We know that God causes all things to work together for
good. This verse is among the most loved among believers today because it is a
verse that brings much comfort. Even in tough situations when we have no idea
what God is doing or why he would allow us to enter such trying circumstances,
in spite of what it looks like, we know that God causes all things to
work together for good to those who love God. This verse points to several of
the attributes of God. The fact that God causes all things to work together
points to His sovereignty. Ultimately He is the one who sovereignly ordains the
events of our lives. The fact that He works all things together for good
points to His goodness and His love for His people. And these attributes, as
well as the rest of the attributes of God, are directly connected. An attribute
is something that we know to be true of God, something that He has revealed to
us in His Word about His nature and character. So since God is not divided, all
of His actions are consistent with all of His attributes. And though one may be
emphasized in one portion or Scripture and another in another portion, all are
working together in everything that the Lord does. In the particular passage
before us right now two seem to be emphasized, and those are His sovereignty
and His love. In Gods great love for us He is sovereignly working all things
together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His
purpose. The apostle continues to expound on this as we go through the rest of
Romans chapter 8. Directly after this he talks about the Lords working in our
salvation and what it cost Him. And he goes on to draw the conclusion that
since God gave us His best in the person of Christ, is it logical to conclude
that He is slighting us by allowing us to pass through trials and tribulation?
God is certainly able to orchestrate the circumstances of our lives in such a
way that we would never face any trial or any hardships, but He has loving ordained
it otherwise. If it were best for to have an easy life than we would have it,
so that's obviously not what is best for us. This is an uncomfortable truth,
and it's not popular in much of Christendom today, but it is the truth
nonetheless. The Word of God assures us that all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But Paul continues in Romans eight to
declare the fact that in spite of our circumstances, the love of God is behind
it all. We read in Romans 8:35-39 - "Who will separate us from the love of
Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For
Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all
these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." Tribulation, famine, sword, death, considered
as sheep to be slaughtered, these are all real. This isn't simply poetic
language in order to dress the passage up and make it pretty, this was actually
the physical state of much of the early church. But in the middle of all this
the apostle clearly shows that it's the love of God that is allowing all of
these things into the lives of His people.
At the end of Second Corinthians chapter 4 Paul is writing about trials and affliction, and here we get a little glimpse of why a life of trials and difficulty is better for us than a life of ease. We read in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." The value of trials is not something that we can see, at least not with our physical eyes. But the Word of God assures us that these trials are producing for us an eternal weight of glory. Earthly trials result in heavenly treasures. And in Gods love for us He allows us to suffer for a season in order that we might prosper forever. So even in painful or uncomfortable situations, Gods love is still overruling. This truth is pictured very beautifully in the Old Testament book of Genesis. In Genesis chapters 37-50 we're given the historical account of the life of Joseph. Joseph was no stranger to affliction and persecution. He was a righteous man and he suffered all sorts of injustice. But throughout his life we see the loving hand of God sovereignly working behind the scenes for good. God had a purpose in everything that came about in Josephs life and Joseph recognized this. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph makes a statement that has been referred to as the Romans 8:28 of the Old Testament. There he says to his brothers - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Even though his brothers hated him and sought to do him harm, God was working even behind those evil actions for good. 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.
At the end of Second Corinthians chapter 4 Paul is writing about trials and affliction, and here we get a little glimpse of why a life of trials and difficulty is better for us than a life of ease. We read in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." The value of trials is not something that we can see, at least not with our physical eyes. But the Word of God assures us that these trials are producing for us an eternal weight of glory. Earthly trials result in heavenly treasures. And in Gods love for us He allows us to suffer for a season in order that we might prosper forever. So even in painful or uncomfortable situations, Gods love is still overruling. This truth is pictured very beautifully in the Old Testament book of Genesis. In Genesis chapters 37-50 we're given the historical account of the life of Joseph. Joseph was no stranger to affliction and persecution. He was a righteous man and he suffered all sorts of injustice. But throughout his life we see the loving hand of God sovereignly working behind the scenes for good. God had a purpose in everything that came about in Josephs life and Joseph recognized this. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph makes a statement that has been referred to as the Romans 8:28 of the Old Testament. There he says to his brothers - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Even though his brothers hated him and sought to do him harm, God was working even behind those evil actions for good. 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.
Romans 8:35-39 - "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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