Thoughts on Romans 8:28

Along with John 3:16 and a few other texts, Romans 8:28 is especially well known and loved by Bible-believing Christians. What an encouragement to “know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

The verse is often taken simply as an exhortation to look on the bright side of things. In that regard, a friend shared this family incident with me. She said, “My grandfather believed a man should never speak or act in anger. One day, some of the family called on him, including his little granddaughter. The adults were in the house visiting, while she was allowed to play outside. After a time, she came in, approached the old man, and said, ‘Grandpa, I have been helping you. I weeded your garden.’ In some curiosity, if not concern, he followed her outside to view her handiwork. The little girl had pulled up every single vegetable in the garden! In dismay, Grandpa held his head in both hands–his way when greatly distressed. Finally, he turned to her and said in a quiet voice, ‘Darling, you have just saved Grandpa a whole lot of work!’”

There is certainly wonderful comfort in knowing that God is in control, and good will come out of our trials. In the words of Henry Hildebrand, founder of the Briercrest Schools in Saskatchewan, Canada, “Our tomorrows have to pass by Him for approval, before they reach us.” When John Bunyan was cast into prison in 1660 for preaching without the forms and sanctions of the Church of England, he said this: “Let the rage and malice of men be never so great, they can do no more, nor go farther than God permits them: but when they have done their worst, we know all things shall work together for good to them that love God. Farewell.”

But beyond using the familiar words to console ourselves when circumstances seem contrary, we are enriched by great and profound truths here. The early part of Romans 8 has to do with daily living in the power of the Holy Spirit. The latter half, introduced by vs. 28, concerns the certainty of the believer’s eternal future, guaranteed by the omnipotence of a sovereign God. Harry Ironside comments, “We have a glorious chain of five links in vs. 29-30, reaching from eternity in the past to eternity in the future–foreknown, predestinated, called, justified, glorified! Every link was forged in heaven, and not one can ever be broken.”

I have always viewed these linked blessings as anticipatory. That God, dwelling in eternity (Isa. 57:15), is able to see our glorification as already completed, since He sees the end from the beginning. However, it could be that these are intended as positional realities already possessed, already legally ours. In that sense, we are already counted as glorified “in Christ” as to our eternal standing, just as surely as we are justified in Him. This makes our future experience of that glory all the more certain and secure.

That is the atmosphere in which the promise of vs. 28 is given. And I wonder about the description of “those who love God,” whether it is primarily a matter of our current state or our eternal standing. In other words, will things only work out for good today if we are conscious of a certain level of love for the Lord in our hearts? Or demonstrate our love in some practical and particular way? And if so, how much love is enough to activate His providence? And how can we be sure we have enough of it?

This does not make sense. God who “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11) is not hampered by such outside forces (cf. vs. 29-30). It would seem, rather, that “those who love God” is to be seen as a parallel expression to “those who are the called according to His purpose [i.e. those called to salvation in accordance with His plan],” (cf. I Cor. 1:9). Thus we are to view this as a positional matter. It is simply a description of the born again Christian. We who are believers are identified as the “lovers of God” (cf. I Cor. 2:9; Eph. 6:24; II Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; 2:5).

To further get in mind the many facets of this wonderful text, it may be helpful to consider the verse in reverse for a moment.

1. God’s purpose is that we be “conformed to the image of His Son” (vs. 29). As someone has put it, “God loves us enough to accept us as we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way!”
2. His call is His sovereign and effectual choice of individuals to be saved and fulfil this eternal purpose (vs. 30). “Those who are the called” are those He has saved by grace, through faith in Christ.
3. These are the ones who love God (i.e. are lovers of God). “We love Him because He first loved us” (I Jn. 4:19).
4. The good that is in view is surely the advancement of His ultimate purpose. In God’s hands, even seeming negatives become beneficial. “We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors” (vs. 36-37).
5. The working together is God’s providence, the “pro-video” (before-seeing) by which He is able to work in our lives, using all that happens to accomplish His will. Some ancient manuscripts render it, “God causes all things to work together for good.” The point is similar, but that emphasizes God’s sovereign omnipotence in orchestrating all the complexities of our lives to bring about His design.
6. All things are included, not just those that seem by human evaluation to be accomplishing the end the Lord has in mind. Absolutely the worst thing that has ever happened, and the worst thing that human beings have ever done, was to nail the sinless Son of God to a cross. The principle of this text is therefore demonstrated to the ultimate degree in the fact that God has worked through that terrible event to bring about infinite and eternal good for the very ones whose sin put Him there.
7. We know all this by the inspired revelation given in His Word, and because we see there that God has already established the glorious end of the process as a certainty (vs. 30). What a blessing! What an assurance!

Hope In Service For Christ

When we say, “I hope so,” we likely mean that is what we wish for, that is our desire. But biblical hope, given to the believer by the Lord, is far more than a wish or a maybe. It may be defined as: the joyful certainty of future blessing. Because it is founded upon the holy character and omnipotence of the One who promises in His Word, we can rest in the things that are “hoped” for with supreme confidence. Truly, “Our God and Father…has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace” (II Thess. 2:16).

“The hope of salvation” (I Thess. 5:8) is the joyful certainty of the future blessings of salvation. That is a “good hope,” indeed! It is a better hope, when contrasted with the Law which condemns the sinner, but has no ability to save (Heb. 7:19). And it is living hope which gives a present guarantee and assurance of our glorious future (I Pet. 1:3-5). The final fulfilment of these things is tied to the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return (Tit. 2:13).

Here is the basis for service: our eternal comfort (or encouragement)–the beneficial hope engendered in us by the Spirit, because of our standing in grace (cf. Rom. 5:2). We serve the Lord in hope of His blessing on our service. There is comfort now, in testing times, and a certain hope of what the outcome of our work will be at the return of the King. Paul views these as a resource available to each believer. It is the apostle’s prayer that God might “comfort [our] hearts and establish [us] in every good word and work” (vs. 17). This hope in Him should motivate us to faithful energetic service for the Lord.

Second Thessalonians 2:16-17 is a prayer especially for grace in Christian service. Other prayers in the epistle have a bearing on this as well. There is a prayer for God’s blessing, and for His glory–which should be our underlying motive (1:11-12); a prayer for love and patience (3:5); and a prayer for peace (3:16). In our service for the Lord, we need strength and love. We minister out of the richness of His blessing, and for His glory. It is a great cause in which to be involved. But we need patience to keep at it, and comfort and peace in leaving the outcome with Him. “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9; cf. I Cor. 15:58).