We Know That All Things Work Good

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Romans 8:28,29
Psalters: 261, 212, 266, 316
Confession of Faith
  1. What?
    1. “All things” refers to absolutely everything in the life of everyone who is called of God, from conception to death.
      1. The seemingly insignificant (every hair - Matt. 10:30) to that which we think to be the most important and great.
      2. This implies that God sovereignly controls all things in the whole universe (Eph. 1:10,11; Prov. 16:33).
    2. All things “work together,” i.e., work cooperatively.
    3. “For good” in God’s judgment.
      1. The determination of what is good is that which conforms us spiritually “to the image of His Son” (29a).
      2. God’s goal in everything He does in our lives is to conform us to “His Son,” i.e., so we “look” like God’s children.
    4. This wonderful purpose of God is not for our sake, but for Jesus’ sake (29b).
  2. This work God performs on “them who are the called according to His purpose.”
    1. We are “the called” (cf. 30; 1:6,7).
    2. We are called “according to His purpose.”
  3. This truth is first known and then experienced in the way of our loving God.
    1. First, this truth is known (not always experienced or felt). “We know:” (3:19; 7:14; 8:22; II Cor. 5:1; I Tim. 1:8).
    2. This knowledge is ours in the way of our loving God (the Greek word order puts this at the beginning of the sentence).
      1. Our love for God arises (and grows) from His (first) love for us (I John 4:19).
      2. Our love takes His Word as truth and trusts Him (especially when we cannot understand).
    3. Such knowledge, trust and love, is what makes us to be like God’s Son.