God Is Good

1. The Connection to the Promise, “and”

A. It is Not a Conclusion

If the first word of this verse was “therefore,” we would look for a conclusion.

B. It is Not a Contrast

If it were, “but,” we would look for some kind of contrast to what had just been written.

C. It is a Connection

“And” tells us that Paul wants us to see the connection between what he has been saying and what he is about to say.

2. The Certainty of the Promise, “we know”

3. The Completeness of the Promise, “all things”

4. The Continuity of the promise, “work together”

5. The Content of the Promise, “for good”

6. The Condition of the Promise, “to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

7. The Consequences of the Promise, 29, 30

A. Our Glorification

B. God’s Glory

C.S. Lewis in God in the Dock, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1970) writes: “In ‘Hamlet’ a branch breaks and Ophelia is drowned. Did she die because the branch broke or because Shakespeare wanted her to die at that point in the play? Either—both—whichever you prefer. The alternative suggested by the question is not a real alternative at all—once you have grasped that Shakespeare is making the whole play.”

God is more sovereign than Shakespeare. He uses the free will of man to fulfill His purpose.

∙ He uses the hatred of Joseph’s brothers to save a nation.

∙ He used wicked people in the crucifixion of Christ to save the Lost.

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.

1. The Connection to the Promise, “And”

A. Not a conclusion

∙ If the first word of this verse was “therefore,” we would look for a conclusion.

B. Not a contrast

∙ If it were, “but,” we would look for some kind of contrast to what had just been written.

C. It is a connection

∙ “And” tells us that Paul wants us to see the connection between what he has been saying and what he is about to say.

The sovereignty of God, of which Paul is speaking in verses 28-30, must be understood in relationship to the spiritual life and specifically to suffering (verses 18-27). The sovereignty of God has many avenues of application, but here Paul applies it to suffering.

2. The Certainty of the Promise, “we know”

Paul does not say here, “I know.” He says instead, “We know.” The “we” speaks of both Paul and the entire Roman church. Paul is saying, “All Christians know this …” The truth of which Paul speaks is a truth he believes is universally held by all Christians.

It is also appropriate to infer that the truth taught here is not one understood or believed by non-Christians.

“We know …” A definite note of certainty is here. Paul does not say, “we think,” or “we hope,” but rather, “We know.”

Paul was convinced that all, including him, knew and believed God’s sovereignty.

He does not assume that Christians knew all the truth, but he did assume that the Roman saints knew of the sovereignty of God.

3. The Completeness of the Promise,

“all things” all things=all things

We have seen that “all” means that everything which affects the life of the Christian is under God’s control and thus is a part of God’s will for us. God causes “all things” to work together for our good.

We are much more willing to attribute the pleasant events of our life to the hand of God than we are the painful experiences.

We find it difficult to believe that an act of deliberate cruelty intended by the offender to hurt us is really being used by God for our good.

If we are to take Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 literally and seriously, we must face the fact that “all things” includes those things which we find painfully unpleasant. We may even think they are unbearable.

“All things” includes the sin of others and even our own sins.

“All things” means there is nothing which falls outside of God’s control and which works contrary to our good.

Not one thing falls outside of God’s control. “All things” are caused to work together so that God’s will—our good—is accomplished.

The supreme illustration of God’s turning "all things," even the most evil of things, to the good of His children is seen in the sacrificial death of His own Son. In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God took the most absolute evil that Satan could devise and turned it into the greatest conceivable blessing He could offer to fallen mankind—eternal salvation from sin.

4. The Continuity of the promise, “work together”