The Bible says God can make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). A key phrase in this claim is “all things.” Think about how profound that statement is—God can make ALL the divergent pieces in your life work together for your good.
Have you experienced the truth of this verse at work in your life? I know I have.
The incident that stands out above all others was during a previous pastorate. About the sixth year into that ministry, it was as if the devil had declared all-out war against me. The ordeal was too long and dark for me to see any light at the end of the test. I was preaching to the congregation about God’s faithfulness to His people, but I was not feeling the same in my life.
I could not make sense of what was going on. All I could do was keep pressing my way in the Lord and try to make it through another day. I felt bad for my wife and five children. They all felt the weight of my test, but I could do nothing to ease their burden.
After more than two years, somehow, God turned everything around for my good. That experience has changed me for a lifetime. No other experience in my life has come close to that one in contributing to my spiritual maturity as a Christian and minister of the gospel.
In this post, I want to focus on a particular point about the verse referred to above. First, let’s look at the actual quote: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, KJV).
Who Loves God
The question is, for whom does this verse say that all things work together for good? It is those who love God. That is the condition for all things working together for your good. Any Christian can say he loves God. But loving God is not incidental to being a Christian. Rather, in the eyes of the Lord, the Christian who loves God is a particular breed of Christian.
1. The Christian who loves God is one who keeps the Lord’s commandments. “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me,” Jesus says (John 14:21, NASB).
Based on this verse, a person who does not keep the Lord’s commandments does not love Him. Moreover, such a person does not have the assurance that all things will work together for his or her good.
2. The Christian who loves God is the one who endures temptation as opposed to giving into it. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12, KJV).
We know we are saved by grace through faith. Being faithful in the face of temptation is not a requirement for salvation. But doing so is a reflection of one’s love for God. And God honors that faithfulness. Based upon this verse, it is for the Christian who remains faithful amidst temptation for which all things work together for good.
Proper Application of the Scriptures
Some of the promises of God are conditional. Hence, it is vitally important that Christians properly apply the Scriptures to their life. Failure to do so will result in false hope. Some believers may even say the promises of God don’t work when in fact, they were never properly aligned with what God promised.
Romans 8:28 is a good example. It is an incredible declaration of God’s involvement in our life and His ability to make all things work together for our good. It should be no surprise that Christians love quoting this verse. But not every believer will realize the promise of this verse.
Why? Because even though God loves all of His children, but not all of His children love Him. This particular verse does not apply to all Christians but only those who love God. They are the ones to whom the promise has been made that all things will work together for their good.
Copyright © 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
