritual development is headed. The nature of that goal is indicated, as are the basic steps involved in reaching toward that goal.

So let’s look at who this verse is intended;

The who are those God foreknew but what does that mean;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

For these God set a purpose. To “foreknow” means to know in advance. God foreknows all things perfectly. But His advance knowledge of an event does not cause that event any more than our after knowledge causes the things we know. He knew from before the foundation of the earth who would put faith in Him, and He determined to do certain things for them.

God knew before hand who His true followers would be and chose to prepare good for them;

So let’s look at the what of this verse;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

This is the ultimate goal toward which the believer’s spiritual development is headed: conformity to the image of Jesus himself. God’s plan is that the believer develop finally into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

But there are some who take this to mean that Christ followers will be gods which is not the case at all;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

This does not mean that we shall become gods as He is God. But we shall “be like him” when He returns (1 John 3:2) and thus “bear the image of the heavenly [one]” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

1 John 3:2 “2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

1 Corinthians 15:49 “49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

So what is Paul talking about then;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

What exactly does Paul mean by these words? Is he speaking of spiritual or bodily conformity? Both! We will partake of His holy character and of the kind of glorified body He possesses. Both sides are essential to the full “manifestation of the sons of God” already spoken of in verse 19.

So this verse is not about predestination of believing or rejecting because the Bible never addresses that;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

The Bible never speaks of man’s faith or rejection of God in any terms except those that speak clearly of man’s freedom to choose and responsibility for his choice.

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

“Predestinated” is not all that special a word, anyway. All it means is foreordained, preplanned. The verse is telling us that God’s plan for the believer is not a new thing or an accident.

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

Before man was ever made God foresaw that sin would come. He also foresaw that some would put their faith in Him for redemption from that sin. In eternity, He made His plan and settled His purpose for those who would believe. He determined even then to bring the believers to a final glorification in which they would be conformed to the image of His Son.

So let’s look at the why of this verse;

The Book of Romans A Promised Goal (Verses 29, 30)

“that he [Jesus] might be the first born among many brethren.” In other words, God has planned to bring all true, persevering believers into conformity to the image of His one Son so that that Son would have many brethren to share with Him the position of perfect sonship to the Father.

This is all possible because of God “foreknown” knowledge, love and grace;

So what if instead of “My Way” we truly tried “His Way” individually and corporately?

Application Point: Rather than trying to earn our identity and be accepted by the world around us (which is a crushing burden), we should receive the identity that has been given to us in and through the gospel: we are called sons and daughters of God.