Message by Larry Thacker Jr from November 16, “All Things”
As we progress through Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, we come to one of the most well-known and thoroughly abused passages in the Bible, though I would say Matthew 7:1 still tops the chart for misuse. This one usually gets quoted when something bad happens to someone else, and we tend only to quote part of it. We say, “All things work together for good.”
The verse is Romans 8:28, and it reads, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Legacy Standard Bible) Note the qualifiers. This verse is meant to be a comfort, and it follows a recognition of the suffering that has been inflicted upon all of creation because of sin. Paul also calls to mind the hope that we have as part of God’s family in the redemption to come, sustained by the Holy Spirit that lives within us. But the key phrase in this verse is , “for those who love God.” Those who love God are called according to His purpose. He knew them from the beginning of time, and literally everything has been planned around them.
So, let us be among those who love god. He loved us first, and sent Jesus to pay the price so that we can be with Him for all of eternity, participating in whatever amazing thing He does next. We can be assured of His love for us, and nothing in all of creation can separate us from His love.
This week we will cover Romans 8:28-39. We could spend several weeks here, but we can always come back later. Join us in His family. Be blessed. Be comforted. Be encouraged.
