We Know Our God Is In Control

Introduction

It is interesting to listen to how some people describe life. An unknown author once wrote, "We are born wet, naked, and hungry. Then things get worse."

Quentin Crisp described life this way, he said, "You fall out of your mother's womb, you crawl across open country under fire, and [then you] drop into your grave."

Edwin Robinson said, "Life is the game that must be played." Author Barbara Kingsolver offered her take on life. She said, "Why does a person even get up in the morning? You have breakfast, you floss your teeth so you will have healthy gums in your old age, then you get in your car and drive down [the interstate] and die..." She goes on to say, "Life is so stupid I can't stand it."

Is life just a game? Is life just a chance concoction made up of random, often cruel twists of fate? For many people, life makes absolutely no sense. It seems to move to music with no rhythm. As a believer, our outlook on life must be shaped by the truth of the Bible. We can't judge life by circumstances or experience. We must view life in the way in which, it is revealed by God in His  Word.

When we come to Romans 8:28, we find an oft quoted and very familiar verse of Scripture. We have heard it so many times before, that I feel we have forgotten or missed altogether the deep truths that it contains. This verse is not a mere slogan. It is not a wishful prayer to be offered in desperation.

This verse is a guide for the godly. It is a foundation for the faithful. It is the cornerstone of the Christian's life. For a few moments I want us to open up this pregnant promise of Scripture, and remind ourselves that whatever we may encounter in life, we know that our God is in control.

There are three facets of this promise that I want us to look at. Notice with me first of all:

I. The Restrictions Of This Promise

One thing that is clear from Paul's words in this verse is that this is not a universal promise. Not just anyone can claim the riches of this statement in verse 28. Paul does not say, "All things work out for good for everyone." No there are some restrictions placed upon who can claim this wonderful promise. Before you go quoting this verse to help you cope with the mess of life, you need to make sure that this promise applies to you. Lets take a moment and look at the restrictions of this verse by noting whom this promise belongs to. Notice first of all that this promise is for:

A. Those With A Love Consumed With God

Pay attention to the text. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..."

Mark the word "love" in this verse. In the English language, we have only one word to describe the emotion of love. We use this one word to describe all levels and types of love.

In the Greek language, there were several words used to describe love, and each of them speaks of a different type and degree of love.

In this verse, the word translated "love" speaks of the kind of love that finds its joy in something or more specifically someone.

It is a consuming love. It is a love that causes you to move and act because of how you feel about a person. Do you see what Paul is saying?

This promise belongs only to those who love God in such a way that impacts their life. He is their joy, and therefore, all they do centers on Him.

This promise is not for those who have heard of God, or even for those who simply know God. It is restricted to those who truly and vitally love their God.

Joan Mills always loved tucking her son in at night. They shared a ritual where they would compare how much they loved each other. She would say, "I wouldn't trade you for all the boys in the world." The he would say something like, "I wouldn't trade you for forty motorcycles." One night, Joan said that her little boy said something she would never forget. He looked up at her and said, "Mommy, I love you with all the pieces of my heart."ii

The promise of Romans 8:28, if I may borrow that boy's words, is reserved for those who love God with all the pieces of their heart.

Notice another aspect of the restrictions of this promise. It is reserved not only for those with a love consumed with God, but notice also further that is also reserved for:

B. Those With A Life Called By God

Notice again the text. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

When some people read that phrase, "the called", they may assume that it is not referring to them. Some Christians might read that phrase and assume that Paul is only referring to those who have been called by God into some type of service; like preachers or missionaries.

That could not be further from the truth. This phrase "the called" in verse 28, speaks of those who have been invited or called by God. In the context of this chapter, it is speaking of those who have been invited or called to salvation.

Paul is not talking here about those who are called into a specific service, but rather all those that are called into salvation. If you have received the invitation of Christ for salvation, then this promise applies to you.

The lost man cannot claim that all things are working together for his good. No, according to the Word of God, the lost man is under the wrath of God.

But for those who have heard and received the invitation of the gospel, this promise is theirs to claim.

The point is this, this is a restricted promise. It is not for everyone. However, if you have answered Christ's call, and you love God with all of your heart, then this promise is as much yours as it is the greatest saints that have ever lived!

It is an inclusive promise for all those that love God and have been called by His grace. Yet at the same time, it is an exclusive promise to those who do not know God, or love Him with all their heart.

As we continue to look at this great promise in verse 28, notice with me not only the restrictions of this promise, but notice also secondly that we see:

II. The Reality Of This Promise

Now that we understand to whom this promise applies, it is important that we also understand what this promise actually says.

We need to understand the reality and the scope of this great truth. What does this promise say about the situations and circumstances of our lives?

As we look at the heart of this promise, we are reminded of a couple of important truths. Notice first of all that in this promise we see that:

A. There Is A Purpose In The Circumstances Of Our Lives

Have you ever asked "Why?" Of course you have. All of us at one time or another have faced some difficult trial, and in that trial we have all said, "Why is this happening?"

We ask "Why", because we need to know that there is some reason, some purpose behind the things that we are facing.

That is exactly what this verse of Scripture tells us. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good..."

Notice what it does not say. The promise is not that all things are good. No, all things are not good. No one stares at the grave of a loved one snatched by death, and says, "This is good."

No one endures the horrors of cancer and honestly says, "This is good." No, all things are not good, but that is not the promise.

The promise is that all things "work together" for good. There is a big difference. Notice the phrase "work together".

These two words actually come from one Greek word that literally means to cooperate, or to work together for a specific end.

The reality of this promise is that all the things that come into our life, whether they be burden or blessing, pain or pleasure, strength or sickness, they are all cooperating together, like an orchestra, for the common goal of good in the lives of God's people.

There it is! That is a truth to which we can cling when nothing else in life makes sense. We can say with all assurance, there is a purpose in the circumstances of my life. It is not chance, or a mistake, or an error in God's judgment. No, it is just a piece of larger puzzle that will ultimately become a portrait of good!

The reality that we derive from this promise is not only that there is a purpose in the circumstances of our lives, but notice also further that:

B. There Is A Power Behind The Circumstances Of Our Lives

I love something that the old British preacher, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones points out about this verse in his commentary. He says, "All things do not 'work' in and of themselves. There is no impersonal principle in working life. It is God who acts everywhere...It is God that controls everything."iii

What Jones was getting at is this; it is not enough simply to believe that all things are working together for good. We must also believe that it is God that is causing them to work together for our good.

It is one thing to know that there is a purpose in the circumstances of your life. It is another thing to know that it is God that is developing that purpose.

Don't look at your life and say, "Surely this is a mistake. Surely God didn't mean for this to happen."

The reality is that everything that comes into our life has been filtered by our Father. Our suffering, our struggles, our sadness, they are all a part of the bigger picture that God is painting.

What we must trust is that when the painting has been completed, the bright shades as well as the dark will come together, and we will look back and say, "It was for my good!"

I have always loved the words to a song written by Ron Hamilton. He was a cancer survivor, and he based his song on Job 23:10. The first verse of the song says,

"God never moves without purpose or plan,

When trying His servant or molding a man,

Give thanks to the Lord, though your testing seems long,

In darkness, He giveth a song."

Then the chorus says,

"Oh, rejoice in the Lord, He makes not mistakes,

He knows the end of the path that I take, For when I am tried and purified,

I shall come forth as gold."

The reality of this promise is that right now, every circumstance of my life is being taken by God, and woven together for my eventual and inevitable good. That is a wonderful promise to have and hold.

As we continue looking at this great verse, we see not only the restrictions of this promise, and the reality of this promise, but notice also thirdly and finally that we see:

III. The Results Of This Promise

Once we understand to whom this promise applies, and what exactly this promise says, then we must decide how we will respond to it. What will be the result of this great Bible promise in our lives?

This verse of Scripture will only help us when we take it and make it a driving and stabilizing force in our everyday lives. How do we do that? How do we receive the results of this great Bible truth?

I believe that there are a couple of principles that we must adopt and accept if we are going to fully enjoy the truth of this verse. Notice them with me. First of all:

A. We Must Rely On The Promise Of God

Pay close attention to what I am about to say. You can quote this verse of Scripture a million times, but if you still break in to a panic every time a crisis arises in your life, then you are in essence saying that you do not believe what God has said.

Think about that. Our actions do truly speak much louder than our words. You can say that you believe in the sovereignty of a loving God, but if you insist on breaking down, fretting, and incessantly worrying over every little problem that comes along, then the truth is your really don't believe that God is in control.

It is easy to trust God when everything is running smoothly and life makes sense. It is when the bottom falls out, and there isn't enough money, or there isn't a cure, or there is no easy answer, that we really prove whether or not we trust our God.

Verse 28 is one of the grandest promises in the entire Bible. Yet until we fully accept it, and rely upon God's promise in the difficulties of our lives, it is nothing more than printed words on paper.

The result of this promise should be that when our lives seem to be falling apart, we fully trust and rely on the fact that what is hard now will eventually turn out to be for our benefit.

A huge crowd gathered one day to watch a famous tight-rope walker cross Niagara Falls. He  crossed the great falls several times. It was a 1,000 foot trip, 160 feet above the raging waters. The man not only crossed the falls, but he did so pushing a wheelbarrow. At one point the man looked at  a little boy in crowd and asked, "Son, do you believe I could take a person across in this wheelbarrow without falling?" The amazed little boy said, "Yes sir, I really do." The man said, "Well then, get in, son."

It is one thing to say you believe that God is in control. It is another thing to fully rely on that promise, and let Him carry you over the falls of life.

The result of this verse should be that we fully rely on the promise of God, but notice also something further that should come about because of this verse. We must not only rely on the promise of God, but we notice also that:

B. We Must Rest In The Providence Of God

To really accept this verse of Scripture is to say that you believe that no matter where God takes you in life, His way is best.

When you rely on this promise, what you are in essence doing is resting in the fact of God's providence. In other words, you rest in the fact that God knows what He is doing with your life.

The great preacher, Donald Barnhouse, in his book on Romans refers to this kind of rest. He says, "We may have absolute assurance that...[God] is pursuing a definite purpose leading to a definite end, and we may live in quiet assurance that all is well with us, even though we are passing through deep waters."v

For this verse to really create results in our lives, then we must, even when we are "passing through deep waters" be able to say that all is well.

To rest in the providence of God is to say with the songwriter, Horatio Spafford: "When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well, with my soul!"

This is a great verse of Scripture. This is a great promise from God. Yet if it is to have any results or effect in our lives, then we must fully rely on this promise, and rest in the providence of God.

There is much about life that we do not know. We do not know what tomorrow will hold. We do not know what trial may be just over the horizon of our lives.

In spite of what we do not know, we do know this: "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Why don't we all today take this familiar verse of Scripture, and once again place ourselves in the providential care of God, and allow Him to assure us with His Word.

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i All quotes taken from www.quotegarden.com; accessed 6-7-07

ii McHenry's Stories for the Soul; p. 170

iii Romans: The Final Perserverance of the Saints; Lloyd-Jones, Martyn; p. 162

iv The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart; Swindoll, Charles; p. 586

v Romans Vol. III; Barnhouse, Donald G.; p. 152