Romans 8:28 (LB)
And we know that all that happens to us is
working for our own good if we love God and are fitting into His plans.
In my modest
preaching career, I have given a sermon perhaps 40 times. Three of these times, at different churches,
I have preached on this verse. Why? Because this verse provides a great principle
of hope. Especially when you are dealing with
bad experiences, this verse promises and gives the Christian hope that God is
at work to use those bad experiences for eventual good in your life. Note that this Scripture emphasizes “All
things”! Indeed, for the Christian,
“all” means all! Every experience of
life, good or bad, God is working for your eventual good! For the experienced Christian person, as you
reflect on your past life and how the Lord has worked during your times of
crises, is there any question that this verse is not true?
You must love God in both the good and bad
times. Be honest, do you tend to resort
to self-pity or discouragement or bitterness in the bad times? This shows your human weakness. These negative reactions cut you off from the
resource you need most—knowing that God loves you and will help you. God sends circumstances into your life that
“sandpaper” you to be molded to the image of His Son (read Philippians
2:12-14). Martyn Lloyd-Jones spent 208
pages in his classic publication on the Book of Romans focusing on Romans
8:28-30! He called these three verses
the most comforting statements in Scripture.
They reaffirm the fact that the Christian person was known by God prior
to being born, was predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ, was
and is called by God to give his/her life to Christ, was then justified (“no
condemnation”) and will be glorified in the life to come.
God changes and molds you by the pressure
of His hand guiding all circumstances to enable the stature of your soul to
conform more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. God is your potter: He uses
every single revolving day like the potter uses the turning wheel, pressing you
on all sides with His own expert fingers wet with your tears and grimed with
the useless portions cut away from your life. No circumstance in your life, on
any side, within or without, comes upon you by accident: it is all part of the
plan of the Master Potter. You are
molded, you are pressed and shaped beyond your will, all for the Master
Potter's glory, as a work of His inscrutable art. But in every turn of the
wheel, with every pressure brought to bear on you, He is for you, not against
you.
However, when reading the context of this
verse (all of Romans 8) there is a limitation in this passage……these words
apply only to Christians! Only a
Christian can claim this and other promises found especially in Romans 8:26-39. I think that these 14 verses comprise the
most encouraging passage in the entire Bible.
Read through these carefully and decide for yourself.
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