“And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28
If you were to take an automobile and
disassemble it, laying out all its parts; it would be hard to understand how
this mixture of metal could provide you locomotion home. However, when the engineer of the vehicle
looks at the same pile of parts, they see not only a car, but provision enough
to supply transportation. It is vain for
a man to try to understand how all the bad can provide locomotion for good;
only God can do that. However, it is
paramount that we trust in the engineer, the vehicle, and accept the things
that contribute to it. For this will get
us to heaven and help us to glorify the Father while we go.
Romans eight, twenty-eight is one of those
scriptures that is so polarizing, and powerful that it is almost unbelievable. How can there be good in tragedy? In loss?
In pain, and death? The devil is always
trying to get the Christian to look at the created, instead of the Creator. Romans eight, twenty-eight turns our vision
back to the Creator. The preceding
verses in the eighth chapter help to illuminate this. In the first twelve verses of the chapter,
Paul articulates the difference between the flesh and the Spirit, and how there
is condemnation when we are in the flesh and life in the Spirit. He then continues to say, in verses twelve
through eighteen, that we can receive this Spirit and be led by it. Furthermore, if we have received this Spirit,
and suffer with him, we are the sons of God.
He then adds these awesome words “the suffering of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” How staggering that Paul who endured so much
suffering would say it is of no comparison to the glory. He then continues in the nineteenth through
twenty eighth verses to draw the connection between the Spirit, the adoption,
and the glory. Explaining that the Spirit
is the witness that we are the sons of God.
Which brings us into adoption by the Father. Then adds that this same Spirit will
intercede for us in prayer, aiding us according to the will of God, while we
hope for the redemption of the body. In
this text we have the following promises.
First, that we can be alive, and free from condemnation. Second, that we can be filled with the
Spirit. Third, we can be led by the
Spirit. Fourth, our suffering is nothing
compared to the glory. Fifth, this
Spirit will intercede for us, aiding us, that we might maintain the earnest of
the adoption and obtain the redemption of the body; a home in heaven. Taking all this into account, we then must
examine Romans eight and twenty-eight. Understanding,
we who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God, therefore adopted by God,
travelers to heaven, and they who are called according to his purpose. The scripture sums such a one up as being
sanctified. This means, that no matter
the bad circumstances (tragedy, loss, death, etc.), you can lay hold on this
scripture and know that all things work together for good. You can be confident in God’s design to
gather you to himself. In grief, in suffering,
even in the face of death. All things
are working together for good.
What is the good that all these things are
working together to produce? Glory and
purpose. We are as the Savior we serve,
trusting the providence of the Father to glorify His name through us while here
on earth, and bring us to glory when we leave this earth. We exist in that vehicle and are carried by
that vehicle. We will patiently walk by
faith and wait for the hope that is yet unseen, the Spirit is doing all it can
to help us. Our role in this grand endeavor
is to simply trust and obey. To know
that whatever hardship, tragedy, or pain we are going through, it is simply a
part to a greater purpose.
