rom 08v28 Lets Look At Romans 8 28 Again
LET'S LOOK AT ROMANS
"We know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose." This is not a blanket promise made to all men.
God never promises to do all men good, and his providence is not engaged for
the eternal welfare of all men. But he does promise to do some men good, and
nothing but good. His providence is engaged for the eternal welfare of some
men. To them the promise is sure. If you fit the character of the ones
described in this promise, you may claim the promise with absolute confidence.
Let's examine the promise, word by word and phrase by phrase, as it stands in
the eighth chapter of Romans.
"WE" - Paul is talking about those who
are born-again by almighty grace, those who are redeemed by Christ, regenerated
by the Holy Spirit, and live by faith in the hope of eternal glory. "WE
KNOW" - Being taught by the Holy Spirit of God who dwells in our
hearts and gives us understanding in Holy Scripture, we have an intuitive and
confident knowledge of God's good providence. This is what we know - "THAT
ALL THINGS", both good and bad, prosperous and adverse, pleasant and
painful, "WORK TOGETHER" - The many things that exist and the
many things that happen in our lives are not independent and isolated. They are
so many gears in the machinery of Divine providence, all working together.
Being under Divine control and ordered by Divine arrangement all the affairs,
events, creatures, and men in the universe are being manipulated by our
heavenly Father, so that "all things work together FOR GOOD."
Though any event of life, singled out and standing alone, may seem terribly
evil, when it is viewed as one spoke in the great wheel of Divine providence,
we see that it is truly good. It may be a physical evil; but it is working for
spiritual good. It may be a temporal evil; but it shall surely bring eternal
good. To whom is this great promise made? "TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD"
- If there is in my heart a genuine love for God as he is revealed in Holy
Scripture, he created that love, because he loves me. "We love him,
because he first loved us." If I love him, it is evidence that he loves me
and will do me good, nothing but good. "TO THEM WHO ARE THE
CALLED" - Those who love God are those who have been singled out from
eternity as the objects of his grace and separated unto him by the irresistible
call of the Holy Spirit. This is that effectual call of God the Holy Spirit
which gives life to dead sinners, created in their hearts faith and love toward
God. If you are one of the called ones, this promise is to you. The promise is
sure, because it is "ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE". If you would
understand the Bible and understand anything about the events of this world,
you must be made to realize that all things in this world and all things in
your life come to pass "according to his purpose". "We
know", according to the purpose of his revelation "All things work
together", according to his purpose of predestination. "All things
work together for good" because God in eternity purposed to do us good,
and he rules the universe "according to his purpose". We love God,
according to the purpose of his love toward us. And we have been called to life
eternal in Christ, according to the purpose of his grace.