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“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
Luke 18:19
Understandably, when we witness events like September 11th, the persecution in the Sudan, or the Holocaust of World War II, we can quickly come to the point where we doubt God’s methods and question His fairness. And even once we acquiesce to the fact that God is great and that He is in control, we can still struggle with the question of His goodness. It is during these times that we need to remind ourselves of Romans 8:28:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
If you’ve heard this verse once, I’m sure you’ve heard it 1,000 times. Unfortunately, though, we can become so familiar with the principles in God’s word that we reduce them to little more than platitudes that lose their meaning. But try to grasp the significance of this verse to the fledgling church in Rome! In the years following Paul’s letter, they would need to cling to the truth of Romans 8:28 as their lives would be marked by relentless persecution and martyrdom:
- First century Christians were thrown into prison simply for upholding the name of Christ.
- They were used as human torches in Nero’s gardens, burned alive for their testimony.
- They were torn to pieces by wild beasts in the Coliseum, being made a spectacle of “sport” for the masses on account of their faith.
In fact, the entirety of Romans 8 reads like an apostolic “half-time speech” given to a battered, demoralized team that has had a rough first half. Paul is essentially encouraging this fledgling church—and by association us today—to stick to the game plan and play hard in the second half. Because although things may look bleak, Paul wants us to know that our faith is not futile and that God is still in control. He wants us to remember that the victory has already been won, so that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, we can persevere in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39
An Eternal Perspective
Without a doubt, Romans 8 was written to assure every believer that our suffering is never in vain. For since God is in control of every situation—including our trials—we know that everything
happens for a reason, “according to His purpose.” Furthermore, since we trust that God is good, we can press on in the full assurance that God’s reasons for allowing our afflictions are also good. Or to put it differently, since God works through all things to advance His kingdom, even when we can’t see it, whatever is good for His kingdom is clearly good for His faithful servants, “those who love God.”
Now compare this definition of “good”—as defined from the perspective of God’s kingdom and His glory—to prevailing notions of “good” that emphasize the comfort and well-being of individual believers:
“I believe God’s favor is something intangible where you’ve got God’s blessings on your lives. I’m not saying it’s not a struggle, but you believe for good things. There are so many people who don’t expect anything good in life. They don’t expect to get breaks, they don’t expect to get promoted, they don’t expect anything positive. So I just try to get people to say, I believe if we expect God’s favor, if we declare it, if we thank him when we do see good things happening, then we’re going to see more of that.”
Joel Osteen—Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church1
While Mr. Osteen’s advice brings to mind Jesus’ promise of abundant life in John 10:10, and his counsel to give God thanks for all of our blessings is certainly proper, we need to be careful that
we don’t stop there. Because Jesus warned us that as His followers, there are some other things we should “expect,” too:
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 (NLT)
Just to be clear, I’m not trying to imply that we should spurn God’s benevolence or go looking for trouble, only that we need to approach Romans 8:28 with God and His glory as the focal point…
rather than ourselves. For while I’m sure that the first century martyrs would have welcomed any good thing from God, I just can’t see Mr. Osteen’s comments resonating with them. Why not? Because they were prepared to give all for the sake of Christ! Same goes for Christians today in China, Sudan, and the Middle East.
Indeed, only in a nation that is preoccupied with its own comfort does Mr. Osteen’s message get any kind of traction. And that’s why it’s potentially dangerous—it tells us exactly what we want to
hear. But isn’t the Gospel ultimately about salvation from sin and death? Isn’t the “Good News” supposed to be about the eternal hope we have in Christ, rather than the “good things” we should expect during this life?
As Christians, then, we dare not measure “abundance” by the degree of ease and comfort we presently enjoy, for this is ultimately a recipe for dis-satisfaction and disappointment. On the contrary, the abundance of our lives is directly related to the measure of God’s Spirit that we have been given…in spite of our circumstances.
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
This being the case, we need to recognize that what is good for God’s kingdom often means that we will be called to suffer for His sake and His glory. Just look at Jesus’ passion! Here again, if we put ourselves at the heart of Romans 8, we can easily get confused and discouraged when pain and suffering inevitably comes our way. On the other hand, when we start from the standpoint of God’s kingdom and His glory, then this passage becomes a source of strength during those times when our lives aren’t meeting up to our “expectations.” Accordingly, maybe the NIV gets more to the heart of the matter:
And we know that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV – alternate translation)
Furthermore, if we are truly “those who love God,” then our response to His call upon our lives—regardless of the personal cost—will be one of willing obedience and devotion. Just like the first century martyrs who died for the name of Christ. Or like those who are dying yet today. Or like Jesus Himself on the eve of His crucifixion. They sacrificed their lives in the certain hope that their
heavenly reward is secure for all eternity:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
It is doubtful that those brave martyrs of the early church ever really understood the reason for their pain and suffering. From our vantage point, though, it seems clear that God’s purpose in allowing their vicious persecution was nothing less than an enduring testimony to the truthfulness of the Gospel. It is sheer credulity to assert that so many people would have suffered so intensely for something that they knew to be a mere myth or a lie, so the “good” that God brought out of their affliction was clearly the building up of His church! The blood of the martyrs glorified God by proclaiming the truth of the Gospel then…and it still shouts to us today.
Similarly, while we may not fully comprehend how God is working in the midst of our own tribulations, one day it will be clear to us and we will praise God for His wisdom and His goodness. We will finally understand how even our most agonizing trials fit into God’s plan; we will see the good that God brought out of every situation; and we will realize that He never let us face anything beyond what we were able to bear:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Until then, we need to learn to emulate the many heroes of our faith—both past and present—who persevered through excruciating circumstances and didn’t worry about the cost. We need to learn to live by faith and not by sight, because it is our willingness to trust in God’s plan that demonstrates the depth of our faith and truly glorifies Him. Just like Abraham’s decision to leave his homeland…or Jesus’ obedience when He went to the cross. Not to mention the dedication of Peter, Paul, James and John. And don’t forget about Noah, David, and Job!
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)
In short, if we want to live victoriously in Christ today, we need to constantly remind ourselves that everything in this life is temporary—including our trials. It’s not that we shouldn’t rejoice in the
blessings and the “good things” we receive from God, but rather that we need to start fixing our eyes upon our ultimate good instead of our immediate circumstances. Like Paul, we must learn how to endure anything and how to relinquish everything in this life for the sake of Christ:
I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.
Philippians 3:8-9
The Perseverance of the Saints
Think about the trials that Joseph had to endure: he was sold into slavery by brothers who wanted him dead, cut off from everything familiar while enslaved in a foreign land, wrongfully accused and imprisoned, and ultimately reunited with the brothers who betrayed him. Given the condensed biography that we get from Scripture, it is all too easy to skip to the end of the story and forget that his suffering was poignantly real.
Try and put yourself in his position. How would your faith hold up if any of these things happened to you? Can you even begin to imagine how he must have felt? The despair he must have endured? It was more than most of us will ever be asked to bear, yet Joseph was able to hold onto his faith in God despite his situation. So what was his secret, how did he make it through? Quite simply, he never lost sight of the fact that a good God was always at work:
Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:19-20
Here we see a concrete application of Romans 8:28 and I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul had Joseph in mind when he penned his letter to the Romans! Because what Joseph realized—and what most of us tend to forget—is that although God is clearly never responsible for the evil actions of others, He still superintends everything that comes to pass in order to bring about a greater good.
Now consider David. Do you remember what he had to endure for ten years as he was constantly being hunted by jealous King Saul? How easy do you think it was for him to hold onto the promise of Samuel’s anointing as he spent a decade literally running for his life? Read through the Psalms that he wrote while in exile if you have any doubt.
And don’t forget about Job. At least in the case of Joseph and David, we see how God used their tribulations to refine them and to mold them into the leaders that He had chosen them to be. So whereas the greater “good” behind their trials is somewhat evident, what can we say about Job? When God turns Satan loose on poor Job, he loses his possessions, his family and his servants, and then Job loses his health. He is the epitome of destitution and misery, yet when he asks God “Why?” he never really gets an answer for his suffering. What he gets instead is a sound rebuke from the Almighty:
Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
Job 38:2
In fact, the one thing we can say about Job with some certainty is that he suffered on account of being the man he already was! For since God knew that Job would remain faithful in spite of his dire circumstances, He allowed Satan to test him. And in the end, God was indeed glorified through Job’s faithfulness. So how’s that for an altar call? “Come give your life to Christ, and He just might ask you to honor Him by remaining faithful even as your world falls apart.”
And speaking of Jesus, I would certainly be remiss if I did not pay tribute to the One whom God asked to suffer in order that He might be supremely glorified—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In His death and resurrection we see the consummate example of how God works all things together for good, even the most sinister schemes of men. For through Jesus’ passion, God managed to bring the promise of Genesis 3:15—the crushing of the serpent’s head—to fruition:
Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Acts 2:22-24
The Author of History
It bears repeating that God has always been working “behind the scenes” for good, and that He continues to do so even today. But it is also important to recognize that God isn’t some kind of
“cosmic FEMA.” In other words, God isn’t simply waiting around for the next “bad thing” to happen. On the contrary, since nothing can take place apart from God’s permission, every event is part of God’s master plan—even if we can’t see how it all fits:
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.
Jeremiah 50:9
For the Lord God Almighty declares, “I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.
Amos 6:14
And should we be surprised that God is directing all things? After all, how else could He guarantee a kingdom that would be fit for Himself, the holy God of the universe? Sin is only degenerative and has no power to fix itself, so it stands to reason that God would have to intervene in order to keep everything from self-destructing! Put it this way, could Jesus’ sinless birth have occurred as some fortuitous byproduct of this sinful world? Clearly it could only result from the express intervention of a holy, omnipotent God.
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35
Therefore, whenever we read God’s word it helps to recognize that the Bible is telling a single story. We tend to view it instead as a collection of stories, but the Bible’s singular tale chronicles the poignant struggle between good and evil that has been raging since the beginning. It’s the classic movie formula, albeit on a cosmic scale: God is the ultimate hero, Satan is the ultimate villain, and the “damsel in distress” is none other than Adam’s helpless race.
At the heart of the plot is the ongoing fight for the souls of mankind, with Satan scheming to destroy us and God acting to rescue us. And just like in the movies, the outcome is never in doubt.
For what chance does Satan, a finite creature, have of defeating his omnipotent Creator? In the end the Hero vanquishes the “bad guy,” rescues the “girl,” and rides off with her into the sunset. And this is why the Bible is critically relevant to each of us! We are at the center of the action.
We need to understand, though, that while the Bible relates the drama of our redemption, it is still according to God’s script. This is to say that God is the author of history, and He wrote the entire
screenplay before He spoke the first words of creation—He’s not just making this up as He goes along. Indeed, the Kingdom of God is the ultimate good towards which He is working, and He has always been directing things such that they come together to fulfill His vision:
Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Matthew 6:10
So when things happen that appear to be out of character for God, we should always be compelled to come before Him in reverence and faith, not in defiance or despair—He wants us to trust Him. That doesn’t mean we can’t ask God “Why?” but it does mean that whether or not He chooses to open our eyes to His purposes, our response should always be to humbly trust in His goodness and praise Him through our willing obedience. Along with Job, we should declare:
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.
Job 1:21
Will it always be easy? Clearly not, but we are called to live by faith in God’s goodness and His sovereignty regardless of our circumstances, not because of them.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Looking Ahead
At this point, we have taken our first steps in clearing up a picture of God that has gotten clouded over the years. For by re-establishing God’s glory as our point of reference, we now have a “compass” that always points us towards God. It helps us to put everything in perspective by forcing us to step out of the spotlight, and it reminds us that God created everything—including mankind—to glorify Him. Furthermore, since we understand that God has a master plan for all of history, we now have the proper context for putting each narrative, prophecy, and admonition into its proper place. In other words, we finally have the tools that we need in order to see things
from God’s point of view…rather than our own.
Armed with these insights, then, we have essentially started down the path to revival; however, there’s still a long way to go and the trail before us is overgrown with thick brush that makes the
going difficult. Because even though we are finally heading in the right direction, we are now confronted with other aspects of God’s character that most of us would probably rather avoid: His wrath, His discipline, and ultimately His judgment. Nevertheless, until we come to terms with these equally important truths about God, the church will remain trapped in the grip of idolatry.
So the next step is to put our new tools to use as we consider the nation of Israel and strive to understand their relationship to a holy God who chose them to glorify Him, not the other way around. This will take us through the Old Testament as we reflect upon how God’s wrath has shaped the course of history, and in particular the history of Israel. Once again, it’s not going to be easy, but if we try to find any other way through the brush, we’re guaranteed to lose our way. There are simply no shortcuts, so we need to follow our compass and fight our way through these difficult subjects. For once we understand how and why God has moved in ages past, we’ll then be able to see what He’s doing in the present…because God never changes.
And fortunately—or should I say Providentially—the nation of Israel took excellent notes.
(Next >> A Divine Appointment)
- Laura Sheahen, “‘Expect God’s Favor’: Interview with Joel Osteen,” beliefnet, January 2008, . ↩︎
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