All things work together

A trip to the drug store to get a prescription filled. The druggist will take several bottles off the shelf, mix them together and make a medicine. Some of the chemicals he uses may be dangerous and even fatal, but when they are mixed together in the proper amounts, they can heal your body. Have you ever considered that this is how God works also? He takes all our problems, and our situations, which look so terrible, and He mixes them all together in the crucible of His love and produces something that is very wonderful - medicine for the soul.

In this great verse, Paul reminds the Roman Christians about the Chemistry of the Cross. This process allows God to take all the circumstances of life, both good and bad, both sweet and bitter, and blend them together into something wonderful. He can take all of life and turn it into a situation that works for our good and for His glory.

Allow me to share some of the blessings contained in this little verse. I want you to be assured that God can take your life, with all of its ups and downs, blend it with His grace, add a heaping portion of His love and transform it into a thing of great beauty and blessing.

1. We know - All things will work for good, no questions, no qualifications.

A. This is an ironclad promise from Almighty God Himself - Rom. 4:21.

1 His reputation rides on His Word!

2 All things will work for Good!

B. F.B. Meyer said: If any promise of God should fail, the heavens would cloth themselves in sackcloth; the sun, the moon and the stars would reel from their courses; the universe would rock, and a hollow wind would moan through a ruined creation the awful fact that God can lie.

C. But never fear! Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2.

2. Not most , not some , but ALL

A. Webster s definitions of all

1 The whole of, the greatest possible;

2 Every member or individual part of;

3 The whole number or sum of;

4 Every;

5 Any whatever.

B. In fact, every thing in the life of the child of God is working for your good!

1 Even the things you don t understand, or even like!

C. Notice some areas where God is working out our good and His glory.

1 Pleasant Things Work For Our Good - It is easy to see how the sweet things in life work for us. Home, family, health, wealth, salvation, etc.) These things are the stuff of life that make it good and make us feel good about things. In fact, these blessings from the Lord ought to cause us to want to be better Christians, Rom. 2:4. We ought to thank and praise Him for His blessings - 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 13:15.

2 Distressing Things Work For Our Good What if there were a Russian invasion of the US and many were carried off to slavery in Siberia. Would it be good? There are several examples in the Word of God where extremely sorrowful things happened to people and it all worked for their good in the end. Judah - Jer. 24:5; David - Psa. 119:71; Joseph - Gen. 50:20; Manasseh - 2 Chron. 33:11-12) Often the sickbed, the valley of suffering, or the time of sorrow can out teach the sermon! When God allows a time of sorrow, suffering or pain in our lives, it is always for our good and for His glory. He never said we had to like it, but we should strive to be thankful! Remember, it is the eye that is washed with tears that sees the best!

3 Satanic Things Work For Our Good - Paul - 2 Cor. 12:7-10,11 Paul endured Satanic attack and affliction. But, God was in control! God can even use the devil to work out good things in our lives. Old widow, no groceries and cruel landlord. Even Satanic attack is used by the Lord to grow us up in his image.

4 Personal Failures Work For Our Good - Christians ought not sin! When we do, we will suffer, but God can take the suffering brought about deliberate sin and use it for our good - Simon Peter - Luke 22:31-34.

D. God uses all the circumstances of life for our good. We may not see the good right now, but we can still take comfort and rejoice in the completeness of God s promise.

3. The cause is the awesome power of God. He is all-powerful, all-knowing and He is able to take control of every situation in life.

A. It s easy to forget that God is in control - Matt. 28:18; Eph. 3:20; Luke 1:38;

B. Job 42:2. When we get our eyes off Him and on our circumstance, we re in for a fall

1 Peter - Matt. 14:28-31

2 Example: Martin Luther and deep depressions.

C. When life closes in, remember this: If you belong to Jesus, God is behind every circumstance you face. Job 1 & 2

4. This promise is not for everyone. Only to those who love God.

A. If all things work together for good to the lover of God, the opposite must be true for those who do not love him!

1 Preaching - Blesses the obedient, and bruises the disobedient. If you went to a physician whom you didn't trust, you wouldn't follow his prescription and treatment and as a result, you wouldn t experience the blessing of healing. If you do not love God, and trust His wisdom, you will rebel against Him and refuse to submit to His will for your life.

B. How can I tell if I really love God?

1 Are you saved? You don t love Him if you don t know Him - 1 John 4:19.

2 Are you obedient? John 14:15; John 14:21.

C. Rom. 8:28 is not a promise to you unless you qualify as one who loves Him!

1 The relationship you have with Jesus can be either good or bad. He is the door - John 10:9.

2 To the saved, He is the door into the glories of Heaven and eternal life,

3 To the lost, He is the door into damnation and eternal separation in Hell. You see, it is vitally important for you to love God , so this great promise can be yours now and forever.

5. This is not a verse designed for your happiness! It is not to be taken lightly. Notice the verses that immediately follow it - 29-30.

A. God s purpose in turning everything to good is not to bless you, make you happy, or make you wealthy. God is doing all that He does to make you more like Jesus! God didn t finish with you at salvation. He will continue to shape you until you reflect His image perfectly

B. The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal plan and that nothing will ever be able to change that plan! God is busy reproducing Himself in each of us.

6. God always saves the best for last

A. John 2 - Jesus in Cana. The truth of this great promise is this: One day when all our plans, hopes and dreams are gone, we will be like Him!

B. Imagine God to be like a great diamond cutter. One day, as a result of everything you have endured and enjoyed in this life, He will have chipped and chiseled you into His own image. That and that alone makes every situation of life worthwhile.

C. As God works out His chemistry in our lives, we can be assured that we will be the ones who will ultimately benefit. Bring all of you circumstances before him this morning and trust His wisdom in your life.