In all things God works for our good
Romans 8:28-39
Key verse 8:28
Good morning. How are you? Today, we are going to study the rest of chapter 8. So far, in chapter 8, we have learned that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. By the Spirit, we call God “abba, Father”. The Spirit also helps us in our weakness through interceding for us. Today’s passage is about the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. You may know a movie called “saving private Ryan”, the Ryans family had four sons. All of them joined WW II. But unfortunately, three of them died in battle and only one son was left alive, he was James Ryan. The Pentagon found this and called a man named captain Miller and his rescue team to search for Ryan to bring him back to his parents. Today, we can just type his name in database and find where he is right away. Back then, there was no such a database system. So the team worked hard to look for Ryan. They had to face many tough situations where Miller and other team members died in battle. But in the end, they found Ryan and brought him back to the US. This movie shows how the rescue team did not spare their own lives to save one person. They worked for the good of the Ryans family in all situations. Today’s passage shows us how in all situations God works for our good. When we think about God’s work, his love, and his sacrifice for us, we can conclude that nothing shall separate us from the love of God. I pray through this message, we may recall God’s love for us once again.
- In all things, God works for our good
Let’s read verse 28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose”. Do you know in all things God works for your good? If this is really true, what a wonderful news! In all things (either good or bad), God works for our good. Some people think once God created the heavens and the earth, he no longer involved himself with this world but just watches. But this verse says that God works for us even today. In John 5, when Jesus healed a sick person, the religious leaders challenged him. They asked Jesus why he worked on the Sabbath. They thought since God rested on the Sabbath, God did not work on the Sabbath either. But Jesus told them they were wrong about God’s work. He said to them “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). Jesus clearly said God has been working until now. Then, working for what? He has been working for our good: that is our salvation and our growth in the image of Jesus. In the past, in all things, God worked for our salvation. He used all circumstances to save us from our sins. When we hear people’s life testimonies, there are so many different stories of how they were able to meet Jesus personally. Some lost a loved one when they were little. Others had a good job but could not find any meaning in their life. Some were very sick. Others enjoyed life but their soul was not satisfied. In the Bible, Matthew’s case, Samaritan woman’s case, 38 invalid man’s case, Peter’s case, all cases are different too. However, there is one common thing: in all their situations, God worked for them to meet Jesus as their Savior.
When we look back at how we met Jesus, we know that in our personal circumstances, God worked for our salvation too. Outwardly, we seemed to decide to believe Jesus, but behind that, it was God who humbled us, softened our hearts, and enabled us to welcome Jesus. Praise God who worked for our salvation in all things!
Look at verse 29, not only did God work for our salvation but he also works for us to have the image of Jesus. Let’s read verse 29. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” In verse 29, we can see that salvation is not the end. It is just the beginning. The next step, God’s purpose for us, is to be like his son Jesus. This is the reason why we have to learn Jesus. That is also why we have to train our bible students to grow in Jesus. For this purpose, in all things, God works for us. He uses our boss, our finance issue, even the Pandemic for us to imitate his son Jesus. In verse 29, especially, Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. At home, little brothers and sisters look up to their big brother. They copy and imitate their big brother. My 10 years old son, Jacob has a big brother John. He likes the video game John likes, often I see he speaks the same way John does. Similarly, we look up our big brother Jesus, imitate the way how he served God, the way how he loved God and God’s sheep, …. In that way, we can grow in the image of Jesus.
Then, when did God call us for this purpose? In verse 29, it says “for those God foreknew, he also predestined.” In verse 30, it says “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” God called us even before we knew about him. In his sovereign will, even before we were born, he knew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and glorified us. Jeremiah 1:5 supports this. It says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This reminds us once again that it is not we who decided to believe God but it is God who called, saved and sanctified us. Take a notice: glorified is past tense. Right now, when you look at yourself, do you think you live a glorified life? Do you have the image of Jesus? But in God’s sight, God already made us glorified: It is finished. God who works for our good will make us glorified. Then, what should we do? First, we need to believe that in all things, God works for our good. Secondly, we need to join in God’s salvation work that we can grow in the image of Jesus.
- Who shall separate us from the love of Christ
Verse 31 through verse 39 is the conclusion of chapter 8. Let’s read verse 31 says “what then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Here, these things mean what Paul mentioned previously in chapter 8: He said, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit intercedes for us. In all things, God works for our good. It is obvious that God is for us. He is on our side. So Paul shouted in verse 31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In verse 33, “who will bring any charge against us?” In verse 34, “who is the one who condemns?” No one. Even if someone might be against us, even if someone might bring any charges against us, even if someone might condemn us, God is not for them but for us. It is God who justifies us.
Look at verse 32. Paul reminds us once again who our God is. Let us read verse 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?” God did not spare his own son. We cannot understand how he did not spare his own son. In every house, each child is precious. If anything goes wrong, parents spare their children first. But even though Jesus is God’s precious son, God did not spare his own son. Rather he gave him up for us while we were the enemies of God. Through this, he proved his love for us. Romans 5:8 says “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Since God did not spare his own son for us, what would he hold back for us? He will graciously give us all things. If we need something and ask him, he will generously give us. If we lack of wisdom and ask him, he will graciously grant us wisdom. This fall, we are planning to do worship service on campus. He know what we need. If we ask him for it, he will generously provide us a perfect place.
Look at verse 34, not only is God for us but also Jesus is for us too. Let’s read verse 34. “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”. Jesus died on the cross. He was raised from the dead. He defeated the power of sin and death. Now his mission was done. In heaven, he could relax. But what does he do now? He is interceding for us. He is praying for us. Wow! In verse 26, it says the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. In verse 31, God is for us. Now in this verse, Jesus is interceding for us. There is help from everywhere. What else do we need?
When Paul found this, he was so overwhelmed. So he shouted the love of Christ in verse 35. Can we read verse 35? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?“ Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Even trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, actually they are the one which make people doubt the love of God. They are the ones that separate people from the love of God. But in Paul’s time, Paul was not always confident in the love of God. In Acts 18, Paul was pioneering Corinth. The Jews opposed him. He was very disappointed. He might doubt God’s calling to Corinth. Then, one night Jesus spoke to him in a vision: it says “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” It seems that Paul did not want to share the gospel. But Jesus appeared and encouraged him to keep preaching the gospel. Because of Jesus, he was strengthened in God’s love. He realized nothing (even opposition) could separate him from the love of Jesus.
Karl Barth, a famous theologian, after WW II, visited the University of Chicago to give a special lecture. After the lecture, a young man questioned him, “I read a few books of yours, and I was so moved. What is the core of the truth you have learned while writing, teaching, and researching all your life?” Karl Barth laughed and said, “I memorized a verse of a hymn that I sang when I was a child in Sunday school”. It says “Jesus loves me this I know For the Bible tells me so, Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong,
Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so”.
As a professor and researcher, especially during the Nazi reign, he suffered a lot. But the thing which helped him keep his faith in God was not his theology knowledge but just one hymn song “Jesus loves me”. In America, as we live as Christians, we do not face the same persecutions, famine or death as early Christians had. But America is going away from God, as more people say “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, we feel more pressure as believers. But in such an atmosphere, the words of God helps us to believe that God still loves us. He helps us to live by faith.
- We are more than conquerors
Then, what is Paul’s answer to verse 36? Let us read verse 37. “No, In all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us”. He said in all things, we are more than conquerors. Who are conquerors? In general, conquerors are someone who conquered the world or won the great victory over battles like Alexander the Great. But Paul said we are more than them. How could this be possible? When we look at ourselves, we are not conquerors. Often we barely get by each day. I also do not want to be a conqueror. I just want to live a normal, easy-going, and ordinary life. But in verse 37, God who loved us, God who did not spare his own son, God who works for our good, he will enable us to be more than conquerors. In John 16, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame the world. He knows how he can help us to overcome the world. He knows how he can help us live a victorious life in the world. In the Bible, Jesus helped Peter to live like a conqueror. Peter promised that he would never disown Jesus. But when he saw Jesus arrested, he was so afraid that he changed his mind. He disowned Jesus before a little girl. Later he heard that Jesus had risen, but because of what he did, he could not come to Jesus. However, Jesus did not leave him as a failure. He visited Peter and strengthened him again. Later in the book of Acts, when the religious leaders threatened him to stop preaching Jesus, he challenged them, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?“ (Acts 4). When they saw the courage of Peter, they were astonished. Jesus changed Peter from a man of cowardice to a man of courage. The world was not worthy of him. In the same way, God who loved us will help us to be more than conquerors. It does not matter how weak we are right now. God who began a good work in us will make us more than conquerors.
Look at verses 38 and 39. What is Paul’s final conclusion? Let’s read verses 38 and 39. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.” Paul is convinced that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Is this only Paul’s confession? No. It is our confession too. Nothing is able to separate me from the love of God!
In conclusion, today’s passage teaches us that in all things God works for our good. God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified us in Jesus. Since God is for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? I pray we may continue to look up to Jesus and grow in the image of him.
Key verse 8:28 “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him and who God has called according to his purpose”.