Understanding Scripture Part seven
Romans 8:27-29
Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 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.
29 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.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
GOD, Goodness
The sovereign God works through all things to bring good to His people. This verse does not say, as some have mistakenly understood, that God causes all things that happen. God is a good, righteous, faithful God who does not cause evil and suffering. In His sovereignty He does permit them. Nor does the verse teach that all things are good. The Bible constantly describes sinful, satanic evil in this world. This verse does teach us that when evil events do occur, God can work through those tragic circumstances to bring a blessing to His people. God may chastise His people on occasion, but we should not draw the hasty conclusion that every instance of calamity or suffering is God's attempt to chastise us. The misuse of human freedom or the working of natural law may be the cause of the calamities that befall us. The point here is that our loving Heavenly Father can even work in these circumstances to sustain and bless us. We may suffer. We need not lose faith or despair.
Rom 8:28-39
EVIL AND SUFFERING, Providence
God works in every situation for the good of His people. No suffering can cut God's people off from His love. We must evaluate suffering in terms of its effect on our long-term goal. Our goal is to participate in the salvation made possible by God's love proven and displayed in the cross and resurrection of Christ. No type of evil and suffering can keep us from participating in that salvation. Only failure to trust Christ separates us from His saving love.
Rom 8:28-35
ELECTION, Predestination
Paul described a chain of events in election which guaranteed Christian hope even in dire earthly circumstances. Hope is defined as faith that all circumstances work to deepen our relationship with Christ and reconfirm our salvation. This applies to the elect who have been called, foreknown, and predestined.
(1) Called means to have received an invitation from God to fulfill and be a part of His election purpose. See note on 1:5-6.
(2) Foreknown (Greek proginosko) is to be known intimately in personal relationship even before creation (Eph 1:4; 2Ti 1:9).
- Foreknowledge is possible because God knows past, present, and future. His purpose of individual election and salvation began before the earth did. Humans maintain the freedom to reject relationship with God and refuse to accept His invitation to salvation. Acts 2:23-33 "Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. "For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh will also rest in hope, because You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.' "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, "he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
(3) Predestined (Greek proorizo) is to determine beforehand. God determined the goal of election to be creating a people fully in His image like Christ. Predestination is thus a decision to create a holy people (Exo 19:3-6). Predestination is the term theologians use to affirm the eternal initiative, continuity, grace, and faithfulness of God in creating a people for Himself. The plan of God results in victory for His people since no one can oppose God and successfully accuse His elect.
Rom 8:28
SALVATION, Love of God
Those who love God can expect Him to work in all things for our good. The verse does not say that all things automatically work together for good or that only good things will happen. God's love controls history of the race and of individuals. No matter what happens, His love can transform the event to achieve His purposes.
8:28
God works in "all things"--not just isolated incidents--for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good.
- Note that God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill his purpose.
- Note also that this promise is not for everybody. It can be claimed only by those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Those who are "called" are those the Holy Spirit convinces and enables to receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mind-set on life. They trust in God, not life's treasures; they look for their security in heaven, not on earth; they learn to accept, not resent, pain and persecution because God is with them.
ROM 8:28
2nd Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Ephesians 1:7-12 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
2nd Timothy 1: 8-11 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
