Alright, well we're here to turn back to Romans and consider what Paul said to the Roman believers in Romans chapter 8. Today we're just looking at verse 28 but I will read a few more verses after. So let's pray, let's seek the Lord's face together. Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for your word. We praise you that your word is true, and we pray that today we might have ears to hear. Be with me, be with my mouth, may I speak all that you would have me say to the people gathered here this morning. And Lord, may they be richly blessed. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen. All right, so let's read Romans 8, verse 28. And we'll read through to verse 30. It's a magnificent statement here. 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. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified. All right, well, there's obviously a lot in those other verses there too, which I thought too much to take in one gulp. We might get indigestion if we tried to do that. So we're just looking at verse 28 then today. This is one of the best known and best loved verses of the Bible and rightly so. It's so full of encouragement. It's so full of good news. It tells us of God's God's intention toward us, but more than a mere intention, it's His determination. His determination is that everything works for the good of His people. But it's important for us to think of it practically too, not just as truth for our mind, things that we ought to believe, it ought to be a truth that impacts the way that we live our lives. And that's how we're going to end. We're going to first look at what the verse teaches in the first two points. All things work for good. And then secondly, the people for whom this is true. But then lastly, we're just gonna spend a little bit of time thinking about how this truth should impact our lives. And in doing that, I'm just a few suggestions really. It's so vast. It should impact our lives in a whole host of ways. But I just thought of, I think four ways. All right, so let's begin by looking at the content of this verse and seeking to understand it rightly. First then, we're looking at the opening statement, and we know that God causes all things to work together for the good, and then he goes on. We're going to look at that in the second point. All things work for good. All things work for good. What does Paul mean by this statement? Paul's not saying that things just seem to work out okay and everything just tends to be good in the end. Problems generally find a resolution. That's not what he's saying. Nor is he saying that some good comes out of everything in life, and we just must look for the good, and if we look for the good, we'll find it. He's not saying that. Another popular proverb, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. There's truth in that, but that's not what Paul's saying. So what does he mean? Let's think about it together and I've just worked through in a sort of a systematic way to understand and I'm just going to make a few points to hopefully properly situate what Paul is saying here. The first thing to consider is that from this verse is that God is involved in our lives. God is involved in our lives. He's involved in every detail of our lives, every single thing that happens, God is in it in some way. He controls the world, He orders every event of history. But not in a way that we are mere puppets, no, that's not the way to understand it. God allows people to make real choices, but God is over those choices and through the choices that we make, He manages to fulfill His own plans. A couple of verses. Matthew chapter 10 and verse 29 are well-known verses. There's two verses I'm going to read. Listen to what Jesus said through Matthew. He says, are not two sparrows sold for a cent, and yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father? So that's one part of it. Not even a sparrow, something that's seemingly inconsequential, doesn't cost much, it's not really important in terms of what's going on in the world, and yet not one will fall to the ground apart from God's will, apart from God's oversight. That's one thing. And then he goes on and says, but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Again, such is his care, his oversight, his knowledge. He's involved in this world. He's involved in every detail. That's the first thing to consider in understanding this. Now the second thing that we must add to that is that God's plan is for the good of his children. God's plan is for the good of his children and nothing frustrates that plan. He takes all the events, all the choices of people, the events of life and he turns them for the good of his people. He takes even the most horrendous evil and somehow he is able to turn those around to advance his purposes for our good. And this includes even our own sin. While not excusing our sin, that doesn't mean we can go and sin now because God's going to turn it for good anyway. That doesn't excuse our sin. There will be consequences. However, that even in our sin, God is able to somehow turn that around for the good, for our good, individually and corporately as his people. Some examples. Some examples, Genesis chapter 50, many will know the story of Joseph. His brothers did terrible things against him, sold him into slavery. And yet Joseph, at the end of his days, or toward the end of his life, when he finally caught up with his brothers, They were afraid. They were afraid, well now Joseph is going to put us to death. He's going to get revenge. But he doesn't. And Genesis 50 verse 19 and 20 explain why. Then Joseph said to them, do not be afraid for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me. He's honest with you. You meant evil. There's no glossing over that. but God meant it for good. In order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. And note, note, here's the striking thing here, that he even brought it about good for his brothers who did the evil. It was to preserve them alive too. Astonishing. The greatest example though is Jesus. in Acts chapter 2, the death of Jesus on the cross. Peter said to his Jewish hearers on the day of Pentecost in verse 36, he says, Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. They then cry out and say, what do we do now? We've killed the Savior. Peter says this, repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. They put Jesus to death and that was the most horrendous evil that's ever happened in this world and yet in that God turned that for their good and for their salvation. It's astonishing. It's absolutely astonishing. It doesn't excuse it at all. But it just shows what God is able to do that nothing will frustrate His plan for your good. Now the third thing that we must consider is the good that Paul has in mind. What good Paul thinking about here? Well from the context it seems that what he's thinking about the good is that we're made like Jesus and in the end we are glorified with Christ in heaven. Have a look at the verses that follow he says for those whom He foreknew He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. That's God's plan, for us to become conformed to the image of His Son. unpacks the good that God intends. But then as you read through in the final verse, verse 30, that we read, there's a whole list of sequence of events, but it ultimately leads to our glorification. That is to our elevation to that place of sonship in heaven, there to enjoy all of God's riches for all eternity. So it's important to say that because people can sort of fill in the good, you know. Oh, God's going to work this for my good and we let our minds go, what's the good here, you know. And we fill it in with our own definition. It doesn't mean necessarily our own happiness. That's not necessarily the good. It doesn't mean that things will go our way, it doesn't mean that our life will necessarily be successful, at least in a worldly sort of definition of successful, it doesn't mean that we're going to live a long time. Some Christians had and have terrible lives. you know, in an outward sense. They have a shocking life. Their lives are filled with pain and sorrow. Things have happened in the past to them and things may be in the future that mean life for them is pain and sorrow, you know. And we can't just sort of glibly respond, oh, well, you know, it's all for your good, you know. It doesn't feel that way to those people that are experiencing that and we can't think, as some people do, well it must have been because you did something bad, God's punishing you. That's shocking theology. But if you look at the life of Paul who's saying this, I think Paul had a life full of hardship and sorrow. That's not all his life was of course, but listen as he describes it in one place in 2 Corinthians 4 verses 8 to 10. He's describing himself, he says, we're afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 11, he goes to give us a bit more of the particulars there. But it reminded me of what Jesus said about Paul in Acts 9.16. Jesus said to Ananias, the guy who baptized Paul, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. Boy, how would you like that prophecy over your life, you know? But that's what Jesus said of Paul. And some people's lives are like that. There's sorrow, there's horrendous things that they are called to go through. Some people, some Christians, I look at their lives and I go, boy, oh boy, Lord, I don't know how I would face the life that they're facing, you know? But God works these for good. God works these for good, somehow he works them for good. Things that we would think maybe would lead people to walk away from God and to abandon their faith. If this is what Christianity is like, I don't want to have any bar of it, that kind of attitude, we'd think that that's what would happen. when you see what some Christians go through, but in the end it doesn't lead them to abandon their faith, actually you see them grow stronger in their faith in the midst of it. That's God working it for good in their lives. He's going to take all of the things, all of the things, the most horrendous things and hurtful and painful things in our life. Even the wrong things we've done and he's going to turn them so that we become more like Jesus. You know, I think that even of Peter, why I'm stressing that, even of her own sin, I certainly don't want to excuse it and give the wrong impression, but I think of Peter. Jesus said to Peter, you're going to deny me three times. You know, Peter said, no, no, I'll never deny you. It's going to happen tonight. You're going to deny me three times. But, you know, after the fall, You're going to return and then I'm going to tell you that in that position now strengthen your brethren. You know, so Jesus permitted, planned even the fall of Peter into that sin, but he's going to turn it around so that Peter was going to be in a position to strengthen the brethren. I think it was something that Peter needed to humble him. But God uses all of the things in our life to make us more like Jesus and to fulfill his ultimate plan of our salvation. All the things in your life that are... especially, especially it's the painful things. Especially it's the painful things. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 12. As he's talking about some of the painful things that the Hebrew believers were going through at that time. He says this, all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful. Yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Earlier on he says that God disciplines us for our good so that we may share his holiness. they were facing persecution among other things no doubt. So hopefully those sort of ideas there help us to get a grip a bit more clearly on what Paul is saying when he's saying that God is involved in our lives to turn these things around for our good. We know, Paul says, we know that God causes all things together, to work together for the good of those who love God. We know it. It's a position of faith. It's a position we won't budge on. And I think that's the position we have to have that firm conviction. This is true, because it sure doesn't look like it at times in our lives. But my friends, when we ponder this truth, it's a magnificent truth, but what it ultimately should do is show us the greatness of our God. Because it's only He can do this. He's the only one who is able to take the things that happen in your life and my life and to turn them for good. He only can heal the deep wounds of our own sin and the sin that people have committed against us. But He not only heals things like that, He turns them for our own growth and our future glorification. He's going to take all the details of your life all the mess, all the pain, all the corruption, and He's going to make something so beautiful out of it, and so unique. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10 says that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. We are His workmanship, the Greek word poiema, some people like to say His poem, you know, His poem. masterpiece you know that's what it's gonna be in heaven we're gonna be in heaven and we're gonna people you know we're gonna marvel at ourselves how's God able to do and make me the way that I am out of all of that it wouldn't be the way we would do it we would want to start with pure raw materials wouldn't we let's start with a good start you know but no God takes us where we're at takes us out of a world that's in an absolute mess and he's going to make people look like his son and yet still retain their own uniqueness, the greatness of God. Now, secondly, for this morning, we're going to look at the people for whom this is true. The people for whom this is true. Notice what he says. It's actually emphasised in the Greek. The orders changed around in our English version. But he says in the Greek, we know that for those who love God, this is true. For those who love God. But in our version says, 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. It's not true of all people. For those who remain in unbelief all their lives, all things ultimately will work against them. That's a frightening reality. This is true only for believers, you see. Even the good things in this life that people who remain in their unbelief, for those people, all the good things will end up furthering their judgment. They become more and more accountable to God for every good thing they get. But it's the complete opposite for those who believe in Christ. Note then how he describes them. Two ways, those who love God, And secondly, those who are called according to his purpose. Let's think for a moment about each of these. Those who love God. They are distinguished from the rest of people by this quality, they love God. It's not about being religious and it's not about serving God. The emphasis is placed on their attitude, if you like, toward God. And it means that they don't have a cold, distant or formal relationship with Him. They love God. It's not just that they acknowledge God. There's many people that acknowledge God and think that God is there. Lots of people actually pray in some way to God. Some people feel like, you know, they come to worship like in this setting and feel like they're doing their duty. They're doing what their duty toward God. But that's different from loving God, isn't it? Loving God speaks about a close relationship. He is the object of their delight and their desire. They know God. And they know that no one compares with Him. He's the greatest. He's the greatest of all beings. Even our most loved ones cannot come close to this God. He is their best friend. He's the one that they know will stick with them through thick and thin when all else, everyone else will desert them. God will never leave us nor forsake us. And that includes even when we do the worst things. Again, like Peter who denied Jesus. And he is at the center of their lives because he's the one they love. He's at the center of their lives. Life for them is about the Lord. It's about living for Him. It's about wanting to please Him. It's about wanting to know Him more. That's what loving God is. And their greatest longing is to be near Him. As the psalmist said, we read from Psalm 73, which ended by saying, the nearness of God is my good. that's really the good that you know he works all things together for the good of those who love him what's the good the good is the nearness of God and so as Paul they consider that to depart and be with Christ is far better it's far better though it may be more necessary for us to remain on in the in the world and of course We don't always love him. As we look at our lives, we do many things contrary to love, and we'll never love him perfectly, but that doesn't mean that we don't love him. Again, I think of Peter, John 21 verse 17. Jesus asked Peter three times, do you love me, Peter? And Peter, how could Peter even look him in the eye after denying him? And yet he said to Jesus, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Even in the midst of all of those things that are contrary to love, Peter had a real love for Jesus. I guess that's what our love is like, isn't it often? Yeah. But then secondly, those who are called, those who are called. What that means is that they've been called by God in a unique way. It means they've heard His powerful summons. And I think of it again like Lazarus from the tomb. We were dead in our trespasses and sins and God called us by name. And we came to spiritual life and out of the tomb. But it's important to understand in this aspect that the love focuses on our love for God, but here it focuses on what God does. He calls us. God took the initiative in this relationship. He came after us, didn't He? That's what called means, those who are called according. He came after us, He called to us again. We're dead in the tomb, He comes to our tomb and says, uses our name, come forth. But He's seeking the relationship with us. He came to us when we were not seeking Him at all. We can think of what it says in John's first letter that we love him because he first loved us and he called us to him to be his people. And so we've heard the call of God. That's what a true Christian is. Someone who's heard the call of God and responded. Like Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow. That's what a called person does. They hear the voice of the Savior calling to them and they respond and they say, yes, Lord Jesus. Well, my friends, does this describe you? Do you love God? Have you been called by God? Because you can really only claim this promise if you do love God and have been called by Him. And so it's vital to stop and ask ourselves, do I really love God? Do I really love God? Is there evidence for that in my life? Not just Think about God or serve God? Certainly not just about being religious and coming along to church. Do I actually love God? Do I desire Him? Do I enjoy Him? Is He my friend that I want to draw near to? Have I heard Him call to me? Is that what's, you know, really was the beginning of my Christian life when God called my name and I heard Him and I said, yes. That must be true of us, my friends, if this truth about this verse is going to relate to us. And so maybe that's for some of us, that's where we need to be, that's the question we need to be asking. Well lastly, let's think together. Magnificent truth, well how should this truth impact our lives? How should it impact our lives? Because I really think that this truth is one of those key truths in scripture that should just make the Christian look vastly different than the unbeliever. It's so life transforming. I want to suggest four ways that this should impact our lives but I had to be selective there could have been many other things I could have mentioned. The first one is it should make us, it should make Christians, for whom this is true, thankful people, thankful people. When you stop and you read this stuff you think boy oh boy how privileged am I, how privileged. How many people can claim this promise? There are many people that cannot claim this promise. There are many people in this world for which this promise, it's the opposite, it's the reverse. We've been promised that everything is for our benefit. Every event, the little things, the big things, for our good. It should just astonish us and humble us. Who am I that this God would work everything for my good? I mean it really sounds almost horribly arrogant to claim such a thing. Oh yeah, everything works for my good, you know. And it would be horribly arrogant if it were not true and what God is saying to us. So that's the first thing, we should be a thankful people. Every event in your life, even those frustrating things, even when it is that the kids won't listen to you, that can be terribly frustrating as a parent. Or when things go bad at work or you miss out on that job or whatever it is, all things feel good. Oh, praise God, Lord. I praise you that you've done this thing in my life and it's for my good. Though I may not see it, it's for my good. The second thing, it should make us really patient in suffering, really patient in suffering. The good that God has for us often comes disguised and it often comes with pain and that's That's because we've still got sin in our lives and to get rid of that sin it often requires surgery. You know we can see it as that discipline and discipline is meant to be painful. Some of the parents you know you discipline your children it's meant to be painful but it's healing. It's healing pain, it's not senseless pain. It's like the knife of the skilled surgeon to remove what needs to be removed. And so what do we see? We feel the pain, we suffer, yes. But we don't just see that. We don't just see that as believers. Because with the eye of faith, now we see something else. We look at it through the lens of this perspective. Yes, this hurts, but it's healing. It's for my good. And so for us as believers, we need to learn to submit patiently. We need to do what Peter says to his readers, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Accept what the Father is doing for your good. Alright, so that's the second thing. The third thing, we should not fear the future. We should not fear the future. Why do we fear? It's a common thing, isn't it, among people, humans. We fear. We fear the future. We fear what's round the corner. We know that there's going to be something bad up ahead. Just round the corner, and we're afraid of it. We're afraid of bad things happening. And this could be true. There could be bad things up ahead. Usually there's not as many as we think. But yeah, all right, there could be bad things up ahead. But why should we fear when God has promised that it'll be for our good? Oh yeah, we fear the pain, yeah, I get that. But it's for our good. So what's up around the corner for you, child of God? What's up around the corner? Good, that's what's up around the corner. And we ought not to fear that. Lastly, too, is this, it helps us to forgive. It helps us to forgive. And I'm thinking here of Joseph. It helped Joseph, didn't it, to forgive the wrong that other people did to him. If we can see that in the wrong that people are doing, that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, it sort of, you know, it changes how we view it anyway. God's got good in it and when we focus on God and the good that he has for us, it can ease and lessen the pain that people have caused us. God's over this, God's overseeing, God's going to make sure this is going to turn out for my good, really good and so that therefore it lessens my anger and all of that and even the hurt that people have done to me. Because I'm looking at God and seeing the good he intends. Oh, there's many more things. There's many more things we could bring out. But brethren, just before we close, most of us will believe the truth of this verse. I've not told you anything new. But I guess the challenge, my challenge to you and to myself is, allow this truth to change your lives. Allow this truth to challenge the way that you are living. Allow this verse, this truth, to rebuke you and to correct you. May we be a people who live as if this verse is true, because it is. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you that your word is just so full of great news for us. It's astonishing. It's so good, it couldn't be better. Lord, we pray for a heart to believe it. Lord, not just in our heads, not just our minds, not just like ticking boxes, but really believe this truth. And we ask you, Father, that you would so work it in our hearts and our minds that it would shape the way we live and how we respond to circumstances in our life, Lord. So please hear us and help us because we do want to be a people that bear witness to the truth. and we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.