Romans 8:28 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.
What a wonderful verse and probably one of the most quoted verses by believers everywhere.
“We know” – can be sure
“that all things” – ALL (any, every, the whole)
“work together” – cooperate, co-labor
“for good” – to our benefit and to God’s glory (Greek gives comparison to word for beauty, value, worth)
“to them that love God” – As I looked at the Greek, this love is an act of the will as a matter of principle, duty, and propriety. It is a response to truly knowing and embracing all the truth about God and His provision for us.
“to them who are the called” – The Greek for the word called speaks of an invitation and an appointment. The scripture doesn’t contradict itself. The Lord makes it clear in scripture that He is not willing that any should perish.
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
John tells us that ALL will be taught of God
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
The desire of the teacher is that his students learn. And Paul started this book to the Romans saying that man was without excuse.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
All that to say this. Salvation isn’t just for some people; Christ died for all; but only those who accept the invitation, who learn the lesson, will be appointed to salvation.
“according to His purpose” – A wonderful truth. We are His for a purpose. Life has meaning. The experiences God allows to touch us have a reason—not just any reason, a special purpose in the plans of God. What a privilege!
This is a beautiful truth. It’s just really hard for the believer to grasp when going through really hard times in life—i.e., the death of a child, debilitating and/or terminal illness, the unfaithfulness of a spouse, etc. I think the key to embracing this truth is to recognize and embrace the character of Father God. His ways are far beyond our understanding. Faith is trusting when we don’t understand, but we know that we can obey/endure/sacrifice in spite of the circumstances because our Father is love and truth and faithful. Abraham pictured it beautifully through his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. He believed God even though he did not understand why God was asking him to make such a sacrifice. He knew that God would honor his promise to him through Isaac.
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1 comment:
Sharon,
Thanks for writing on this beautiful passage. As you say at the end of your post, it's often hard for us to understand our hardships. The problem often lies in our short attention spans and the closeness of our horizons; God makes long-term plans and takes advantage of the things that have helped strengthen us along the way.
Thanks again for your review!
Robert Hoge
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