Romans chapter 8 verses 28 29
and 30 Romans chapter
8 verses 28 but we do know that
all things work together for good to those
who love God to those who are called
according to purpose because whom he has foreknown
he has also predestinated to be conformed to
the image of his son so that he
should be the firstborn among many brethren but
whom he has predestinated these also he has
called and whom he has called these also
he has justified but whom he has justified
these also he has glorified we
do know that all things work together for
good I think probably we are all very
familiar with this statement whenever we visit anyone
in the hospital we'll use this verse it's
a ready-made verse and whenever any brother
or sister has any problem whether they are
sick or whether something happened we have a
ready verse for them all things work together
for good now we use that verse so
often sometimes I wonder whether we really understand
what we are quoting now when you read
Romans chapter 8 in verse 26 it says
we do not know we do not know
what to pray for that is fitting you
know brothers and sisters in our daily life
we encountered many things different environments and
oftentimes we do not know what's happening and
we do not know what to pray and
how to pray that will be fitting now
because we do not know so we say
we do know that all things work together
for good you know we do not know
why certain brothers and sisters got sick we
do not know why something happened to them
and we do not know what to say
so we use this ready verse all things
work together for good but do we really
know all things work together for good now
all things means everything everything that happens
in your life whether it comes from people
or whether they are just things or whether
there are certain events circumstances that come your
way all things everything and the Bible said
all things work together now we know that
all things include things that are inanimate that
is not living now how can all things
work together everything has a meaning
and everything will coordinate together work together for
good now how can this happen there must
be someone behind all things there must be
someone who all things someone who orchestrates put
together all these things with a very positive
definite purpose and we know this is God
all things behind all things there is God
and God is the one who brings all
things together and he makes all things work
together work together for good now brothers and
sisters what is good you remember one day
in mark chapter 10 a young man he
was a ruler and he ran to our
Lord Jesus he knelt before him before the
crowd because he was earnest and he asked
a question good teacher what shall I do
to inherit eternal life now that is a
very important question what shall I do to
inherit eternal life and he addressed this question
to our Lord Jesus he said good teacher
and you know what I Lord answered him
the Lord said why do you call me
good there is no one good but God
in other words our Lord corrects him God
is good aside from God there is nothing
good no one good and you also remember
in Romans chapter 12 it said brethren I
beseech you by the mercies of God to
present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable
to God which is your reasonable service do
not be conformed to this world but be
transformed then you may be able to prove
what is the good and perfect will of
God so in other words what is good
you know we have our own definition of
good suppose you are in good health
you say that's good suppose you can inherit
a large amount of money you say that
is good and if you are in ill
health that is no good if you are
in poverty that is no good if you
have a good job that is good but
if you lose your job that is bad
now that's our definition of good or bad
but you know our definition is really not
correct what is good God is good and
his will his purpose is good so the
Bible says all things work together for good
what does it mean it means that whatever
happened to you in your life whether it
is prosperity or whether it is poverty whether
it is good health or whether it is
sickness whether it is smooth sailing or whether
it is hard going whatever happened in your
life all things you know many things happen
in our life but all things that come
in our way God is behind them he
is making all things work together for good
he is making all things work together that
his will may be done in your life
now that is good and you know brothers
and sisters we have the habit of quoting
half a verse or even one third of
a verse we do not quote the whole
verse we say all things work together for
good period but that is not what you'll
find in the Bible the Bible said all
things work together for good yes to whom
to those who love the Lord you know
if you do not love the Lord if
you do not love God does all things
work together for good to you if you
do not love God probably you will feel
that all things work together against you not
only prosperity disaster
work together against you even prosperity even success
work together against you to those who do
not love God not because God does not
want all things work together for your good
for your eternal good there is no problem
with God you know our God is good
and he is at the back of everything
and he is trying to make all things
work together for your eternal good there is
no doubt about that but whether they work
together for good to you you have a
responsibility if you do not love God you
do not understand you are not able to
really enter into God's mind and God's heart
and because of that when you look at
all things you'll find everything everyone is against
you it does not bring you to eternal
good but how can you love God
in all things now if you have a
very smooth rosy life it may be easy
for you to love God suppose you live
a very hard life are you able to
love God what is the secret of loving
God now quote the full verse and you'll
find it all things work together for good
to whom to those who love God but
how can you love God in any circumstance
whatever happens you love God how can you
do that to those who are called according
to purpose in other words you are called
according to purpose thank God all who believe
in the Lord Jesus are being called and
we are called according to purpose that is
to God's purpose you know even before God
created the heavens and the earth the Bible
tells us even before the foundation of the
world God has purpose of purpose in his
son Jesus Christ for you now think of
that even before you are born even before
you are being formed in your mother's womb
even before the world was created in time
past eternity before time began in eternity God
is eternal self existing and there he purpose
of purpose in himself what is that purpose
he purpose of purpose in his beloved son
concerning you and concerning me and that the
Bible called it the eternal purpose of God
so dear brothers and sisters it is extremely
important for us to know what is God's
eternal purpose concerning us now if you know
what God's eternal purpose is concerning you then
your eyes will be open you will be
able to see truly God is at the
back managing all things in your life let
all things work together for your eternal good
and that is to fulfill his eternal purpose
in your life now if you see that
then whether blessing or woe come in your
way they will not affect you adversely you
are able to see behind everything God is
working out his purpose in your life and
you will praise him you will thank him
and you will worship him and you will
love him that's the secret you know to
many believers when they are blessed they love
the Lord when they are met with adversity
their love for God began to cool down
why because they are influenced by what they
can see they are influenced by their environments
they do not see God in all things
now if we can see God and his
goodwill in all things then brothers and sisters
whatever happen if the south wind blow or
the north wind blow they will all work
together for good to those who love God
as I was meditating on this it brought
into my mind the Apostle Paul you know
Paul in Philippians chapter 4 he says something
you know this Apostle Paul he suffered a
great deal for the gospel's sake and when
he wrote this letter to the Philippines he
was in prison in Rome he was there
a prisoner not because of what wrong he
had done but because of the gospel of
Jesus Christ when you look at his circumstances
you will think that he will be very
down hearted probably he will murmur and even
rebel against God God I love you I
worked so hard for you and why is
it that you allow all these things to
happen to me but no even when he
was in prison he was full of joy
and when he wrote this letter to the
church in Philippi instead of waiting to be
comforted by the Philippine believers instead you find
he was comforting the Philippine believers he said
rejoice always in the Lord and I say
again rejoice now towards the end of the
Philippines letter in chapter 4 that's what he
said he
said in verse 11 not that I speak
as regards probation for as to me I
have learned in those circumstances in which I
am to be satisfied in myself I know
both how to be abased and I know
how to abound in everything and in all
things I'm initiated both to be full and
to be hungry both to abound and to
suffer probation I have strength for all things
in him that gives me power you find
in whatever circumstance the apostle Paul was in
whether he was praised by people or whether
he was persecuted by people whether he was
full or whether he was hungry he said
I am initiated I have learned I am
able to face all circumstances why?
because he knew the purpose of God he
knew that God means well that God is
using all things to bring him into the
full purpose of God now are we like
that?
all things work together for good to those
who love God who are called according to
purpose now what is that purpose?
in the following verse we are told verse
29 because whom he has foreknown he has
also predestinated to be conformed to the image
of his son so that he should be
the firstborn among many brethren now our God
is omniscient that is to say our God
knows everything all the time with God his
knowledge is infinite his knowledge is not limited
by time he knows the end from the
beginning the knowledge of our God is infinite
he knows everything at all time nothing is
hidden from him all things are naked before
him God has foreknowledge now
we are very limited in our knowledge if
you are very clever if you are very
observant maybe you are able to
predict something that may happen now suppose you
see a person walking back and forth before
your house and peeping in very suspicious now
if you are very observant probably you begin
to wonder whether that is a thief so
you begin to watch and sure enough in
the night he came it is as if
you foreknow that person now does it because
of that you make him a thief you
are responsible in making him a thief because
you have such foreknowledge not at all he
make himself a thief but you are so
observant now our God his foreknowledge is unlimited
before you are born before your shape in
your mother's womb or long before of course
even before the foundation of the world there
is nothing of you yet but God has
already seen you he has the foreknowledge he
knows you dear friends you may not know
God but God knows you by your name
you remember that happened when Paul was
Saul he changed his name afterwards you know
now Saul means look for someone that you
look for big shot the first king in
the Jewish nation was named Saul so this
man was named after the great king Saul
but after he believed in the Lord Jesus
he used the name Paul which means little
you know isn't that true before we know
the Lord Jesus we feel ourselves great big
important but when you know the Lord Jesus
it makes you little you feel you are
just little nothing thank God for that you
know this man Saul he persecuted Christians fearful
fearfully fearfully not only in Jerusalem the capital
city he went into homes sees men and
women who believe in Lord Jesus and sentenced
them and he will go to the synagogues
and force these people to blaspheme and when
Stephen was stoned to death he was there
watching the clothes of those who stoned Stephen
when anyone is sentenced he gives his vote
and he persecuted Christians even to Gentile cities
that was Saul but on the way to
Damascus the Lord the risen Lord met him
and you know what the Lord said Saul
Saul why do you persecute me it is
hard for you to kick against goats Saul
said who are you Lord you know we
do not know God but God knows us
all the time he knows your very name
and thank God one day he called you
God knows every one of us all the
time whom he has foreknown you are foreknown
by him you do not know him but
he knows you well he knows you better
than you know yourself and how true that
is whom he has foreknown how
does he use his foreknowledge he said whom
he has foreknown he has predestinated ah predestination
he has predestinated that you be conformed to
the image of his son that his son
may be the first born among many brethren
wonderful you know people do not understand predestination
people even rebel against predestination have you heard
people say if God has predestined me to
go to hell then there is nothing I
can do so God has to bear the
responsibility how he can judge me because he
has predestinated it is not my fault it
is his fault ah you misunderstand completely that
is not predestination God never predestined anything arbitrarily
if you have a mind a rational mind
how much more rational must be the mind
of God true God foreknown and
he predestined his predestination is according to foreknowledge
he does not predestine arbitrarily say so and
so you go to hell so and so
you go to heaven no he never does
that because it is God's will that all
may be saved and come to the knowledge
of God that is God's heart but he
knows beforehand when the gospel is presented to
you how will you react whether you will
humble yourself and confess your sins and allow
the Lord Jesus to cleanse you with his
precious blood he died for you on the
cross whether you are willing to accept his
offer or you will harden your heart you
reject his offer of love and you yourself
predestined for hell so in other words God
knows how you will react God will use
every means to persuade you but he cannot
force you why because he is the one
who creates you and he creates you with
a will God is the supreme will of
the universe and he creates you with a
will and because he gives you a will
he respects your will he will not force
you to do anything he can persuade you
he can warn you but he cannot he
will not not cannot he will not force
your will if you do not want to
accept his love nothing he can do that's
what you decide to do and God predestined
according to what you decide just like the
illustration I used you do not make that
person a thief because you foreknows he has
to be responsible for himself thank God whom
he has foreknown he knows that when the
gospel of Jesus Christ is presented to you
you will humble yourself confess your sins and
allow the Lord Jesus to redeem you to
cleanse you and to fill you with his
life so he predestinated you now he predestinated
you to what you know predestination is not
to predestine to death or life eternal death
or eternal life no to us this is
everything oh if only I can go to
heaven that's everything to me if only I
can accept hell that's everything to me it's
so good thank God for that but remember
he is God you are satisfied but he
is not satisfied he has to so work
in your life until he is satisfied he
loves you so much he wants to do
so much for you not just save you
out of hell into heaven no that's not
predestination predestination is he has predestinated you to
be conformed to the image of his son
Jesus Christ now think of that God has
an only begotten son he has that son
even before the foundation of the world his
only begotten son this is the very heart
of God all his love is poured upon
that son he made his beloved son the
heir of all things as a matter of
fact he created all things for his son
and he especially created man for his son
because he said it is not good for
his son to be alone God will make
him a helpmate his like to share his
life to share his glory that is God's
purpose concerning you and me it is because
of his son not because of you not
because of me we are not that important
it is because of God's son you know
God loves his beloved son he gives everything
to his son and his son is so
obedient to him pleases him all the time
everything that is our Lord Jesus so his
son is the model and God wants to
transform you and conform you to the image
of his son to be like him his
son is all glorious so holy so pure
so meek so humble so great so powerful
so glorious and God said I want to
work until you are like my son so
you can be his like and eventually be
his helpmate eternally united with the son in
glory now that is God's purpose for you
isn't that wonderful you know I thank God
for predestination because once God purposed that for
your life he will see to it that
it is done if you cooperate he will
be faster if you don't cooperate he will
take longer time but it shall be done
wonderful and how is he going to do
that read the following verse but whom he
has predestinated these also he has called now
God by his full knowledge he has predestinated
you for a glorious future to be like
his son that you may be united with
his son and whom he has predestinated he
has called are you called everyone is called
but not everyone respond in the same way
you remember what the Bible said whosoever wills
whosoever wills come and drink of the water
of life D.L. Moody that great evangelist
use an illustration which is very clear he
said when you come to the door of
the salvation of the Lord what do you
see written on the door whosoever will whosoever
will can enter now if he said if
on the door it said D.L. Moody
wills you can enter in then he wonders
whether there are another D.L. Moody than
himself you cannot be too sure people may
have the same name it means other people
not you but he said whosoever will that
is no doubt including me right so he
said I will so he entered in and
after he entered into the door he looked
back and he saw written at the back
of the door you who are called and
predestinated so how can you know you are
called enter in if you have entered into
the door of salvation if you have believed
in the Lord Jesus as your personal savior
if you believe that he is the son
of God he is raised from the dead
that you may be justified if you believe
with your heart and confess him with your
mouth then you look back and you are
told you are called predestinated to be conformed
to the image of God's beloved son so
you know it whom he has predestinated he
has called and whom he has called he
has justified what is justified how can a
sinner be justified be just before God before
the just God our God is just he
knows everything now how can I be justified
before him I have committed many things against
God against myself against people God knows how
can I be justified just as if I
have never sinned who is able to cleanse
me from all my sins whom he has
called he has justified in other words you
cannot justify yourself but he can justify you
why because he has sent his beloved son
into the world to die in your stead
his son bore in his body all your
sins and he was crucified on the cross
for you and now justification is offered to
you if you believe we are justified not
by our works but by faith by believing
in God's gift believing in Jesus Christ as
our Lord other than that he said whom
he has justified he has glorified you know
justified is just the beginning your sins are
forgiven you receive a new life but that
is just the beginning and now God is
working to make that life grow that you
begin to take up a new character the
character of Jesus Christ to shed the old
habit the old character of yours and begin
to build up that new character of Jesus
Christ in your life so that you can
be conformed to his image now that is
what God is doing to you today now
how is it to be done how can
the justified be glorified all things work together
for good to those who love the Lord
who are called according to purpose now brothers
and sisters I hope you understand why is
it that certain things happen in your life
why is it certain people come into your
life why is it nothing happened to you
I chance the Bible said even your hair
has been numbered you know how many hair
you have nobody knows but he knows and
he number every one of them in the
morning when you comb your hair God said
well number a thousand and five fall down
that is the love of God therefore
brothers and sisters you who are called you
who are justified he is working in your
life every day every moment God is moving
all things to work together for good by
all these things those that are not pleasing
to God those who are natural carnal freshly
wordly against God God use all things to
bring these things to death and at the
same time he is using all things to
build up the Christ character in your life
you know only Christ is glorious his life
is glory so whenever the character of Christ
is built in you then you see glory
and God's beloved son only because of the
son will be the firstborn among many brethren
what does it mean it means that many
brethren will take up upon themselves the character
the image of the firstborn so he will
be the firstborn among many brethren he will
be the model the example you know in
the Bible firstborn has two meanings one is
the common meaning first in time suppose in
your family you have five children and the
firstborn he is born first in time he
may not be first in character but certainly
he is first in time that's one way
another way you find a Bible firstborn is
according to quality not according to time but
according to quality just like you remember Jacob
make Joseph the firstborn you know the character
so we will take our character from Christ
he is the firstborn he has the priority
he has the sovereignty and we begin to
take character from him so he becomes the
firstborn among many brethren brothers and sisters you
know I feel really excited wonderful you know
you do not know what God is doing
with you if you know what God is
doing with you what can you do but
worship God is good so may the Lord
help us shall we pray dear heavenly father
our hearts are warmed we thank you for
loving us so much your thoughts concerning us
are noble and many we do thank thee
that thou art not satisfied just to justify
us thou art to glorify us O that
we may take up the character of thy
beloved son our Lord Jesus Christ he alone
is worthy dear Lord we do pray that
by thy word thou will open our understanding
that we may not murmur but we may
praise thee that we may not rebel against
thee but we may submit ourselves to thee
knowing that thou does all things well O
work out your full salvation in each of
our lives that you may be glorified we
ask in the name of our blessed Lord
Jesus Christ amen