God is at Work
Romans 8:28-30
Introduction
How many of you have heard the phrase, “All things work for good.”
Yeah – me too. How many of you believe it? Go ahead, be brave! Show me your hands. Good.
Well, let me ask you something. How about when your tire goes flat in the middle of a blizzard? How about when the bank calls to tell you that you are overdrawn again, even though your check register shows a positive balance?
What about when you hear that a loved one has just contracted cancer, and it’s not looking good? Or maybe you’re the one who just got that news.
What about when your teenage daughter comes in to tell you she’s pregnant?
Still believe that all things work for good?
Well let me tell you what I think. I think that good can come out of these things, but I think the source of the good needs to be clarified.
And to help us with that, I want us to look at Romans 8:28-30, which is printed in your note-taking guide. In fact, I would like you to read this aloud with me, okay?
RO 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Did you notice something there? God is doing the work. And I want to encourage you today to keep that in mind as you go through the things that aren’t always pleasant, and maybe downright disastrous in our lives.
And my hope is that you will walk out of here today with a firmer grip on the hand of God, who promises to uphold us, and to keep us in His care.
In doing that I want to give you three things to remember that I believe will help you get through the tough times with the confidence that God is at work.
Here’s the first one:
1. Remember that God is doing the work.
God is the one doing the work.
Now, I just said that, right? But I want to flesh that out a bit before putting it away. I think that this is one of the most fundamental truths about how God works in us that I want us to really hammer it for a bit.
In the King James Version of the Bible, verse 28 reads the way many are familiar with it:
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.
But I like the way the New International Version puts it, which is what is printed in your note-taking guide.
…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
In the New Living Translation it reads –
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
You see, it’s not the “things” that are doing the work, it’s God.
God has a purpose for everything that goes on in your life. Nothing catches God by surprise, and He is able to make everything work for our benefit.
We won’t always see it this side of heaven, and we may never understand it this side of heaven, but it’s true nonetheless.
One of the hardest emotional feelings people can go through is the thought that maybe God had abandoned them in the midst of their suffering and pain.
Well let me tell you that nothing could be farther from the truth. In the book, Don’t Waste Your Sorrows, Dr. Paul Brand is quoted from another book, although the title escapes me right now, as saying that when you are hurting, God is in you, the one who is hurting, not in the thing that’s hurting you.
God has not abandoned you. He is active and working.
Please, if you are in the midst of something hard right now, understand that God is with you, working in and for you, for your benefit, and for your good.
I can tell you how hard this is to believe at times. When my wife and I have faced miscarriage, when our finances were in such a state that I seriously considered how to cash in my life insurance policy (and I don’t mean cancel the policy) so my family could get out from under the mess, when I was without a job and my family was on state assistance, and on and on.
It’s tough to believe this sometimes, but it’s true.
And by the way God doesn’t just use the hard things. He uses the good things as well.
We don’t think of that as often, because we’re accustomed to thinking that this passage only applies to the bad stuff.
But God uses it all. There have been lots of situations in my life and possibly in yours when good stuff happened, and you knew God was working in the midst of it, even if you didn’t understand it.
So don’t think God can only use the bad stuff. Man, I’m glad He can use the good stuff, and I say, “Bring it on!”
Admittedly, I’m not as quick to say that when it comes to the negative stuff!
But folks, it’s crucial to remember that it’s not the things that work for our good, it’s God.
And this leads us to the next thing we need to remember, and that is to…
2. Remember that God has a purpose for the work.
Look back at the end of verse 28 –
…who have been called according to his purpose.
Then at the middle of verse 29 –
…to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…
What is God’s purpose for allowing trials, temptations, and even tragedy? It’s to make us more like Christ.
What is God’s purpose for allowing promotions, money, great relationships, and all that kind of stuff? To make us more like Christ.
God is always working on us and in us to make us more like His Son.
This is called “character development,” and it’s one of the things God does best.
You see, God loves you just the way you are. But He loves you too much to let you stay that way!
He has a life-long program for you, called “discipleship,” which the process we go through in becoming more like Jesus.
That process never stops this side of heaven for those who are serious about living for God.
As we grow in our relationship with Christ, and we become more like Him, some amazing things begin to happen.
We fall in love with God more. Jesus said we’re supposed to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We can’t do that on our own. We need help from God in order to be able to love Him that way, so He helps us.
Another amazing thing that happens is that we love others more. Jesus said we’re supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves.
And guess what? We can’t do that without God’s help, either.
But as we grow in Christ-likeness, these begin to fall into place nicely.
God doesn’t just use our circumstances and events to do this. Those are just part of His toolbox.
He uses the Bible to help us learn more about Him, what He expects from us, how to have positive relationships, and even to learn how He works in us and the world around us.
He uses the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible and do what God wants us to do.
He uses our prayer life as we converse with Him about what’s in His Bible and what’s going on in our lives and around the world.
He uses other people as well. Godly people who can help you learn the Bible, and guide you to deepening that relationship with God.
Occasionally, God also uses people who aren’t so godly! Isn’t that the truth!
And sometimes He’ll even use Christians who aren’t exactly exhibiting Christ-like behavior. I’ve said before that the hardest part about the kingdom of God is that it’s made up of people!
Folks, God has a purpose for the things that come into our lives – the good, the bad, and the ugly. His purpose is to make you and me more like Christ.
Remember that God is working, and that His work has a purpose, and lastly, you need to…
3. Remember that God plans the result of the work.
The last part of verse 30 says that –
…those he justified, he also glorified.
What does that mean?
Well, let me start back a bit. When a person puts their faith in Christ to forgive their sins and give them a home in heaven, he is justified.
This basically means that he is put in right relationship with God, and that the person has been made clean in His sight.
But that’s just the beginning! It’s at this point that God begins that training program I’ve just been describing.
But when it’s all over, and we’re standing before God, he finishes the process in heaven by glorifying us. That simply means that we are made perfect forever in His presence.
No more struggle. No more pain. No more sin. No more death. No more sorrow.
We’ll be in glory, in the presence of God forever.
That, folks, is the end result of the work God is doing in your life, even right now. Whatever is going on in your life today is being used by God to make you more like Christ in this world, anticipating the day when all will be perfect.
Conclusion
My hope is that after today you will not look at the “things” in your life as working for your good, but rather that you will recognize the working of God.
As I said, it’s not always easy, and at times it may be impossible to understand everything that’s going on.
But whether we understand it or not, God is working.
The verses just before our passage today say that sometimes we don’t even know how to pray about a situation. But that the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to pray with us and for us.
It’s just a fact that we don’t always know how to pray about something. But let me offer you an idea to help in that regard.
How about praying something like this:
“Lord, I don’t get it. I don’t understand what’s going on, and I don’t even know if I like it. But Your Word says that even in the midst of this, You’re working. And You’re working for my good.
And so I’m asking that Your will would be done, and that Your good would be done in me (and whoever else is involved). Use this to make me more like Jesus, and please give me the comfort and encouragement that can only come from knowing that You are in control, even when I can’t understand it.
And if the time comes that I am to the point where I’m not even sure I believe You are working, please have Your way anyway, and help me to trust in You.”
Folks, can you believe God is working? I hope so, especially as you read this Word from God.
Let’s pray.
