"All things work together for good..." Romans 8:28 is a frequently quoted, frequently preached passage of Scripture. Unfortunately, it's often made to sound as though when something bad happens to one of His children, God nudges one of the angels and says "You know, Bob (for example) had a bad day. Let's turn his lemons into lemonade."
That's a nice thought, and occasionally it seems to work that way, but that really isn't at all what Romans 8:28 is about. In context, this passage tells us the mystery of what He is up to long term. In fact, He's so determined that the mystery of what He's up to will happen that He uses three very powerful words to describe His determination. In the next couple of verses, He says that you are Called to this mystery, you are Predestined for this mystery, and you are Foreknown for this mystery. In my mind, the words He chooses make this much more than a promise. He is flat out stating a fact: I WILL do this.
Take a deep breath, because this mystery is stunning in its simplicity and almost beyond belief in its extravagance. It is totally over-the-top and unimaginably incredible. Now, what is the mystery that He's going to do?
Here it is:
He will Conform each of His children to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
That mystery is God's ultimate outcome for His human children, the Redeemed, the very ones that were made through Jesus, by Jesus, and for Jesus (Romans 11:36).
It will happen.
Here's the whole passage:
God doesn't make the bad things happen; sin and evil make them happen. But He refuses to let even the bad things go to waste in the life of His child. He will use it all -- yes, even the bad things -- as part of His shaping process.
"All things working together for good" doesn't mean that my lemons will become lemonade. On the contrary, He is saying that nothing will go to waste. Not even the bad stuff that intends to destroy me will go to waste. He will use it all to shape me the way He wants and conform me to the image of Jesus. My version of what that looks like will be personalized for me just as your version will be personalized for you. But each of His children, in the way He chooses, will be conformed to that image. In the process of getting us there, He will use all of it.
God doesn't ask for a redo. He doesn't say, Oops, that was bad, let's forget that bit of trouble and start over, doing what a golfer calls a Mulligan. I am reminded of the time in Genesis that Joseph said to his brothers, "What you meant for evil to destroy me, God meant for good." I often refer to it as "The Joseph Principle".
He is a God of fresh starts and of clean starts, but if you belong to Him, nothing resets His plan. I used to think that if God had started out with a plan A for me, I must be down to Plan ZZZ by now. But I've realized that's wrong. God has one plan for His children: to conform us to the image of Jesus. That plan and goal never changes, never shifts. The route I take to that goal may shift, but the destination is constant.
God is always in Plan A mode.
That's why I can give thanks in everything. Not for everything, but in everything. I'm not thankful for the evil that comes against me, but I am thankful for the outcome He has promised. I'm thankful that He won't let anything go to waste. I'm thankful that His Plan A, to conform me to the image of His Son, is always at work and will not fail. He will not be denied. Will not. Period.
It's like He says to the enemy of our souls, "Whatever you do, enemy, even your worst won't let you win. I will use everything in my child's life to conform him to the image of my Son. No matter what, my child wins!"
Yes, for that I am thankful. And because of that, no matter what, I win.
No. Matter. What. I. Win.
If you belong to Jesus and love Him -- meaning you've been bought by His blood and you've surrendered to His total ownership and transforming work in your life -- No. Matter. What. You. Win.
That's a nice thought, and occasionally it seems to work that way, but that really isn't at all what Romans 8:28 is about. In context, this passage tells us the mystery of what He is up to long term. In fact, He's so determined that the mystery of what He's up to will happen that He uses three very powerful words to describe His determination. In the next couple of verses, He says that you are Called to this mystery, you are Predestined for this mystery, and you are Foreknown for this mystery. In my mind, the words He chooses make this much more than a promise. He is flat out stating a fact: I WILL do this.
Take a deep breath, because this mystery is stunning in its simplicity and almost beyond belief in its extravagance. It is totally over-the-top and unimaginably incredible. Now, what is the mystery that He's going to do?
Here it is:
He will Conform each of His children to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
That mystery is God's ultimate outcome for His human children, the Redeemed, the very ones that were made through Jesus, by Jesus, and for Jesus (Romans 11:36).
It will happen.
Here's the whole passage:
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. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Roman 8:28-30)In this fallen earth age, evil is present and bad things will happen. For now, evil runs barely restrained through the earth. It won't go on like this forever. An end is coming to this evil age, but for now evil, wickedness, harm and destruction are here.
God doesn't make the bad things happen; sin and evil make them happen. But He refuses to let even the bad things go to waste in the life of His child. He will use it all -- yes, even the bad things -- as part of His shaping process.
"All things working together for good" doesn't mean that my lemons will become lemonade. On the contrary, He is saying that nothing will go to waste. Not even the bad stuff that intends to destroy me will go to waste. He will use it all to shape me the way He wants and conform me to the image of Jesus. My version of what that looks like will be personalized for me just as your version will be personalized for you. But each of His children, in the way He chooses, will be conformed to that image. In the process of getting us there, He will use all of it.
God doesn't ask for a redo. He doesn't say, Oops, that was bad, let's forget that bit of trouble and start over, doing what a golfer calls a Mulligan. I am reminded of the time in Genesis that Joseph said to his brothers, "What you meant for evil to destroy me, God meant for good." I often refer to it as "The Joseph Principle".
He is a God of fresh starts and of clean starts, but if you belong to Him, nothing resets His plan. I used to think that if God had started out with a plan A for me, I must be down to Plan ZZZ by now. But I've realized that's wrong. God has one plan for His children: to conform us to the image of Jesus. That plan and goal never changes, never shifts. The route I take to that goal may shift, but the destination is constant.
God is always in Plan A mode.
That's why I can give thanks in everything. Not for everything, but in everything. I'm not thankful for the evil that comes against me, but I am thankful for the outcome He has promised. I'm thankful that He won't let anything go to waste. I'm thankful that His Plan A, to conform me to the image of His Son, is always at work and will not fail. He will not be denied. Will not. Period.
It's like He says to the enemy of our souls, "Whatever you do, enemy, even your worst won't let you win. I will use everything in my child's life to conform him to the image of my Son. No matter what, my child wins!"
Yes, for that I am thankful. And because of that, no matter what, I win.
No. Matter. What. I. Win.
If you belong to Jesus and love Him -- meaning you've been bought by His blood and you've surrendered to His total ownership and transforming work in your life -- No. Matter. What. You. Win.
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