ALL THINGS WORK FOR YOUR GOOD
Romans 8:28-30
ALL THINGS GOOD
V:28 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. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
The “we” are believers in Jesus Christ. To nonbelievers this is foolishness. This letter was
written to the church in Rome. From Jerusalem, the Word spread to the Roman Empire. Both
Jews and Gentiles were made participants in God's Gospel.
To know is to know the truth which is the Word of God. To know the truth one must
study the Word of God. We must meditate on the Word of God to allow the Holy Spirit
to give us an understanding of the Word. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to teach us
the Word. (John 15:26).
The things that the apostle Paul speaks of are the ills, trials, and tribulations of life. We
may not know when they will show up in our lives. We do know from our experiences
that they show up from time to time. We make not know the duration of that which
afflicts us, but God knows. We must expect them and learn to endure them with patience.
Notice, they work for our good. This is encouragement that what troubles us will benefit
us. The good is our eternal interest. Not what happening today. Not what will happen tomorrow?
But the good helps us imitate Jesus in our daily walk.
The good quicken our prayers. The good forces us to rely on Jesus and not the world.
The good cause us to reflect on God's grace and mercy. The good heightens our thankfulness.
The good broadens our love for one another.
Notice, that good work is only for those who love the Lord. Those who live in the spirit of obedience.
Whatever you are going through is working for your good now.
God is working. The Holy Spirit is working. Your troubles are pressed into service for your
good. The good strengthens your faith.
James 1:2-5
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God is getting us ready for more service. Your trials are strengthened exercises to get us ready for more
difficult tasks. The Lord expects more fruit from those who love Him.
There may be some areas in your life that need cleaning up. One who loves God is not
sinning against God. The promise God made is for the present time. Sin blocks the promise.
There may be some attitudes, habits, and people that you are holding onto that are blocking
your total commitment to God. You may experience divine trouble to refocus your thinking
on areas that are pleasing to God.
Some trouble we cause ourselves because of our disobedience and failure to seek
divine wisdom before we act. Sometimes we fail to let God order our steps.
The word called is the Greek word kletos which means invited. We have been invited to
good work of producing more fruit. Not fruit for ourselves, but fruit that gives God glory.
The work is according to God’s divine purpose. The Greek word for purpose is prothesis
which means to set forth for all to see. The work God has for us was predetermined for
our salvation.
CALLED TO SERVE AN UNLIMITED GOD
Romans 8:29
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers
God is not limited by time and circumstances. He sees everything at once, past, present, and future,
He sees from eternity past to eternity future. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
To God, there is no beginning or end because He always was and always will be.
Before the foundation of the earth God divide the men he would create into two classes. Those
He would save and those He would leave condemned. The word foreknow is the Greek word
proginosko which means to foresee or know beforehand. Before anything was anything, He
planned everything. God knew what He would do before there was anything formed to do.
The word predestinate is the Greek word proorizo which means to predetermine or ordain or
limit in advance. God limited us, the church to salvation. God favored a certain number of
mankind that would be born to be like His Son. He predetermined a certain portion of
men to be born and let in sin.
Before there was sin, God knew a world in sin. God set sin in motion by creating the Arch
Angel Lucifer and allowing Him to corrupt a third of the angels He created. Angel were
God first spiritual creation. Job 38:4-7
Before there was man to sin, God knew men
in sin. Before Adam knew sin, God set in the middle of the Garden of Eden two specific trees.
He set the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for the temptation of man (Genesis 2:9). Let me suggest the trees were there to give man a choice. He could choose life
or death.
Before you were in your mother's womb, God knew your sin.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God limited you and I, the church to the tree of life even though we were born in sin.
He set us apart from the world before birth. He assigned jobs and positions to us before
birth. You have a purpose for being on this earth.
Let me suggest, your purpose is not sitting idle and waiting on God to speak. You and I must
constantly seek God.
Matthew 7:7
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you
We had no choice but that we were born in sin. We were not given the option to be born in righteousness or to be born in sin.
Psalms 51:5
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
We do have a choice not to stay in sin. Accepting Jesus is a choice we can make
God opens the door for us to make that choice.
It was by God's grace and mercy that He chose us for salvation. The Father
sent Jesus to die for our sins to give us the right to the Tree of Life.
Proverbs 3:16
18 She (WISDOM), is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
If you want to make wise decision, seek God’s advice first.
God enabled us to make the choice He would give us to choose Him.
Jesus is the firstborn of a new creation in Him. The first choice is to choose Jesus.
Ephesians 1:4-6
In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
All the churches are sons and daughters of the Father
PREDESTINED FOR GLORY
Romans 8:30
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
The word called is the Greek word kaleo which means to call forth in a loud voice.
You were called out of the world to be in Jesus.
Who heard the call? You responded to the call. The angels heard the call. Satan and his
demons heard the call.
The word justified is the Greek word dikaioo which means to render innocent
Jesus' blood on the cross atoned for our sins. When God looks at us He sees the blood of
Jesus. We have been rendered innocent by the blood of Jesus.
The word glorified is the Greek word doxazoo which means to hold in honor
Why would the Lord hold sinful us in honor? Let me suggest because Jesus
honored us with His death on the cross
GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING GOOD
God made a plan for your life before you born. God plan for your life is
for you to give Him Glory.
1st Before time as we know it, God determined that we would be His glory.
2nd We were born in sin because of the sin of Adam. Adam’s sin condemned the whole of
mankind born after him. It is by God’s grace that you learn to trust Him. Sin is the tool
He uses to draw you to Him.
3rd We were called out of the world Romans 8:30
4th We were justified
5th We were glorified
6th We were drawn to Jesus by the Father John 6:44
7th We are given a measure of faith to accept Jesus as our Savior Roman 12:3
8th We were baptized into his death and resurrected into the newness of eternal life
Romans 6:3-5
9th We were adopted as sons and daughters of the Father Ephesians 1:5
10th We were given the command to abide in Jesus as He abides in us
11th We were given the command to produce fruit John 15:5
12th We are given trials and tribulations in our walk with Jesus to
strengthen our faith to produce much fruit. James 1
12th We are given the enlightenment that all things work for our good as we
love the Lord.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU?
WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING TO
FULFILL THAT PURPOSE?
CAN YOU BE SURE YOU ARE CHOSEN
BY GOD?
Rev. M. Mitchell
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