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.
Trials, Troubles and tribulations, sometimes seems to be a way of life and it seems that sometimes we as Christians feel that life just should not be that way. At least not for us. After all we are the children of the one and only true God. The God who is the creator, provider and sustainer of all things. But sometimes the events and situations of day-to-day living just get us down. We get tried, frustrated and aggravated, sometime to the point where it seems that we are spiraling down deeper and deeper into an endless depth of troubles and woes. We fret and wonder and worry. We tarry and ponder for answers to end our plight of misery and mess.
Everyone has that one persistence problem or situation in their life that they have worried about, cried about, prayed about and wish that they could forget about. You have screamed from your inner most loins “ Lord, Lord when or will you fix this mess! I just can’t take it any more.” You just want relief; you just want it to be over. You just want it to be better. You just want your prayers answered. Well, James 1:2 says “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
Yes, count it all joy! When you are going through all of those painful, tearful, sleepless, heartbreaking, agonizing life altering, and life destroying trials, troubles and tribulations
count it all joy! Now that’s a hard thing to do. How can you have joy in the mist of your mess?
Look at your neighbor and tell them “ I don’t want your problems!”
My brothers and sisters you can have joy in the mist of your mess. As I stated earlier the Bible instructs the child of God to count it all joy, regardless of your circumstances or situation. The bible not only instructs us to have joy but it also gives the saints of God promise after promise that ensures our joy in this life and eternal life. Of all the promises of the bible there is one promise that seems to encompass all promises, and that is found in 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.
So if there is anything pressing upon your heart or weighing on your mind or breaking your spirit on this day, I plead with you to set it aside for a few moments as we examine this promise of promises. As we explore how to have joy in the mist of our mess!
The scripture starts with and we know. Who is this WE Paul is referring too? Lets understand that Paul is not talking to or about everyone created by God and in his image when he says WE. Paul is talking to and about everyone created by God who has confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus, and believed in their heart that God has raised him from the dead. He is referring to the creations of God who has truly believed in and called on the name of Jesus.
There are many messages, scriptures, and warnings throughout the Bible to the unbeliever, and the fence straddle. There are countless woes to those attempting to fool God and themselves, but here in this promise Paul is talking to the true child of God. Paul says And we know. With these three words Paul reminds the Christian of their absolute certainty of eternal security in Christ Jesus.
What do we know? We know that beyond a doubt that every aspect of our lives are completely held with in the mighty hand of God and that it will be used to manifest his glory and to work out our own ultimate blessing. As a Child of God and a believer in Christ Jesus, we should be secure in our belief in the security of God. This fact alone should be enough to bring any child of God joy in the mist of their mess. To know, to be secure in the fact that, that painful, tearful, sleepless, heartbreaking, agonizing life altering, and life destroying trials, troubles and tribulations that have tormented your mind for so long is really not a problem. Because God has it all under control, it is in his hands and every thing that is occurring in your life is to the glory of God and to the benefit of your blessings. And Paul reminds us that as a child of God WE KNOW, or we should know.
Here is something else that WE KNOW. Paul tells us “And we know that all things work together.” When Paul says all things, He means all things. He means everything. There are no exceptions, there are no exclusions, and there are no limits. There is nothing that has occurred, will occur or may occur in your life that is or will not be included.
Paul says “all things work together.” The Greek translation is the word sunergeo, which means to put together various elements to produce an effect greater than, and often completely different from each element acting separately. For example if one would consume sodium it would be harmful to them, if one would consume chlorine that also would be harmful to them. But to combine Sodium and Chlorine together is to produce the very salt you consume upon your foods daily.
No matter what your situation, no matter what your suffering, your persecution, your sinful failure, your pain, your lack of faith, your mess in and of your life, as well as all other things, God will work to bring about your ultimate victory and blessing.
With assurance such as this how can you not have Joy in the mist of your mess?
As Paul made clear earlier in the verse, it is God’s providential power, (God’s preserving and governing of all things) and will, that causes events in our lives to work together for WHAT? For Good. David testified in Ps. 25:10 that "All the paths of the Lord are loving kindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies" No matter what road we are on or path we take, the Lord will turn it into a way of loving kindness and truth.
Paul not only has in mind our good during this present life, but also our good in the everlasting life to come. No matter what happens in our lives as His children, the providence of God uses it for our lives here today as well as our eternal benefit. Sometimes by saving us from tragedies and sometimes by sending us through them in order to draw us closer to him, in order to correct us, in order to teach us, in order to continually conform us to the image of his son Jesus Christ.
After delivering the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, God provided for them as they faced the harsh obstacles of the Sinai desert. As Moses proclaimed the law to Israel, he reminded the people: "[God] led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end" .The Lord did not lead His people through forty years of difficulty and hardship to bring them evil but to bring them good, the good that sometimes must come by way of divine discipline and refining. God often delays the temporal as well as the ultimate good that He promises. But his word is true, his word is steadfast, all things work together for good.
But who dose God do this for. He does it for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. As mentioned earlier God did not give this promise to everyone. This word was not given to Paul to be used as a blanket for unbelieving sinners and saints alike. It was given to Paul to ensure only the children of God. It is solely for His children that God promises to work everything for good. There are qualifications that the receivers of this gift of God must meet. They must love God and they must be called. Those who love God and those who are called are two of the titles or descriptions the New Testament uses of Christians. From the human perspective we are those who love God, whereas from God’s perspective we are those who are called.
First, Paul describes the receivers of this great blessing from God as those who love God, because redeemed people love the gracious God who has saved them. Redeemed people have saving faith, which involves much more than simply acknowledging God. Even the demons fearfully believe that God is one and is all-powerful. True faith involves the surrendering of one’s sinful self to God for forgiveness and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And the first mark of saving faith is love for God. True salvation produces lovers of God, because "the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 2:9 reassures us that, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him’“ This is yet another reason you can have joy in the mist of your mess.
to those who are called
Second, Paul describes the receiver of this promise as those who are called. Just as our love originates with God, so does our calling into His heavenly family. In every way, the initiation and provision for our salvation is God’s. Here Paul is referring to the sovereign, regenerating work of God in a believer’s heart that brings the believer to new life in Christ. When Paul explains the meaning of those who are called he speaks of God’s effectual call. Paul explains that all those who are called are chosen and redeemed by God and are ultimately glorified. They are predestined by God to be His children and to be conformed to the image of His Son.
The believer’s position and behavior are both involved in the call of God.
=> Positionally, God chooses the believer by setting him apart through the Holy Spirit and through belief of the truth.
(2 Th.2:13-14)."God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ"
=> In behavior, God calls the believer to a life of purity and holiness.
"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (I Th.4:7)
The point is this: God delivers the person who is positioned in Christ and who strives lives a pure and holy life. The person who truly loves God and is living a godly life is the person who experiences all things being worked out for his good. It is the godly person who loves God that will be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this corrupt world.
(Is.43:2).When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee"
But why were you called?
according to his purpose.
According to God’s purpose.
Believers have never been called on the basis of their works or for their own purposes. Faith in God has always been the only way of redemption. Believers are not saved on the basis of who they are or what they have done but solely on the basis of who God is and what He has done. We are redeemed "according to God’s own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" Because it operates completely according to God’s will and by His power, the gospel never fails to accomplish its work of salvation in those who believe. And it is because we do believe, that we have salvation 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.
This is what gives you joy in the mist of your mess. The believer’s deliverance is purposed by God. God calls us for the glorious purpose of being saved from the painful, tearful, sleepless, heartbreaking, agonizing life altering, and life destroying trials, troubles and tribulations struggle and sufferings of this life.
The word of God promises us time after time that if we keep His covenant and His testimonies, if we would only trust in him, lean and depend on him, I we would obey his word and keep his commandment that
(I Cor.IO:13) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"
(ps.34:19) "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all"
"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Is.41:IO).
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Is.43:2).
All things work together for our good." This must be for three
reasons:
a. Because all things are under the absolute control of the God of the universe: Corinthians 5:18a; 4:15a
b. Because God desires our good and nothing but our good
c. Because even Satan himself cannot touch a hair of our heads without God’s permission and then only for our good
Not all things are good in themselves, nor in their tendencies; but God makes all things work together for our good. Nothing enters our life by blind chance, nor are there any accidents in the life of the believer. Everything is being moved by God, with this end in view-our good.. Everything being subservient to God’s eternal purpose works blessings to those marked out for conformity to the image of His dear Son (8:29). All suffering, sorrow, loss, etc., are used by our Father to minister benefits to His elect
