Romans 8:28

Dr. Kluane Spake

www.kluane.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It is easy to see the CHANGE. It's happening everywhere. Scientific advancement. Educational awareness. Medical innovation. Political change.

Change is everywhere -- especially in the church.

Israel crossed the Red Sea as a confused mass of people and they came out the other side in organized tribes and structure. The cloud led them. My friend, take a look, the cloud is still moving. Let's not stay where we are.

As we move into the new third day, we need to find a more accurate understanding of where we are going. We need a revelatory glimpse of new church and the corporate man—

The problem is that many Christians are disappointed, defeated, consumed with pressures and stress, depressed, and overcome by bad news...

How do you see God's plan for today? Your perception will define your tomorrow. It seems to be a paradox - we mix up what we've been told for generations with what we now know to be Truth. We face astoundingly difficult topics - we need to look again at what historic Christianity deliberated for hundreds of years.

We all well know the Scripture Romans 8:28.

I first heard it in the '70s - and everyone preached it. Everything in your life worked together for the good... yes, it did. It was such a popular idea, that I organized a conference to bring Merlin Crouthers to Alaska to teach about his well know books, ("From Prison to Praise," and many others).

It was a great conference, and everyone was excited. The problem with this teaching was that everyone thought that everything worked for good! This good came from forgetting their grocery list, having an automobile accident, to their children drowning in their backyard pool... it was all for GOOD. Even the starving Ethiopians.

We said it about every situation, because we thought that was what the Bible said. Listen, this is not the best Scripture to tell a bereaved family at the moment of their loss!

Thinking that God is the author of ALL your calamities causes a resignation - why should we even pray then, if God thinks this catastrophe is good? What kind of God would do this to His children? What is there to do but give up? When do we fight?

Is this really what the Scripture says?

Well, from then until now, throughout my years of preaching, I haven't come near verse again this until now. It has been misused, mis-preached, and misunderstood for centuries.

May the flame of the Holy Spirit rest again upon our minds as we look at Romans 8 once again... and we ask the Lord that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened.

Romans 8:2 The Law of the Spirit of Life

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

Notice here that the law of the Spirit of life does not collaborate, not join forces, or work together with, the law of sin and death. Rather, the spirit of Life sets us free from death.

2. Romans 8:15 tells about the Spirit of Adoption:

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15).

The Spirit of adoption does not combine forces TOGETHER with the "spirit of bondage again to fear."

Adoption is in direct opposition to bondage.

16. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (v. 16).

The phrase "bears witness with" is the Greek summartureo - meaning that these two WORK TOGETHER to bear witness.

Paul continues, "and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (v. 17).

Here, in one brief sentence, we find three more instances of the Greek prefix meaning "TOGETHER" that are fully indicated in the Greek.

• We are "joint-heirs," (sugkleronomos), or heirs together with Christ.
• If we suffer together (sumpascho) with Him,
• We will also be glorified together (sundoxazo) with Him.

ROM 8: 18, For I CONSIDER (CALCULATE) THAT the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY (outshining splendor) that shall be revealed in us.

FALL - caused humanity to suffer. Thorns and thistles.

Paul does not say that sufferings lead to the GLORY. Nor that that cause a consequence of glory. No... they cannot be compared together.

Rom.. 8:19. The Earnest Expectation of Creation

"For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now" (Romans 8:19, 22).

The Greek indicates that the whole creation "groans together" (sustenazo), as well as experiences travail together (sunodino).

22. for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now... we wait for the adoption, the redemption of our body

Nature has the promise of deliverance

This is what JESUS IS WAITING FOR

This is WHAT the Holy Spirit IS PRAYING FOR

For WHAT? The glory of God being revealed in us. The deliverance into liberty for the children of God. The Adoption of our bodies.

8:23, The Firstfruits of the Spirit

"Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body

Creation groans together and travails to bring forth good

• We groan together anticipating adoption.
• We groan together with creation

The Holy Spirit was given as the firstfruits of this adoption-the promise of the Father to the Church at Pentecost (the Feast of Firstfruits).

25. but if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (endurance, consistency, hupomone)

The word "HOPE" is elpis, and refers to a positive future expectation, a joyful anticipation. One thing we know about hope is that "Hope does NOT disappoint" (Rom. 5:5). Our anticipation of good will be fulfilled, just as God promised.

26 Likewise, the spirit also helps (sunantilimbano - comes together with to stand together aggressively against) us in our weakness (inability to produce results). for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.

Now he who searches the heart knows what the mind of the spirit is, because He (the Holy Spirit) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of god.

The Spirit of God stands together with us to bring us into the promise - For WHAT? The glory of God being revealed in us. The deliverance into liberty for the children of God. The Adoption and redemption of our bodies.

Keeping the context of Romans 8 in mind, we come to the Text verse.

28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God ( A PROMISE ONLY FOR THEM) and are called according to His purpose.

Who is the WE? We see that this verse is talking to a specific group.

§ To those who LOVE GOD, walk in the Spirit, are heirs of God

§ To those who are called - My sheep hear my voice (JN. 10:27)

§ To those called according to His purpose

ALL THINGS = the context of Romans 8, we see that "all things" is not talking about everything that happens in life.

WHAT is the topic of Romans 8? CHANGE! The Spirit of life and not death. That the glory of God be revealed in us, that we come into the deliverance and liberty established for the children of God. That we apprehend the Adoption and redemption of our bodies.

My friend, this verse is not about good working together with evil to produce good (Good cooperating with evil is illogical, impossible, and morally suspect). No, this Scripture is about all the things that Paul has already mentioned.

"Work together" literally means the laying hold together, each one doing his part. sun = together, ergero = energy. expending energy to lay hold of desired result.

"GOOD" God created everything in the heavens and the earth and said they were "good" (Genesis 1).

Even after the Fall, there were universal laws present that brought forth good. Seedtime and harvest (that is, sowing and reaping) is in effect as long as the earth remains (Genesis 8:22).

Good is not always my plan and is often inconvenient.

Mark. 10:18-21 tells us a significant truth. There is NONE GOOD but God.

God is the Absolute Sovereign. He is omnipotent. God alone is good and He ONLY does good.

James 1:17 " Every GOOD GIFT and EVERY PERFECT GIFT is from ABOVE, and COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, with whom THERE IS NO SHADOW OF TURNING."

Evil is the consequence of the sin. Evil is the lack of good. Evil is not my teacher. Evil does not conform me to "God's image." Evil does not work for Good. Good is NEVER the consequence of evil. God cannot and will not cooperate with evil. He only delivers good to me.

All good things work to bring about GOOD.

I can trust God to love me and bring forth His nature. I don't need to suffer to learn. I don't need to suffer to be conformed.

Astoundingly, it is the GOODNESS of God that leads us to repentance.

Dose God ALLOW EVIL? Would He allow evil to teach me something? NO.

LUKE 1:37 Gabriel, the Angel from Heaven, in His announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary assures her," For with God nothing will be impossible." As with Romans 8:28, this statement must also be taken in context with other Scriptures. There are a number of things that are impossible for God.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone (with evil)." Every Christian should have this verse memorized. God doesn't use evil. He uses GOOD.

If God made trees, and then someone cuts up a tree to make a club and hits someone with it... is it God's fault? After all, God MADE TREE.

In God's sovereignty, He gives us free will.

All things are possible, but Titus 1:2 says, " In hope of Eternal Life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." It is not possible for God to lie.

1Cor. 14:33 " For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace."

1Jn. 1:5 "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all." It is not possible for God to be DARK!

It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie and IMPOSSIBLE for God to be tempted or to tempt with evil. It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to bring confusion; to have darkness, to bestow an evil or imperfect gift; IMPOSSIBLE for any variation or shadow of turning or uncertainty.

Romans 8 talks about what works together and what doesn't. If you read back you'll see it all there. Some of them are: the Spirit of life does not work together with death. Deliverance and liberty don't work together with bondage. Creation groans together with us who groan together. The Holy Spirit works together with us - that we apprehend the Adoption and redemption of our bodies.

ALL these THINGs WORK together for good in those who love the Lord and are doing what they are called to do.

Finally, we come to what is known as the "GOLDEN CHAIN..."

For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated - To be conformed to the image of His Son ( it is the destiny of the elect is to be conformed and this fact is so certain, that it is considered already done.

That he might be the firstborn of many brethren

30 moreover, whom He (already) predestined, these he also already called - whom He (already) called, He also (already) justified

Who He justified, He already glorified

JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR you and me. He loves us. He died for us so that we don't have to do anything but believe. He suffered FOR us. He already finished what He started. There is nothing we could possibly DO to deserve or earn HIs love. The Holy Spirit was given to work together with us to bring us into this mighty transformation. My works spring out of gratitude for His goodness. God works together with us to bring us GOOD.