Romans 8:28-30 (June 1, 2008)
Romans 8 M10 June 1, 2008
Text: Romans 8: 28-30
Big Idea: God causes all things to work for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.
A story is told of a wise Chinese man whose horse ran away from him. Everyone around him said, “Bad luck.” The Chinese man responded by saying, “We don’t know if it is bad luck or good luck.” Then one day the horse returns to the man with a stallion and all his neighbours say, “What good luck!” The man says, “Maybe.” The next day this man’s son was out riding the newly-found stallion when it gets spooked, and throws him, breaking his leg. The neighbours come by and express their sorrow for the bad luck, and again the man responded, “Maybe.”
Now there was a war going on in the land and the king conscripted all the young men in the realm to battle--most of whom were killed in that battle. When the soldiers came to collect the farmer’s boy, he was exempted because of his broken leg, which probably saved the young man’s life. The son ended up caring for his father into old age.
In this Zen story we are being encouraged to suspend our judgment on whether something that happens to us is going to prove to be ultimately good or bad. There are times, of course, when what appears to be “bad” for us turns out to be good for us, and what appears to be “good” turns out to be bad for us.
Life is filled with these kinds of ironies. However, if we give our lives to Christ, we can be assured that God will cause all things to work for our ultimate good.
If you have your Bibles, please turn to Romans 8:28-30.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For 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. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
In Romans 8:28, we read that we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. This is a famous verse.
It is important to note, that when God says he will cause all things to work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, that from God’s perspective and the context of this passage (which is speaking about how the Holy Spirit transforms us), the “good” that God is talking about is a spiritual good.
In the preceding verses, the Apostle Paul has argued that our suffering, if we belong to Christ, will ultimately result in something glorious for us. Paul speaks of creation groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, like a pregnant woman experiencing the pain of labour. Our suffering, if we belong to God, is momentary, but leads to a lasting joy.
It is important to note, however, as commentator Douglas Moo points out, that when God says that he is working all things for good for those who love him, for those who have been called according to his purpose, the good here may be a spiritual good (rather than a material good), and the “good” may be referring to this life, but it may also be referring to our life to come.
Someone might glibly say, based on a superficial understanding of the verse, to someone who just lost a job, “Oh, God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you lost this job so you can get a better, higher paying job.”
It is possible that God would take us out of us out of a secure, well-paying job in order to free us from our materialism. It may be that in this life we will never have a really high-paying job again.
Someone might say, based on a misunderstanding of the verse, to someone who just broke up with his or her fiancé, “Oh God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you will get together with someone who’s more attractive.”
But, it may be that God wants to free that person from an engagement to be married because he wants to free that person for a ministry that would be difficult as a married person.
Someone might say based on a misreading of this verse, to someone who gets sick “Oh God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you’ll healed and healthier than before.”
But God may use the person’s suffering for some greater purpose in their life.
Romans 8:28 doesn’t mean things will always fall the way we want them to fall in our lives—SHORT term.
The great promise of this verse is that nothing that touches our lives is not under the control and direction of our loving father in heaven. And if we belong to God, then he will cause all things to work for our ultimate good…toward our being conformed to the image of Christ.
All things include even our sin. Last Sunday Catherine Fenn talked about how her pregnancy out of wedlock brought on feelings of guilt and shame, but also ultimately opened her heart to God. God can use even our sin for ultimate good.
When people ask me about the turning points in my life, I say that perhaps the most significant turning point for me occurred as a teenager when I was caught shoplifting. That experience, coupled with dad’s discipline of me, led me to realize that I needed to chart a new course in life. And that made me open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which promises a new beginning, which I heard not long thereafter.
God can use even our sin for our ultimate good.
Richard Rohr, in Everything Belongs, says that God will use even our sins to transform us.
Julian of Norwich heard from Jesus: Sin shall not be a shame to humans, but a glory. A mark of sin shall be turned to honour. That is great news.
(Now that’s not say of course, that if you’re contemplating murdering your roommate because he’s been getting on your nerves or wondering if you should begin an affair with someone that you should do it. Romans 8:28 is not encouraging sin going forward, but is saying if you have sinned know that God can use even that to further his purposes in you).
And as Sharon Smith shared two Sundays ago; and as Paul affirms in Romans 5 and 8 so clearly, God can use our suffering to lead us in a path toward eternal glory.
Throughout the Scriptures we see examples of people whom clearly God had chosen and put his hand upon, who suffered greatly. Joseph and Esther were two people whom clearly God had his hand upon, and yet God led them through great suffering in order that they would live with great dependence upon God. Suffering, like nothing else, can open us up to our need for God.
My wife Sakiko was the first person in her family tree to become a follower of Christ. She was working as an editor of a news magazine. She was in a romantic relationship that had become very painful, and as a result of that suffering her heart was opened up to Christ.
For many of us here we know from our experience that suffering has, or is, opening our hearts to God.
Some things are bitter… and in and of themselves they may not be good… take this for example... (hold up flour)--eaten by itself it’s not pleasant…. Or this for example (hold up salt)--eaten by itself it’s not pleasant…. Or this for example--(hold up baking powder) eaten by itself it’s not good… but taken with some butter and sugar… it can become this (hold up cookie) something good. God is working all things together for good for those who love God and who have been called according to his purpose—even if the individual things in and of themselves are not good.
Dallas Willard, the wise writer on the spiritual life, has said that for those who love God, nothing irredeemable can happen to you.
A powerful example of a person who has experienced unusual suffering, and yet God is clearly redeeming that suffering for his purposes in this person’s life, is Nick Vujicic
(Show DVD clip.)
Communion lead-in: The greatest example of all how good can come out of suffering is not Nick’s story (as great as that is), but the story of God becoming a human being in Jesus Christ, allowing himself to be nailed to a Roman cross--that’s suffering--on that cross, God in Christ bore your sins and mine, but out of that great suffering came the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life.
We can know by looking at God in the face of Jesus Christ that our suffering and even our sins can be used for our ultimate good and God’s eternal purposes.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and broke it, and said, “This is my body broken for you.” He took the cup, and said, “This is my blood being poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins, for our sins…”
(Offering for Myanmar and China)
In baptism tank for service 3
(The sermon can be heard on line at: www.tenth.ca)
1
Text: Romans 8: 28-30
Big Idea: God causes all things to work for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.
A story is told of a wise Chinese man whose horse ran away from him. Everyone around him said, “Bad luck.” The Chinese man responded by saying, “We don’t know if it is bad luck or good luck.” Then one day the horse returns to the man with a stallion and all his neighbours say, “What good luck!” The man says, “Maybe.” The next day this man’s son was out riding the newly-found stallion when it gets spooked, and throws him, breaking his leg. The neighbours come by and express their sorrow for the bad luck, and again the man responded, “Maybe.”
Now there was a war going on in the land and the king conscripted all the young men in the realm to battle--most of whom were killed in that battle. When the soldiers came to collect the farmer’s boy, he was exempted because of his broken leg, which probably saved the young man’s life. The son ended up caring for his father into old age.
In this Zen story we are being encouraged to suspend our judgment on whether something that happens to us is going to prove to be ultimately good or bad. There are times, of course, when what appears to be “bad” for us turns out to be good for us, and what appears to be “good” turns out to be bad for us.
Life is filled with these kinds of ironies. However, if we give our lives to Christ, we can be assured that God will cause all things to work for our ultimate good.
If you have your Bibles, please turn to Romans 8:28-30.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For 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. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
In Romans 8:28, we read that we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. This is a famous verse.
It is important to note, that when God says he will cause all things to work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, that from God’s perspective and the context of this passage (which is speaking about how the Holy Spirit transforms us), the “good” that God is talking about is a spiritual good.
In the preceding verses, the Apostle Paul has argued that our suffering, if we belong to Christ, will ultimately result in something glorious for us. Paul speaks of creation groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, like a pregnant woman experiencing the pain of labour. Our suffering, if we belong to God, is momentary, but leads to a lasting joy.
It is important to note, however, as commentator Douglas Moo points out, that when God says that he is working all things for good for those who love him, for those who have been called according to his purpose, the good here may be a spiritual good (rather than a material good), and the “good” may be referring to this life, but it may also be referring to our life to come.
Someone might glibly say, based on a superficial understanding of the verse, to someone who just lost a job, “Oh, God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you lost this job so you can get a better, higher paying job.”
It is possible that God would take us out of us out of a secure, well-paying job in order to free us from our materialism. It may be that in this life we will never have a really high-paying job again.
Someone might say, based on a misunderstanding of the verse, to someone who just broke up with his or her fiancé, “Oh God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you will get together with someone who’s more attractive.”
But, it may be that God wants to free that person from an engagement to be married because he wants to free that person for a ministry that would be difficult as a married person.
Someone might say based on a misreading of this verse, to someone who gets sick “Oh God’s working all things together for good, so I’m sure you’ll healed and healthier than before.”
But God may use the person’s suffering for some greater purpose in their life.
Romans 8:28 doesn’t mean things will always fall the way we want them to fall in our lives—SHORT term.
The great promise of this verse is that nothing that touches our lives is not under the control and direction of our loving father in heaven. And if we belong to God, then he will cause all things to work for our ultimate good…toward our being conformed to the image of Christ.
All things include even our sin. Last Sunday Catherine Fenn talked about how her pregnancy out of wedlock brought on feelings of guilt and shame, but also ultimately opened her heart to God. God can use even our sin for ultimate good.
When people ask me about the turning points in my life, I say that perhaps the most significant turning point for me occurred as a teenager when I was caught shoplifting. That experience, coupled with dad’s discipline of me, led me to realize that I needed to chart a new course in life. And that made me open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which promises a new beginning, which I heard not long thereafter.
God can use even our sin for our ultimate good.
Richard Rohr, in Everything Belongs, says that God will use even our sins to transform us.
Julian of Norwich heard from Jesus: Sin shall not be a shame to humans, but a glory. A mark of sin shall be turned to honour. That is great news.
(Now that’s not say of course, that if you’re contemplating murdering your roommate because he’s been getting on your nerves or wondering if you should begin an affair with someone that you should do it. Romans 8:28 is not encouraging sin going forward, but is saying if you have sinned know that God can use even that to further his purposes in you).
And as Sharon Smith shared two Sundays ago; and as Paul affirms in Romans 5 and 8 so clearly, God can use our suffering to lead us in a path toward eternal glory.
Throughout the Scriptures we see examples of people whom clearly God had chosen and put his hand upon, who suffered greatly. Joseph and Esther were two people whom clearly God had his hand upon, and yet God led them through great suffering in order that they would live with great dependence upon God. Suffering, like nothing else, can open us up to our need for God.
My wife Sakiko was the first person in her family tree to become a follower of Christ. She was working as an editor of a news magazine. She was in a romantic relationship that had become very painful, and as a result of that suffering her heart was opened up to Christ.
For many of us here we know from our experience that suffering has, or is, opening our hearts to God.
Some things are bitter… and in and of themselves they may not be good… take this for example... (hold up flour)--eaten by itself it’s not pleasant…. Or this for example (hold up salt)--eaten by itself it’s not pleasant…. Or this for example--(hold up baking powder) eaten by itself it’s not good… but taken with some butter and sugar… it can become this (hold up cookie) something good. God is working all things together for good for those who love God and who have been called according to his purpose—even if the individual things in and of themselves are not good.
Dallas Willard, the wise writer on the spiritual life, has said that for those who love God, nothing irredeemable can happen to you.
A powerful example of a person who has experienced unusual suffering, and yet God is clearly redeeming that suffering for his purposes in this person’s life, is Nick Vujicic
(Show DVD clip.)
Communion lead-in: The greatest example of all how good can come out of suffering is not Nick’s story (as great as that is), but the story of God becoming a human being in Jesus Christ, allowing himself to be nailed to a Roman cross--that’s suffering--on that cross, God in Christ bore your sins and mine, but out of that great suffering came the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life.
We can know by looking at God in the face of Jesus Christ that our suffering and even our sins can be used for our ultimate good and God’s eternal purposes.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and broke it, and said, “This is my body broken for you.” He took the cup, and said, “This is my blood being poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins, for our sins…”
(Offering for Myanmar and China)
In baptism tank for service 3
(The sermon can be heard on line at: www.tenth.ca)
1
posted by Shigematsu at 11:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home