Living Understanding Pt 4: All things

Romans 8:28-30                    28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For 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. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

1Corinthians 8:3                   3But whoever loves God is known by God.

1John 3:2-3                            2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

All things

When the children of God find themselves in the midst of some conflict or difficult situation it is hard to understand that ‘all things work for good for those who love him’.  We can grasp that good things happen when times are pleasant; not so much when they aren’t.  What exactly is it that God is trying to teach us here?  Romans 8 is a powerful chapter because it shows us that, in spite of ourselves, we have an intimate relationship with the King of the universe.  We have no condemnation, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are adopted into God’s family and are his heirs.  Our current struggles will one day fade away because they will pale compared to the glory that awaits us, and we desire this glory so longingly that we groan, indeed all of creation groans, in eager anticipation.

Given that God loves so much to manifest these things in our lives, it is no wonder that all things, whether intended for good or evil, will work in such a way that they bring benefit into a person’s life.  Let’s suppose for the moment that something unpleasant has happened.  We have two choices in how we respond.  Do we moan and wail, cover ourselves with sackcloth and ashes, or do we realize the thing is a temporary occurrence that will be eventually overcome?  If we choose the first, we express our pain or emotion or anger, but have we overcome it? 

Remember,

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you…”

if we feel isolated or alone, it is only because we have pushed God away.  But God has plans and desires in place regarding our lives.  He wants good for us.  Also remember, God is not the author of evil.  But that does not mean he is stymied by evil.  Never!  But God uses all things to bring us into closer relationship with him.  Maybe tough times come to get us to give up our pride, so we come to him in prayer.  That is a good thing.  Maybe we lose our job because our unrepentant boss refuses time to worship, but God has another job in the wings designed to bring us into greater intimacy.  That is another good thing.  Remember, God’s focus to greater than ours and always has our spiritual health in view.

Foreknew, predestined, conformed, called, justified, glorified

Look at the sequence of the things God dies for those he loves.  In eternity past he saw which of his children would love him and already he had a loving awareness of them before they were a twinkle in anybody’s eye.  He chose them, predestined them and began the process of conforming them to his likeness.  Then at just the right time he called them into his Kingdom and set before them the righteousness and holiness of his Son.  And then ad if that were not enough, through their acceptance of his Son as Savior he justified them.  In that justification, he declared them holy, pure, and blameless, completely unstained by their sin, and declared them completely above reproach.  And because their minds were completely and thoroughly influence by the Holy Spirit, and because through all these things had become so repulsed by their own sinfulness, and so desirous of drawing close to their Father, he glorified them, that is, he caused them to rise in their awareness and intimacy with him to the point of being glorified.

None of this is done through human strength; every step is a divine gift.

5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart… (Jeremiah 1:5)

19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2Timothy 2:19)

What about me?

What kind of love is that?  In our sin God still loved us and, in fact, had loved us before we had any inkling of his presence in our lives.  How can we fail to respond to that?   The truth is there are those who, having once come to Jesus, fail under the burdens and pressures of life.  Maybe they have witnessed the fall of a mentor, or are unwilling to release some sin habit, or are seduced by the enemy’s lies.  These are the things that we have difficulty understanding on this side of eternity.

The truth is though that nothing matters except our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  How we seek Christ through our struggle is the key to our salvation.  We have a part to play; we said yes to Jesus’ gracious invitation to enter God’s family.  But struggles come our way:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,  whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:3-6)

My brother or sister, we live in a fallen world; difficult things will come our way.  Avoid falling victim to stinkin thinkin and rise to the challenge.  Remember how much God loves you.  Go to him; ask for help.  Dump all your stress, all your worries, and yell all you want.  God will hear and answer:  It’s called prayer.