Maybe
you’ve quoted it to someone who’s going through hard times. Or maybe you were
hit with trouble in your own life, and you knew that God had a promise for you.
“All things work together for good,” you told yourself.
When Dionne and I have faced trials over the years, Romans 8:28 has encouraged and strengthened us. I am very grateful for God’s promises, and especially for this one. It has reminded us that God is in control and He will have His way.
God’s promise can be like a lifeline when you're drowning. But sometimes well-meaning people may use His word more like an anchor than a lifeline. I'll never forget a visiting chapel speaker when I was in seminary. He had just gone through some very deep waters with his teenage daughter. They had found a malignant tumor in her knee, and her leg had to be amputated. People in his church quoted Romans 8:28 to him so he would "cheer up." They came across as uncaring and shallow. Instead of a lifeline, they threw him an anchor.
So what does Romans 8:28 really mean? What does it really promise? And to whom? I’d like to spend several posts looking more closely at his wonderful promise. In this post I want to mention The Qualifications for the Promise. Who is this promise meant for?
When Dionne and I have faced trials over the years, Romans 8:28 has encouraged and strengthened us. I am very grateful for God’s promises, and especially for this one. It has reminded us that God is in control and He will have His way.
God’s promise can be like a lifeline when you're drowning. But sometimes well-meaning people may use His word more like an anchor than a lifeline. I'll never forget a visiting chapel speaker when I was in seminary. He had just gone through some very deep waters with his teenage daughter. They had found a malignant tumor in her knee, and her leg had to be amputated. People in his church quoted Romans 8:28 to him so he would "cheer up." They came across as uncaring and shallow. Instead of a lifeline, they threw him an anchor.
So what does Romans 8:28 really mean? What does it really promise? And to whom? I’d like to spend several posts looking more closely at his wonderful promise. In this post I want to mention The Qualifications for the Promise. Who is this promise meant for?
This promise doesn't mean that all things are good, nor does it say that all things work together for good for all people.The promise is intended for a specific group of people, described by two phrases: "those who love
God,” “those who are called.” And we know that for those who love God all things work together for
good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
These two phrases are actually different ways of pointing to the same group of people: believers in Christ. On a human level, the promise is for those who truly love God. (Notice, it doesn’t say “those who believe in God.” Demons believe in God - James 2:19 - and all things are not going to work out so well
for them.) On the divine side, those who love God are those who are called by His sovereign grace to follow Jesus.
All things do not work
together for good for everybody. They work together for good for those who are
called of God, those who truly love Him.
For next time: The Power of the Promise. And if you'd like to know more about what it means to love God by becoming a follower of Jesus, here's a good summary - Two Ways to Live.
