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.
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 is a very well known verse which is used by many Christians to encourage others or for themselves to be reassured when experiencing trying and challenging moments in their life. You probably know Christians who were comforted and strengthened by the Lord, as they stood upon and trusted God as they applied the truth of this verse to their situation. However, the common misunderstanding and misapplication of this verse has also caused confusion and heartache for many other Christians. Why? One commentator explains it this way. “People often misunderstand Romans 8:28. Some assume that this promise means God will turn every bad situation into a good situation.”
We need to be intentional when we use scripture to try as best as we can, with the limited resources we have available to us, and with prayer, to understand and apply scripture to the many different types of situations and life challenges we confront. It is easy to just quote scripture and apply it to any given situation, but many times, we really do not know why it was said and its meaning in the context of where it is said.
It is difficult to know someone’s intentions or purpose in any given situation if we do not know them very well. It is the same in a Christian’s relationship with God. If we do not know His Word and experientially and intimately know God, we will find it very hard to trust and apply His word, to depend on Him and praise Him when we experience the many difficult challenges in life.
The context of Romans 8:28 ends at verse thirty-nine or the end of the chapter eight. Did you ever consider the context of this verse when applying it you yourself or using it to encourage someone?
The apostle Paul throughout the context of Romans 8:28–39 includes himself when he starts out by saying, “And we know…”. What Paul experientially knew in his relationship with God, he also expected it to be a reality in the life of the believers of the Church in Rome. Note how many times Paul uses the words “we” and “us” in the context of Romans 8:28–39.
Paul continues to state, “…that in all things…”, but what are the “things” that Paul is referring to? This is where taking this verse out of its context that many sincere Christians fail to benefit from the full meaning and application of verse twenty-eight in their lives. The explanation to the various points that Paul makes in verse twenty-eight, as earlier noted, are found in the following verses of the context that ends with verse thirty-nine. However, it is important to note that the order of Paul’s explanation of these points, are not in a chronological order as stated in verse twenty-eight.
Back to our question, what are the “things” that Paul is referring to? To answer this, Paul gives us two partial lists. The first half of the answer is found in, Romans 8:31-37. The “things” of verse twenty-eight are four questions that contain the personal pronoun “who”, of which Paul answers his own questions. Note that verse thirty-five is not “who” as in a person, but “who” as the seven “things” Paul lists.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
The key point made in the question of verse thirty-five can be easily over looked. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Also, what is stated in verse thirty-seven, “him who loved us”. Did you ever wonder how does the “love of Christ” and “him who loved us” relate to verse twenty-eight and the rest of the context?
The second part of the list that Paul gives us are in verses thirty-seven to thirty-nine. This list has ten points that also relate to the “things” of verse twenty-eight. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, did you notice in second half of verse thirty-nine, Paul mentions “the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Before we move on we must answer this question, how does the “love of Christ” (v35), “him who loved us” (v37) and “the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v39) relate to verse twenty-eight and the rest of the context?
As believers in Christ Jesus who love God (“those who love him” v28) we should always know about and recognize God’s love for us even when we are confronting challenging and seeming impossible life situations, God has not abandoned “those who love him”. This is what Paul is reminding us in these three verses (35, 37, 39), that nothing no matter how bad it is “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“…because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
Another overlooked point when Christians only quote Romans 8:28 and do not consider the context (verses 29 to 39), is the meaning and application of verse 28b, “who have been called according to his purpose.”
If you love God, do you know what His Word says about the “purpose” He has for your life? In addition, do you know what does Paul mean by “called”? The answers are found and explained in the context of the verses (29 to 39) that follow verse twenty-eight.
By not reading the following verses of Romans 8:28 it would be very difficult to the answers to the nest two following questions.
What is God’s “purpose” for those believers in Christ who love Him? Answer – ver. 29a, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”
What does it mean to be “called”? Answer – ver. 30 “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Anne Graham Lotz –“Given that suffering is included prominently beneath the umbrella of “all things”, many find the passage difficult to stomach. You may immediately question how the pregnancy of your unmarried daughter can work for your good, or how God can work even a divorce for your good, or how the loss of your job can be for your good, or how your terminal illness can be for your good. If, by “good,” Romans 8:28 meant your comfort, convenience, health, wealth, prosperity, pleasure, or happiness, we would all question it! But your ultimate good is conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. And when you are in God’s will—“called according to his purpose”—everything God allows into your life is used by Him to make you like Christ. Everything!” (The Vision of His Glory, p.27)
Even when experiencing the many different types of difficult situations and life challenges that we might confront, we must never forget that God is transforming us to the image of Christ.
Pastor John
